The deeper they ventured into the mountain, the colder it became.
The air shimmered faintly with ghostly lights, like spirits trapped between worlds. Their footsteps echoed off walls of black obsidian, carved with runes that pulsed faintly when they passed. Every sound felt heavy — swallowed by the silence of something ancient and aware.
Mina held her staff close, its glow trembling. "It feels… wrong here."
Ren nodded, his usual grin gone. "The deeper we go, the louder the Relic gets. It's like it's screaming inside my head."
Arin moved ahead, scanning every corner. "Be careful. The mountain doesn't like intruders. The traps here were built by souls who failed to reach the top."
Riku trailed behind, his hand brushing the cold wall. The runes flickered as his palm passed over them — and suddenly, he saw something.
A vision.
A flash of fire.
A man in armor kneeling before a golden chalice — the Fountain of Return.
He gasped and stumbled back.
"Riku?" Mina caught him.
"I saw…" He looked at the wall again. "A memory. Not mine. Someone else's."
Arin's eyes darkened. "The mountain shows you echoes of those who tried before us. Most didn't survive. A few… turned into what guards this place."
Ren grunted. "Well, that's comforting."
⸻
The Chamber of Chains
They reached a massive stone gate carved with thousands of tiny chains. At its center was a sigil glowing faintly in red — a sword and a chalice crossing each other.
Ren stepped forward, examining it. "Looks like a seal. Probably needs—"
Before he could finish, the sigil flared. The ground rumbled beneath their feet. Chains burst from the walls, coiling like serpents.
"Trap!" Arin shouted, firing an arrow that sliced through one of the glowing links.
But for every chain she broke, two more appeared. Riku leapt forward, slashing at the ones grabbing Mina. His sword, Eclipsera, blazed with dark light, slicing through the metal like it was smoke.
Ren slammed his blade into the ground, releasing a burst of energy that shattered several chains at once. "These things don't die easy!"
Mina closed her eyes and chanted, channeling energy through her staff. Light exploded outward, purifying a section of the chamber. The chains screeched, recoiling like wounded beasts.
As the last of them snapped, the seal cracked open — and the gate slowly groaned apart.
⸻
Inside the Gate
Beyond it was a circular room lined with tall, ancient mirrors — each reflecting a different image, a different version of them.
In one, Riku was older, holding a sword wreathed in light.
In another, Ren was kneeling, his armor broken, holding Mina's lifeless hand.
And in one corner mirror, Arin stood alone, her eyes empty, the mountain burning behind her.
Mina stepped closer. "Are these… visions of the future?"
Arin shook her head. "Possibilities. The mountain feeds on choices. It shows us what could be — if we falter."
Riku stared at his reflection — the version of him who looked unstoppable, fearless. "Or maybe it's showing us what we must become."
The moment his hand touched the mirror, light burst across the room.
A symbol appeared on the ground — a perfect circle of runes, spinning slowly.
Ren stepped back. "Uh… is that supposed to happen?"
Arin raised her bow. "No."
The circle glowed brighter — then shot a beam of light into the ceiling. The mountain roared. Dust fell from above.
Boom.
The walls cracked. The ground split open.
From the fissure beneath them, a gust of crimson light burst forth, followed by a voice that rolled through their bones — deep, commanding, like thunder wrapped in chains.
⸻
The General Appears
"Intruders of the Mountain…"
The voice froze them in place.
From the smoke, a massive figure rose — cloaked in shadow, his armor jagged and obsidian, engraved with glowing crimson veins. A single horn jutted from his helm, and in his hand was a spear longer than any of them stood tall.
Riku's grip on his sword tightened. "Who—what—?"
"I am Var'gon, the Chainbreaker. First of the Ten Generals of the Under Sovereign."
Each step he took made the chamber quake. His spear dragged behind him, leaving molten cracks on the stone floor.
Ren stepped forward, forcing a grin. "Chainbreaker, huh? Cute name. Let's see if we can break you instead."
He lunged. His blade clashed with Var'gon's spear — and the shockwave threw him across the room like a ragdoll.
"REN!" Mina screamed, rushing to him.
Var'gon tilted his head, his voice dripping with contempt.
"You are insects trespassing upon sacred ground."
"The Relics do not belong to mortals. They belong to the fallen."
Arin fired three arrows in quick succession. They shattered against his armor like glass.
Riku charged, his blade glowing with soul-light. He slashed downward — sparks exploded, but Var'gon barely moved.
"Pathetic."
The General swung his spear in a wide arc — the shockwave shattered the mirrors around them, sending shards flying.
Mina raised her staff, casting a barrier that barely held the impact. The force threw her to her knees, blood trickling from her lip.
Riku stumbled, panting. "He's… too strong…"
Ren coughed, trying to stand. "I've… fought monsters before… but this… this is different."
Arin's eyes darted across the collapsing chamber. "We can't win here. Not like this."
Var'gon planted his spear into the ground. Chains erupted from the floor, wrapping around Riku's arms and legs, dragging him down.
"You seek the Fountain of Return?" Var'gon growled, his voice echoing through their skulls. "Then drown in despair first."
The chains tightened. The light of Eclipsera dimmed.
Mina screamed, "Riku!"
Her staff flared — a wave of healing light rippled across the room, breaking a few of the chains. But the General's aura crushed it instantly.
Ren forced himself up, blood dripping from his mouth. "Get… away from him…!"
He rushed forward again, his sword blazing — but Var'gon's backhand struck him midair, sending him crashing through a wall of stone.
Dust filled the chamber. The walls began to crumble.
Var'gon turned his burning eyes toward Mina.
"One by one… your lights will fade."
Arin gritted her teeth, firing another arrow. This one struck the ceiling, dislodging a massive stone pillar that crashed between them and the General.
"RUN!" she shouted.
They scrambled back through the smoke, gasping, injured, desperate — Riku dragging Ren, Mina clutching her cracked staff.
But before they could reach the exit, Var'gon's voice thundered behind them:
"Do you think you can flee from judgment?"
The entire mountain trembled. Cracks split open, glowing red.
Riku turned back, his body trembling, his sword flickering weakly.
"No matter what it takes… I'll survive this."
Var'gon stepped through the smoke, spear raised high — his aura blazing like a crimson storm.
"Then prove it."
The spear came down —
A blinding explosion of light consumed the chamber.