Darkness swallowed Kean whole. The rush of air roared in his ears, his stomach twisting as the abyss dragged him down.
But one thing kept him tethered to reality—Liara's hand, gripping his wrist with iron determination.
Her voice cut through the chaos. "Focus! Don't let go!"
"I wasn't planning to!" Kean shouted back, though terror almost made his fingers slip.
Below them, the spiraling abyss pulsed with impossible light. Sigils flickered across the walls of the chasm, alive, shifting like serpents. The colossal eye had vanished, replaced by endless glowing patterns that seemed to breathe.
Kean's mark burned hotter, resonating with the abyss. His vision blurred, and again the whispers returned:
"The Spiral remembers. The Spiral devours. Claim or be claimed."
His chest tightened. "Why me?"
Liara's grip tightened. "Don't listen to it! The Spiral preys on the mind. Anchor yourself!"
"How?!"
Her other hand shot forward, etching runes into the air as they fell. Golden light surged, forming a fragile cocoon around them, slowing their descent. The spiral walls shuddered as if resisting her spell, but the glow held.
When at last their feet touched solid ground, Kean collapsed, gasping. The stone beneath was smooth, impossibly ancient, glowing faintly with silver lines.
Liara released him, her breath uneven, sweat gleaming on her forehead. "That was… too close."
Kean sat up, still shaking. "Where the hell are we?"
Liara scanned the glowing cavern, her expression grave. "The Forgotten Spiral. I've only read fragments about it. Supposedly, this is where the First Sigils were born."
Her gaze drifted to his glowing wrist. "And where forbidden ones still sleep."
Kean swallowed. "And now we're trapped in here."
Liara's lips pressed into a thin line. She didn't deny it.
They began walking, their footsteps echoing in the cavern. Sigils on the walls pulsed faintly as they passed, almost watching them.
Kean tried to distract himself from the oppressive silence. "So… those guys with you earlier. Students?"
"Apprentices," Liara replied curtly. "Not mine. From rival clans. But under Academy law, they follow my lead during expeditions."
"Right," Kean muttered. "You sound like you're… important."
Liara glanced at him. "I am. My clan is one of the Five Pillars. My presence here isn't coincidence."
Kean arched a brow. "And you just happened to find me."
Her lips curved faintly, almost a smile. "Perhaps the Spiral arranged it."
Kean's stomach fluttered. He quickly looked away. Focus. Don't get distracted…
They entered a vast chamber, its ceiling lost in darkness. In the center stood a monolith etched with glowing spirals, towering like a pillar of eternity.
The whispers in Kean's head surged violently. His knees buckled, and he clutched his head.
"Awaken us… carve the first path… let the world tremble again."
Liara caught him. "Kean!" Her hand pressed against his chest, steadying him. "What's happening?"
"The voices… they're louder…" he gasped.
The monolith pulsed, responding to his mark.
Liara's eyes widened. "It's resonating with you."
Before Kean could answer, the floor shook. From the shadows of the chamber, figures emerged—twisted humanoid shapes, their bodies cracked and glowing with unstable sigils. Their faces were blank masks of stone, mouths stretched open in silent screams.
Liara drew her bow of light again. "Wraithbound. But these… they're ancient."
The creatures surged forward.
Kean's instincts flared. His hand moved, tracing unfamiliar runes in the air. Chains erupted, lashing out and binding two of the creatures.
Liara shot arrow after arrow, each strike piercing a monster's core. But more emerged, dozens, circling them.
Sweat stung Kean's eyes. "There's too many!"
Liara pressed her back against his. "Then stand with me."
Her words carried no hesitation, no fear. Only conviction.
Kean felt something stir inside him—not just the mark, but a raw determination. Together, they fought.
The battle was chaos, chains and arrows tearing through endless foes. But still the monsters came.
Just when Kean's strength threatened to fail, the monolith erupted with light. Sigils flared across the floor, engulfing the creatures. They shrieked silently before dissolving into ash.
Silence fell.
Kean collapsed to one knee, his chest heaving. Liara stood beside him, her bow fading. Her emerald eyes softened, studying him.
"You shouldn't be able to do this," she whispered. "No untrained soul could survive that resonance. Yet you did."
Kean met her gaze, his heart pounding. "I don't understand any of this. But if I don't figure it out, I'm dead. Right?"
Her lips curved faintly, almost… tender. "Then I'll make sure you do."
Kean froze, caught between exhaustion and the strange warmth in her words.
But before he could reply, the monolith split open with a thunderous crack—revealing a staircase spiraling down into deeper darkness.
The whispers roared again.
"Step deeper. Or be left behind."