The silence was suffocating.
For the first time since entering the cavern, there were no shrieks, no scraping claws, no endless shadows pressing in. Only the echo of their own breathing filled the blackness.
Jonas ran a hand over the wall, muttering, "Solid rock. No cracks. No way back." He slung his rifle, scowling at Selene. "You led us deeper into a tomb."
Selene didn't flinch. "A tomb that still breathes."
And it did. The walls themselves pulsed faintly, veins of pale light running through the stone like a heartbeat in slow motion. The air smelled metallic, sharp, as if they were inside something alive.
Mara knelt beside Eris. His glow had faded, but the tremors in his chest remained. She dabbed sweat from his brow, whispering, "You can't keep doing this. You'll destroy yourself before they ever reach you."
His eyes fluttered open, glassy with exhaustion. "The Heart… it wanted to consume me. If you hadn't pulled me away, I…" He trailed off, voice breaking into silence.
Selene crouched near them, her sharp gaze studying Eris. "You're closer than you think. Too close. That glow isn't a gift—it's a leash."
Mara's hand snapped to her dagger. "Watch your mouth."
Selene's smile was thin, humorless. "I'm not insulting him. I'm warning him. I've seen men torn apart by powers they thought were theirs."
Liora's soft voice broke the rising tension. "Do you hear that?"
Everyone froze.
A distant sound drifted through the dark tunnel—soft, melodic, like bells chiming under water. It wasn't the shrieks of monsters. It wasn't the groan of stone. It was music.
Jonas whispered, "That's impossible."
But as they walked deeper, the sound grew clearer, winding around them like a lullaby. The tunnel opened into a vast cavern, its ceiling lost in shadow.
In the center stood a colossal statue of a woman cloaked in stone, her face hidden by a veil, her hands outstretched. From her palms poured streams of liquid light, falling into a pool at her feet that shimmered with stars.
The music emanated from the pool itself, ripples vibrating into song.
Mara's breath caught. "It's… beautiful."
Selene's face hardened. She bowed her head slightly, almost unconsciously. "The Veiled One."
Jonas frowned. "Who?"
Selene's voice dropped, heavy with reverence and dread. "An ancient guardian. Older than the Clan. Older than the war. They say she watches the ones who carry the Heart." Her eyes flicked to Eris, sharp as a blade. "And judges if they are worthy."
The music swelled, filling the cavern. The pool glowed brighter. Eris felt it pull at him—gentle but irresistible. His chest burned with answering light.
Mara grabbed his arm. "Don't."
But his feet moved on their own. Step by step, he walked toward the Veiled One's pool.
The others watched in stunned silence as the glow of the Heart answered the statue's call, the two lights entwining in the dark.