Chapter 79
A Fragile Escape
The air inside the cabin still crackled with lingering energy from the sigil’s activation. Though the immediate threat had been sealed away, an eerie silence loomed over the space, pressing against Elena’s chest like an unseen force.
No one spoke for a long moment. The only sound was the uneven breathing of the group, the occasional creak of the wooden floor beneath their shifting weight.
Richard was the first to break the silence. “We can’t stay here.”
Naomi wiped sweat from her forehead, nodding. “Agreed. That thing might be trapped for now, but it won’t be for long. And when it comes back…” Her voice trailed off, but the meaning was clear.
Elena clenched her fists. She could still feel the echo of the creature’s presence in her mind, a faint, insidious whisper in the depths of her thoughts. It wasn’t just trying to escape—it wanted them to suffer.
Amira slammed her notebook shut, her hands shaking slightly. “We need to find the original binding text. That was just a temporary fix. If we don’t reinforce the seal properly, it’ll break free—and next time, we won’t be so lucky.”
Mateo exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. “Fantastic. And where exactly do we find this ancient, all-powerful text? Because last I checked, we weren’t exactly carrying a library on our backs.”
Elena took a deep breath, steadying herself. “There’s one place we haven’t searched yet.”
Richard’s eyes narrowed. “No.”
Naomi turned to him. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”
Richard crossed his arms. “You’re talking about the archive beneath the ruins, aren’t you?”
Elena hesitated before nodding. “It’s the only lead we have.”
“The same ruins crawling with mercenaries and god-knows-what else?” His jaw clenched. “It’s a suicide mission.”
Mateo let out a humorless chuckle. “Right, because everything else we’ve done so far has been perfectly safe.”
Richard shot him a glare but didn’t argue.
Elena took a step forward, her voice firm. “We don’t have another choice. If we don’t stop this thing now, it won’t just be us who suffer. It’ll spread, and more people will die.”
The weight of her words settled over the group. No one wanted to admit it, but they all knew she was right.
Finally, Richard sighed. “Fine. But we go in prepared. No unnecessary risks.”
Naomi smirked. “Since when do we take unnecessary risks?”
Richard shot her a look, and she held up her hands in mock surrender.
The Journey Begins
They gathered what little supplies they had left—maps, weapons, Amira’s notes—and stepped out into the night. The jungle stretched before them, dark and unwelcoming, the humid air thick with the scent of damp earth and vegetation.
Despite the weight of exhaustion pressing down on her, Elena felt a renewed sense of purpose.
The ruins were two days’ journey to the north. If they moved quickly, they could reach the underground archive before the entity regained its strength.
But something gnawed at her gut—an unshakable sense that they were being watched.
As they started walking, she glanced over her shoulder.
The cabin stood still and silent behind them, the sigils still glowing faintly in the darkness.
But just before the trees swallowed the view completely, she could have sworn she saw golden eyes staring back at her.
