The stairwell spiraled downward into suffocating darkness. Each step Rondan took echoed like a drumbeat, his crimson aura faintly illuminating the stone walls carved with faded runes. The deeper they went, the heavier the air became—thick with heat and the stench of scorched earth.
Leina walked close behind, dagger drawn, her silver eyes reflecting the dim glow.
"These halls were sealed centuries ago," she whispered. "Not even the kings of this land dared disturb them."
Rondan's grip tightened on his blade.
"Then why do I feel like something has been waiting for me?"
As if in answer, the tremor came again—louder this time, the stones trembling beneath their boots. Ahead, the stairwell opened into a vast cavern. Pillars of obsidian rose like the ribs of some buried titan, and in the center lay a colossal chain, glowing faintly red, as if molten veins still pulsed within it.
But they were not alone.
From the shadows near the chain, figures stirred—armor fused with ash, their bodies cracked with glowing embers. Their faces were nothing but hollow masks of flame. They moved in silence, yet their presence thundered with intent.
Leina's breath caught.
"The Guardians of the Chain… they should have turned to dust long ago."
Rondan stepped forward, the crimson in his eyes flaring like twin storms.
"Looks like they've been waiting for me instead."
The first Guardian lunged, its blade trailing sparks as it cleaved downward. Rondan met it with a furious clash, steel ringing like a struck bell. The force drove him back, but his aura surged, flames twisting around his weapon.
Another Guardian advanced, then another, their silent march forming a circle around him.
Leina hurled her dagger, striking one in the helm—the weapon stuck, glowing red, but the creature did not fall.
"They can't be killed like men!" she shouted. "Their bodies are bound by the chain itself!"
Rondan growled, sparks crackling around his blade.
"Then I'll break the chain that binds them."
He spun, unleashing a slash so fierce it carved a burning arc across the cavern floor. The Guardians staggered, their bodies splitting with fissures of fire, yet still they pressed on.
From the depths of the cavern, a voice rumbled—ancient, broken, yet alive.
"Catalyst… you have come."
The chain pulsed, the cavern shuddered, and Rondan felt the fire beneath the world stir, calling to his very blood.
He raised his blade, defiance blazing in his crimson eyes.
"Then hear me—I'm not your pawn. If the Forgotten Flame wants to rise, it'll rise over my dead body."
And with that, the cavern erupted in battle, steel and fire colliding beneath the earth.