Jen ripped the map from her belt pouch, spreading it open against the stone. Her glowing energy orb pulsed faintly over the parchment, illuminating jagged lines and symbols. Her finger stabbed toward the center.
"Rees—the alignment. How much time?"
Rees checked the slim gadget on his wrist, numbers ticking down like sand in an hourglass. His usual grin faltered. "Five minutes. That's it."
Jen folded the map with a sharp snap. "Then we move. The gate has to be close." She shot to her feet, determination radiating off her.
Shu squeaked, voice shrill. "D-do you not hear that?!"
From deeper in the ruins, the low rumble of movement echoed—a chorus of guttural growls and scraping stone. The roar of the first protector had stirred others, and their footsteps now shuddered through the walls.
Rees cursed under his breath. "Great. We've got company."
They darted down a narrow corridor, the air growing colder, darker. Strange carvings on the walls seemed to writhe in the flickering light, and every few steps the shadows ahead twitched—not from their movement, but from something else moving in the dark.
A sudden silhouette emerged—another guardian beast, its hollow eyes sweeping the corridor as if searching. Two more shadows stirred behind it, lumbering like hunters in the gloom.
Jen hissed, "Damn it—we can't fight all of them. Shu!"
Shu nearly jumped out of his skin. "M-me?!"
"Yes, you! Hex, charm, whatever you've got—do it now!"
Shu fumbled with his charms, nearly dropping them. His lips quivered as he muttered an incantation, hands glowing with faint blue light. "O-okay, okay—j-just don't yell at me if it fails…"
The energy wavered in his palms, fragile as candlelight.
Rees leaned closer, whispering sharply. "It better not fail. Or we're dead."
Shu swallowed hard, eyes darting between the map's glowing path and the hulking protectors closing in.
Shu's hands shook as he forced the words out, syllables tangling in his throat. The blue glow sputtered, flickered—then suddenly flared like a bonfire.
Jen and Rees both flinched.
"Wha—don't blow us up, idiot!" Jen barked.
"I-I'm trying!" Shu squealed, voice cracking.
The nearest protector beast let out a low growl, claws scraping the ground as it charged forward—right as Shu hurled the glowing charm forward with a panicked yelp.
The charm hit the floor… and bounced.
Once. Twice.
Then it exploded into a wave of… butterflies. Hundreds of glowing, blue, translucent butterflies filled the corridor, wings shimmering like moonlight.
The protectors froze. Their hollow eyes tracked the swarm as it fluttered around them, obscuring vision, coating their bodies in harmless sparks of light.
Jen blinked. "Butterflies?"
Shu's teeth chattered. "I-it's a distraction charm! I-I think! I usually use it on cats—"
But the effect worked. The massive beasts turned in confusion, swiping at the fragile illusions. Their thunderous steps faltered, giving the trio an opening.
Rees didn't waste a second. He grabbed Shu by the collar, dragging him forward. "Come on, bug-boy. Before they realize they can eat your butterflies."
Jen shot Shu a glare as they sprinted past the distracted guardians. "If you ever waste our lives on sparkly pests again—"
"They're not pests, they're—ahhh!" Shu tripped over his own feet, scrambling up again as Jen yanked him forward.
Behind them, the corridor glowed faintly blue from the fading swarm, the guardians' growls muffled by the sound of hundreds of wings.
Rees checked his wrist gadget again, panting. "Three minutes left. The gate should be just ahead!"
Jen's eyes lit up, fierce and wild. "Good. Then we run."
And so they did—feet pounding the ancient stones, chased by the echoes of awakening guardians.
The three skidded to a halt, dust kicking up around their feet.
Five hulking guardians stood before the gate, their bodies etched with glowing runes, eyes like molten embers. Each one twice the height of a man, each one ready to shred trespassers where they stood.
Jen's jaw tightened. "Shoot."
Shu trembled so badly the map almost slipped from his hands. "W-what do we do now?! We're dead! We're all dead!"
Rees's wrist gadget beeped. His eyes darted to the screen. "And we're out of time—the alignment starts in two minutes!"
Before Jen could answer, the sound of armored boots echoed through the ruin's halls. Voices barked orders, growing louder.
Rees hissed. "Great. The guards are here too."
They were trapped. Guardians ahead, guards behind.
Jen clenched her fists, yellow sparks crackling at her knuckles. "Then we break through. No other way."
Shu's voice shot up an octave. "Break through?! There are five of them! Five! One almost ate me back there!"
Rees's smirk returned, sharp and dangerous. "Who said we need to fight them?" He reached into his satchel and pulled out three small disks. "Smoke gadgets. Limited cover. Not perfect—but paired with your sparkly pets, Shu…"
Shu blinked, confused. "You—you want me to—"
Jen cut in, catching on instantly. "Illusions and smoke. They'll never know what's real."
Rees grinned. "Bingo."
Shu's knees knocked together. "O-oh, this is gonna kill me…"
Jen grabbed him by the collar and shoved him forward. "Not if you move fast!"
Rees slammed the disks on the ground. Instantly, thick plumes of black smoke billowed outward, filling the chamber. Guardians roared, swiping blindly.
"Now, Shu!" Jen shouted.
Shu threw his trembling hands into the air, chanting desperately. The smoke shimmered, warping into dozens of phantom figures—ghostly clones of the trio darting in every direction, scattering like fleeing prey.
The guardians lunged at the illusions, tearing stone apart, their bellows shaking the walls.
In the chaos, Jen grabbed the real map and sprinted forward. "There—the gate!"
The trio bolted straight through the confusion, ducking under a guardian's massive claw. Shu squealed the entire way, clutching his charms like a lifeline.
Behind them, the guards stumbled into the smoke-filled chamber, coughing and shouting in disarray.
But ahead—through the haze—they reached the base of the gate. Its surface glowed faintly with starlight, symbols shifting as the alignment began.
Jen's eyes gleamed with triumph. "We made it."
The ground trembled as the creature stalked forward, its grotesque frame blotting out the faint glow of the ruins. Rees's voice cracked through the air, sharp with urgency.
"A few seconds—take the key and open the gate! I'll hold it back!"
Shu froze. "But Jen—"
"Go!" Jen's shout carried enough force to shove him forward. Her aura blazed to life, raw energy crackling around her palms.
Rees dragged Shu toward the ancient gate, hands fumbling with the key. The runes shimmered faintly, waiting.
Behind them, Jen launched a volley of radiant blasts. The creature raised a jagged shield, deflecting them with a hiss that rattled the ruins. Its eyes glowed crimson before it unleashed a beam of dark energy.
Jen's own shield flared into existence, the impact ringing through her bones. Dust rained down from the ceiling. She gritted her teeth, forcing her magic into another surge.
The creature stepped forward—unstoppable.
"Not today," Jen spat. She slammed her hands against the stone floor, channeling her energy into a violent explosion. Light burst out, scorching the chamber and filling it with blinding smoke.
Rees twisted the key. "Fifteen seconds!" His voice echoed in the haze.
Jen dashed through the smoke, the crackle of her energy leaving trails of violet light as she sprinted toward them. The monster roared, slashing at the cloud, but her silhouette had already vanished into the fog.
"Five… four… three… two… one—!" Rees shouted.
The gate's runes ignited, gears shifting with a thunderous groan. The stone doors split open, ancient magic howling like a storm.
Shu stumbled forward, gasping in relief. "Finally—"
Behind them, the creature shrieked, its roar swallowed by the blinding brilliance pouring out of the gate.
The heavy stone doors groaned shut behind them, sealing with a final, echoing thud. From outside came muffled shouts—the guards, clawing and pounding at the barrier—but the sound soon faded into silence.
The three collapsed to the floor, gasping, their chests heaving in unison. Sweat clung to their foreheads, and for a brief, precious moment, they allowed themselves to breathe.
Rees let out a shaky laugh, his lips curling into the faintest smile. "Finally…"
Shu flopped back against the wall, groaning. "I'm done. I'm so tired, my legs are about to fall off."
Jen smiled despite the exhaustion, her eyes softening as she looked at the two of them. "That was a good adventure…" She drew in a steadying breath. "…but we still haven't found what we came for."
Shu lifted his head, blinking as he glanced around. "What is this place anyway? It looks the same as the ruins outside."
Rees shook his head, already analyzing the walls with a scholar's eye. The glow from the torches revealed ancient carvings, their shapes more intricate, their meanings heavier. "They're ruins, yes… but not the same. The pictures and symbols—they're different. Older. Stronger."
Jen stepped forward, brushing her fingers across the etched stone. Her voice dropped, almost reverent. "They're different because… we aren't in the magic realm anymore." She turned to them, eyes shimmering with realization. "We've crossed over. This… this is the normal realm. And somewhere in here…" Her gaze traced the vast corridor that stretched into shadow. "…is the thing we've been searching for."