The Winds of the New World-Chapter 46 - 43: Secrets in the Depths

Dust lingered in the air like a spectral veil, swirling slowly under the dim torchlight. Edmund, Kieza, and Voss retreated to a safer part of the chamber, trying to catch their breath after the battle. The residual heat from the sealed creatures still pulsed through the ground, as if the energy that had kept them dormant was gradually dissipating, releasing something even darker into the atmosphere.

The silence was heavy, broken only by the distant dripping of water and the faint echo of what sounded like a subterranean moan. Edmund wiped the sweat from his forehead and examined the walls with a critical gaze. The hieroglyphs that had once seemed like mere decorative inscriptions now glowed faintly, as if an unseen force was trying to communicate with them.

"We need to understand exactly what we're dealing with here," he said, his dark eyes scanning the engravings.

Kieza stepped closer, her fingers gliding over the time-worn inscriptions. The faint glow of the runes reflected on her pale skin, creating an almost ethereal effect.

"This civilization was advanced... more than we imagined. They mastered sealing magic, something rare even in the legends of Vharad's sages," she murmured, her voice filled with both fascination and concern.

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Voss, still gripping his sword firmly, tapped the tip against the ground, testing the temple's solidity.

"That means there could be other seals. And if there are others... there could be more of those creatures. Or something worse."

The thought hung in the air like a silent warning. Edmund didn't like the feeling this place gave him. With every new discovery, it seemed they were walking straight into an abyss of secrets buried for centuries.

His eyes caught a different set of symbols at the center of the room. The runes there didn't have the same wear as the others—they looked newer, as if someone had tried to reinforce them or alter the original seal.

"This... wasn't carved at the same time as the rest," he murmured, running his hand over the stone's cold surface.

Kieza frowned and knelt beside him, analyzing the markings.

"Someone tried to strengthen this seal. But why?"

Before they could speculate further, a deep, distant sound reverberated through the underground. It was a low, resonant noise, something that made the very ground vibrate slightly beneath their feet.

The sound spread like muffled thunder, echoing through the hidden corridors of the structure. It wasn't just a simple tremor—it was a call, a warning... or an awakening.

Voss twirled his blade between his fingers and took a defensive stance.

"Tell me that was just a cave-in..."

But Edmund already knew the answer.

"Something is still here," he murmured, his eyes fixed on the darkness ahead. "And it's no longer asleep."

Kieza swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her sword.

The air around them grew heavier, as if the very structure was breathing. A chill ran down Edmund's spine. They had awakened the guardians... but who—or what—was still waiting in the depths?