Free Web NovelChapter 66: The Cost Part 3
Lira took the lead, her voice low and firm. “Stay close. Watch for traps. The man said the artifact’s guarded by traps and darkness. We need to be careful.”
They moved quietly, shadows their only allies. The stone beneath their feet was cold, slick with moisture. Every so often, faint carvings decorated the walls—symbols worn by age, or perhaps warnings. None dared touch them, knowing the stories of what happened to those who did.
Suddenly, Talen halted. His eyes narrowed as he looked ahead. A faint shimmer caught his attention—a thin, almost invisible wire stretched across the passageway. He knelt, carefully unwinding it with practiced precision, then signaled to the others.
“Tripwire,” he whispered. “Could trigger something nasty.”
Ruk scanned the ceiling. “Anything else?”
Lira crouched, inspecting the ground. “Footprints. Fresh ones—someone else is here.”
Mira’s eyes widened. “We’re not alone.”
They pressed on more cautiously, hearts pounding louder with each step. A door appeared ahead—a heavy wooden slab reinforced with metal, slightly ajar. Ruk pushed it open slowly, revealing a chamber beyond.
Inside, flickering candlelight reflected off scattered relics—broken pottery, scraps of cloth, and what looked like bones. At the center, on a pedestal, sat a small, glowing object—the artifact.
But it was not unguarded.
A figure sat cross-legged in the shadows, cloaked in dark fabric. The figure’s eyes gleamed like a predator’s, watching them with sharp focus.
“End of the line,” the stranger rasped.
Talen drew his sword instinctively, but Ruk held up a hand. “Hold. No need for bloodshed. We’re here for the artifact.”
The stranger chuckled softly, a dry, humorless sound. “Many have come before you. None returned with it.”
Lira stepped forward, voice steady. “We’re not here to fight. We want to take the artifact and leave peacefully.”
The figure snorted. “Peace? Here? That’s a joke. You fools don’t understand what you’re meddling with.”
Mira’s grip tightened on her dagger. “Then tell us. What are we dealing with?”
The stranger’s eyes flicked to the glowing object. “A power that’s been buried for centuries. It’s cursed. Touch it, and you’ll regret it. But if you’re brave—or foolish—you’ll try to take it anyway.”
Ruk’s brow furrowed. “We don’t have time for ghost stories. Step aside.”
The figure leaned back, eyes glinting. “Or what? You’ll take it by force? Good luck.”
Suddenly, the shadows around them stirred. The flickering candlelight seemed to flicker more wildly as a low rumble echoed through the chamber. The ground trembled slightly beneath their feet.
A dark mist seeped out from the corners, swirling into twisted shapes—forms that seemed to shimmer and fade at the edge of sight. The air grew cold, icy even.
The stranger’s face twisted with a grim smile. “That’s the curse. You’ll see.”
Mira shivered, instinctively pulling her cloak tighter. “What do we do?”
Lira’s voice was calm but urgent. “Distract it. Talen, cover our retreat if it gets worse. Ruk, back me up.”
Talen already had his sword raised, tense and ready. “I’ve got your back.”
Ruk nodded, muscles coiled like a predator. “Let’s move.”
Lira took a step forward, her voice raising above the rising wind. “We’re here for the artifact. Leave us be, and you’ll have no trouble.”
The dark mist surged forward, tendrils reaching out with a hunger that chilled the blood. Shadows coalesced into a figure—tall, cloaked in darkness, eyes glowing like embers. freeweɓnovel.cøm
It spoke in a voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. “You seek the power I guard. But you do not understand its price.”
Mira’s dagger flicked out, aiming at the shadow’s heart. “Then maybe we’ll find out.”
The creature’s form flickered as her blade sliced through the air, but it was like striking smoke—ineffectual. Instead, the shadow retaliated, tendrils whipping toward her.
“Stand back!” Ruk roared, swinging his massive arm to intercept.
The chamber shook violently, dust falling from the ceiling as the shadows writhed and clawed. Talen lunged, sword flashing, aiming for the creature’s core—yet it dissolved before his blade, only to reappear behind them moments later.
Lira clenched her fists, eyes blazing. “This isn’t working!”
The artifact’s glow pulsed brighter, almost like a heartbeat. The shadow’s voice echoed again. “You cannot take what is not meant for mortals.”
Mira backed away, panting. “We need another plan. It’s too strong.”
“Or maybe we need to weaken it,” Lira said, her voice cutting through the chaos.
She eyed the pedestal. The artifact sat there, pulsating with an unnatural light. She remembered the old stories—sometimes, the key was to destroy the source of the curse.
Talen nodded sharply. “I’ll try to distract it again. Cover me.”
Before he surged forward, Ruk grabbed his arm. “No. We need to be smart. There’s a trap or a weakness here.”
“Then what?” Talen snapped. “Stand around and wait?” freewebnσvel.cѳm
Lira gestured urgently. “There’s a crack in the wall. Look—see that faint line? Maybe we can break the chamber’s focus. Make it vulnerable.”
Mira moved swiftly, grabbing a loose stone and hurling it at the cracked wall. The stone shattered, dust and debris falling into the shadows.
The shadow creature hissed, recoiling momentarily. Its form flickered, the glow dimming slightly.
“Now’s our chance,” Lira whispered fiercely. “Talen—go for the artifact! Ruk, cover him!”
Talen darted forward, dagger in hand, eyes locked on the glowing object. As he reached for it, the shadow lunged, tendrils whipping out like whips.
He dodged, narrowly missing, and grasped the artifact just as the shadows surged again.
The room erupted in a blur of darkness and light. The artifact’s glow flared brighter, illuminating the chamber with a blinding radiance. The shadow creature shrieked, writhing as the curse’s hold began to weaken.
Talen staggered back, clutching the artifact. “Got it!”
The shadow dissolved into nothingness, the darkness retreating with a final, forlorn wail.
Silence fell. Dust settled. The glow diminished to a soft hum.
Ruk exhaled heavily, leaning on his knees. “That was close.”
Lira stepped toward the pedestal, cautious. “Is it safe now?”
Mira approached, eyes fixed on the artifact. “Maybe. But we can’t just take it and go. Not without consequences.”
Talen looked down at the glowing relic, a mix of relief and apprehension on his face. “We’ve got what we came for. That’s enough.”
Lira reached out, hesitating just before touching the artifact. Its surface shimmered, almost alive under her fingertips.
“We need to move,” she said softly. “Whatever curse that was—it’s not gone for good. We have to get out of here before it finds us again.”
They turned, retracing their steps through the winding tunnels, every shadow still feeling alive beneath their skin. The weight of the artifact pressed into Talen’s pack, a silent promise of what lay ahead—truth, danger, and perhaps, a new beginning.
The city above waited, oblivious to the storm that had just been unleashed beneath its streets. But as they emerged into the cool night air, a faint whisper followed them, carried on the wind.
Something had watched them. Something had stirred.
And it was far from finished.
