Eiji clutched the glowing medallion, following its faint pulses deeper into the forest. Somehow, the path led him to a mountain cave, hidden behind a waterfall that shimmered with magical energy.
"Pyra," Eiji whispered, "I think we found their hideout."
Pyra hovered lazily above his shoulder. "Congratulations, Oracle. You've officially wandered into the lair of highly dangerous people. And by 'wandered,' I mean you literally tripped your way here."
The entrance was lined with glowing runes. As Eiji stepped inside, the cave walls hummed with faint, ominous magic. Elementals zipped in and out of small portals, carrying strange glowing devices and occasionally shooting sparks at each other by accident.
Eiji's first instinct was… well, survival. So he hid behind a pile of crates, accidentally knocking one over with a loud CRASH!
"Uh… stealth mission, Oracle," Pyra muttered. "You're doing amazing. Truly amazing. At being loud and obvious."
From the shadows, a Guild member appeared, examining the crash. Eiji froze, holding the medallion to his chest.
"Probably fine," he whispered. "They'll never notice…"
The Guild member leaned closer—and tripped over a stray glowing cable, sending sparks flying everywhere. Eiji blinked. "Uh… luck?"
Pyra snorted. "Accidental luck. Your specialty."
Taking advantage of the distraction, Eiji tiptoed deeper into the hideout. He discovered a chamber filled with glowing cages, each containing livestock trapped in magical energy—plus a few enchanted items stolen from villages.
"Okay…" Eiji muttered, scanning the room. "I have to… free them? Maybe?"
He pointed the medallion at the cages. Immediately, chaotic energy burst forth. The cages shook, the livestock blinked confusedly, and the medallion began pulsing faster, glowing brighter than ever.
Eiji ducked as sparks flew, knocking over a stack of magical tomes. One of them hit a lever on the wall. A hidden door swung open, revealing a spiral staircase leading downward.
"Perfect," Eiji muttered, "now I get to… go deeper into the Guild's lair. Alone. Because obviously, this is safe."
From the shadows, he heard faint whispers: "The Oracle is here… he carries the key…"
Eiji froze. "Great. They're talking about me. And not in a nice way."
Pyra hovered closer. "Well, at least your bad luck is finally useful. The Guild doesn't expect the Oracle to survive this long. And yet, here you are… mostly intact."
Eiji groaned. "Mostly intact is the best I've done all week."
As he descended the spiral staircase, he realized something terrifying—and yet thrilling: the Shadow Guild's secrets were close, and his misfortune was the only thing keeping him alive… for now.
Little did he know, the next room would reveal a secret that could change Zorynthia forever—and involve more explosions than anyone thought possible.