The cavern stretched wide, its vastness only hinted at by the dim glow of luminescent fungi clinging to the walls. The sound of chanting grew louder, an eerie, monotonous hum that reverberated through the stone.
Rolan motioned for silence, crouching near the edge of the stone bridge. "Whatever's down there... it's not alone."
Kieran squinted into the darkness, spotting flickering torches across the bridge. Hooded figures moved in slow procession, circling an altar etched with glowing symbols. At its center was a crystalline orb, pulsating with the same sickly green light they'd seen before.
Bram's face hardened. "That orb—it's a conduit. They're feeding energy into it."
Jace tightened his grip on his axe. "Can we just smash it?"
"Not without knowing what it'll do," Bram warned. "If it's linked to the corruption, shattering it recklessly could backfire."
Rolan whispered, "I've seen them perform rituals before. Destroying the orb without disrupting the spell could trigger something worse."
Kieran frowned. "Then we cut off the source first—the cultists. If they're maintaining the energy flow, stopping them might weaken it."
Mira nodded. "Take out the chanters first, then deal with the orb."
Kieran signaled, and they moved quietly along the bridge, keeping low. As they drew closer, Rag let out a soft growl, ears pinned back. The chanting became clearer—words in an ancient tongue that made Bram's skin crawl.
As they reached the opposite side, Rolan slipped into the shadows, circling around to the far end. Kieran gestured for Jace to flank right while Mira and Bram stayed close to him.
The first cultist didn't see the strike coming—Kieran's blade cut cleanly through, and the chanting faltered. Jace charged in from the side, his axe cleaving through another, while Mira whispered a binding spell that trapped two cultists in glowing chains.
The sudden attack sent the remaining cultists into chaos. One of them raised a staff, summoning a surge of dark energy, but Bram countered with a blast of light that shattered the spell. Rolan appeared behind another cultist, slashing his dagger across the man's throat.
Within moments, the chanting ceased, and the cultists lay dead or bound. The orb's glow dimmed, but the cavern trembled, and cracks spidered through the altar.
Bram hurried forward, examining the symbols. "The disruption is causing a backlash. We need to stabilize it."
Kieran cursed under his breath. "How?"
"Channel opposing energy. Light magic should neutralize it," Bram explained, focusing his staff on the orb.
As he chanted, Mira joined in, her voice weaving with his as light intertwined with the orb's glow. The cavern's tremors subsided, and the corrupted energy receded.
When it was over, Bram slumped to his knees, exhausted. Kieran helped him up, glancing at Rolan. "You've seen this before?"
Rolan shook his head. "Never this close. Whatever they were trying to do... it's bigger than just this cavern."
Jace wiped blood from his axe, muttering, "Cultists never know when to quit."
Mira glanced back at the shattered orb. "If they're trying to awaken something, this might just be the beginning."
Kieran nodded grimly. "We need to find out who's behind this—and stop it before it spreads beyond the tunnels."
The cavern fell silent, the echoes of their battle fading as they prepared to move on, deeper into the labyrinth where darker secrets surely awaited.