Chapter 11 – The Prism of Fractures
The corridor they stepped into was unlike the others—narrow, crystalline, and humming with a vibration that made Sya's skin crawl. The walls pulsed with dim blue light, and in the air hung a high-pitched tone, like a glass harp being stroked.
Kale touched the surface. "It's alive…"
"No," Sya said, stepping forward, "It's aware."
They moved slowly. Each footstep triggered slight fluctuations in the wall's glow, as if the structure reacted to their presence. Elyon followed closely behind, eyes scanning for traps or enemies. The terrain had grown more unpredictable since passing the previous chamber.
A few meters in, they encountered a fork—three identical tunnels stretching ahead in separate directions. But the one to the right shimmered faintly, unlike the rest.
"That one," Sya said without hesitation.
"You're sure?" Kale asked, hand on his weapon.
"I can feel it calling," she whispered. "Like something—"
Suddenly, the tunnel darkened, and the middle path split open violently. From it, a figure emerged—tall, cloaked in twisting glass threads that constantly reshaped its form.
"A Fractured Warden," Elyon murmured.
It turned its featureless face toward them, and the walls lit up with aggressive pulses. The being charged.
Kale stepped forward, blades ready, but Sya raised a hand. "Wait—"
Too late. The Warden struck, slicing the ground with razor-thin threads. Kale ducked and countered, striking back. His blade clanged against the creature's threadlike limbs, which regenerated instantly.
Elyon flanked it, launching a chain of shadowy spikes, each absorbed into the creature's body. "It's not physical!" he shouted.
Sya closed her eyes. Tune into the vibration… She reached out with her mind. The air trembled more violently. The tone changed. She mimicked it, humming softly.
The Warden froze.
Kale glanced at her. "What did you—"
"Keep it distracted!" Sya instructed, her hands weaving symbols in the air.
She traced a sigil: a fractured prism enclosed in a circle. Light burst from her fingertips as the Warden shrieked in harmonic distortion.
"I'm syncing with the code," she said through gritted teeth. "This warden… it's a guardian of a sealed file. It's not trying to kill us—it's testing us."
Elyon, realizing the clue, backed off. "Then what's the test?"
"A prism splits light," Sya said. "This corridor splits code. It's a riddle."
The Warden struck again—this time, slower. It sent three threads toward each of them. Kale blocked. Elyon dodged. Sya stood still—and allowed hers to pass through her.
She was unharmed.
"It tests trust," she breathed. "In yourself. In the code."
The Warden stopped moving. Its body collapsed into a swirling orb of glass, hovering before them.
Kale stepped forward. "That thing almost shredded me."
"But we passed," Sya said. "We split the prism correctly."
The orb pulsed, then shot into her chest.
A flash of memory invaded her mind—code, numbers, fragments.
A girl's voice echoed: The seventh fracture is not broken. It's hidden inside the dream of the code itself.
Sya gasped. Her vision blurred.
"Sya!" Elyon steadied her.
"I saw…" she blinked, "a different world. A dream. The Fractured Code isn't just broken—it's asleep."
Kale frowned. "Then how do we wake it?"
She turned to him. "By diving deeper."
The right tunnel—the one she'd felt drawn to—now glowed with golden veins.
Without another word, the team pressed fo
rward.
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Let me know if you'd like me to continue with Chapter 12 now.