The sky above had turned an eerie shade of crimson, a foreboding omen of what lay ahead. The Forsaken had not pursued them beyond the cliffs, yet the group could feel their presence lingering just beyond sight. The battle at the temple had left them exhausted, yet there was no time to rest. The path forward was clear—they had to reach the entrance to the Underlayer before it was too late.
They traveled westward, their footsteps silent upon the broken ground. The ruins of an ancient kingdom stretched before them, remnants of towering structures long since abandoned by time. Each step felt heavier, as if the weight of history itself pressed upon their shoulders.
"How much farther?" Loosie asked, gripping his sword with tense fingers.
Kael, who led the way, glanced at the horizon. "Not far. The gods' last stronghold lies beyond the valley. The entrance to the Underlayer is hidden within."
Lela exhaled sharply. "I don't like this. This place… it feels wrong."
She wasn't wrong. The air had grown thicker, the very essence of magic shifting around them like unseen currents. It was as if something ancient stirred beneath the surface, waiting for them to come closer.
Mary tightened her grip on her saber. "Then let's not waste time."
With renewed determination, they pressed on.
The Ruins of the Forgotten
By midday, they reached the ruins of the gods' last stronghold. What had once been a grand city now lay in decay, half-sunken into the earth, its once-magnificent towers reduced to crumbling spires. The echoes of the past whispered through the wind, and shadows danced along the broken walls.
Kael led them through the desolate streets, pausing before a collapsed temple entrance. He knelt, brushing away the dirt to reveal an ancient seal carved into the stone.
"This is it," he said.
The group gathered around as Kael produced a small obsidian shard from his cloak. He pressed it against the seal, and the ground trembled. A faint glow pulsed from beneath, and slowly, the stone split apart, revealing a spiraling staircase that led into the darkness below.
A gust of cold wind rose from the depths, carrying with it a voice—a whisper not of this world.
Lela swallowed hard. "I hate this already."
Loosie let out a nervous chuckle. "Well, we did say we were going underground."
Mary took a deep breath, then stepped forward. "No turning back now."
And with that, they descended into the abyss.
The Descent into the Underlayer
The stairs spiraled downward for what felt like an eternity. The deeper they went, the colder the air became. Their torches flickered against the damp walls, revealing carvings older than the language of men.
The whispers grew louder.
Mary could feel them pressing against her mind, words she could not understand yet somehow felt familiar. She shook her head, focusing on the path ahead. She would not let the darkness take hold.
After what seemed like hours, the stairs finally ended, opening into a vast underground cavern.
A river of molten silver flowed through the chamber, casting an ethereal glow upon the walls. Towering pillars, carved from obsidian, stretched toward a ceiling lost in shadows.
And at the center of it all—
A massive stone door, sealed with ancient runes.
Kael approached, placing a hand upon the markings. "This is the gateway to the true Underlayer."
Mary stepped beside him. "Then how do we open it?"
Kael hesitated, then turned to face them. "The Underlayer was sealed for a reason. To enter, we must offer a piece of ourselves."
Loosie frowned. "That sounds... really ominous."
Kael unsheathed a small dagger, slicing across his palm. Blood dripped onto the runes, and immediately, the door pulsed with energy.
Lela gritted her teeth. "Of course it's blood magic. Why wouldn't it be?"
One by one, they followed suit, each offering a drop of blood to the seal. As the final drop touched the stone, the runes ignited, and the door groaned open.
Beyond the threshold lay a darkness unlike any they had ever seen.
The Underlayer
The air inside was thick, heavy with power that did not belong to the surface world. The ground beneath their feet felt strangely alive, as though the very earth was breathing.
Strange blue flames flickered in the distance, illuminating a landscape of jagged obsidian and floating islands. Rivers of pure magic coursed through the cavern like veins, pulsating with an energy that should not exist.
And in the distance—
A colossal spire of crystal, glowing with an otherworldly light.
Kael's voice was barely above a whisper. "The Heart of the World."
Mary could feel its power from where she stood. It was unlike anything she had ever encountered—raw, unfiltered energy, the very essence of creation itself.
But they were not alone.
From the shadows, figures emerged.
Tall, twisted beings with hollow eyes and elongated limbs. Their forms flickered, as though they were caught between existence and oblivion.
The Forsaken had arrived.
Lela raised her spear. "They must have followed us."
Kael drew his blade. "No. They were already here."
Mary exhaled slowly, steadying herself. There was no running now. No retreat.
They had come too far.
This was where the final battle would begin.