Chapter Sixty— Echoes Beneath the Stone
The morning sun did little to warm the land as Kael and Lira moved deeper into the heart of the fallen continent. Ash still clung to the winds, mixed with the faint, metallic taste of old magic — wild, untamed, and dangerous. The further they ventured, the more unnatural the land became.
Trees twisted like they had been frozen mid-scream. Cracks in the ground pulsed faintly with a violet hue, remnants of the shadow aura that had once flooded this land.
"Whatever he unleashed here," Kael muttered, eyes scanning the terrain, "it never left."
Lira nodded, her staff now glowing faintly at its tip as a magical ward. "This wasn't destruction. It was rewriting. The land itself doesn't remember how to be… alive."
They arrived at a valley — no, what remained of one. The ground had sunken inward to reveal a network of black stone corridors: ruins of an ancient underground city, unearthed during Andrew's final surge of power.
"This wasn't here before," Lira whispered.
Kael looked down the jagged opening. "We should take a look."
Lira gave him a dry glare. "You're still recovering from the last time you acted on instinct."
Kael smirked. "I'm not dead yet."
They climbed down slowly, the stair-like edges leading into the dark. As they descended, torches lining the stone corridors flickered to life one by one — not lit by them, but by some remaining force deep in the ruins.
"Someone's been here," Kael muttered.
Or something.
Symbols were carved into the walls — ancient, not of this age. They glowed with the same purple-black hue that Andrew had once carried with every step. The deeper they went, the more those symbols began to twist and change… into words.
Lira touched one, her hand shaking slightly. "These aren't warnings."
"What are they?"
She paused. "Orders."
Kael's grip on his sword tightened.
Then they heard it — faint footsteps, echoing ahead.
They turned a corner and came face-to-face with a sealed door covered in shadow runes. In the center, embedded into the stone, was a carving of a sword… not just any sword.
"Ashren," Lira said, her voice trembling.
Kael stared at the image. It was identical to Andrew's weapon — the sword of the continent, once a symbol of power and unity. Now just a mark of fear and ruin.
Suddenly, the ground rumbled, and the stone behind the sword symbol cracked.
Something was waking up.
Kael raised his blade, stepping in front of Lira. "Get back."
The stone wall broke inwards, revealing a massive chamber. At its center floated a dark crystal — pulsing, glowing — and surrounded by statues that looked disturbingly like the original high-ranking generals that had once served Andrew. Shadows danced around the crystal like a slow heartbeat.
And then… a voice.
Not spoken aloud — it echoed in their minds.
"You've come… sooner than I expected."
Lira gasped. "That's not possible."
Kael's jaw clenched. "Andrew?"
"Not quite." The voice was calm. Cold. Timeless. "This is what he left behind. A seed of his power. A contingency… should his body fall."
The crystal pulsed brighter.
"Tell me… are you ready to face what still lives?"
Kael stepped forward. "I killed him. I buried him in light. You're just a memory."
"Memories… are where I live now."
Suddenly, the shadows lunged.
Kael's blade ignited with white light as he slashed forward, dispersing the first wave of darkness. Lira backed up, summoning a radiant shield around them both.
"Kael, we can't fight this thing here," she warned. "Not without destroying ourselves!"
But Kael wasn't listening — the aura of light was starting to burn around him again, like it had during the Siege of Vareth.
"No," he said, stepping toward the crystal. "We finish this now."
Before he could strike, the crystal suddenly dimmed. The shadows froze mid-air.
And the voice returned — softer.
"Not yet. You're not ready… not yet."
Then everything went still.
The shadows vanished. The room fell silent. The crystal dropped to the floor — now lifeless.
Kael stood, breathing hard, his glowing blade still pulsing with rage.
Lira walked to his side. "What just happened?"
Kael looked down at the crystal. "A warning."
"No," Lira said. "A test."
They didn't speak again as they left the ruins, climbing back up into the grey daylight.
Whatever Andrew had become — whatever he had left behind — it hadn't vanished. It had simply gone to sleep… waiting for the right moment to return.
And Kael knew now more than ever — their battle with the shadows was far from over.