The glow of a torch flickered against ancient stone, its wavering light carving a narrow path through the darkness. Each step echoed softly, the sound of boots pattering against the cold floor carrying farther than anyone liked.
" We need to report this to the guild." a woman said, her voice tight with unease
A man let out a low, amused laugh. "Don't be ridiculous. The second we report this place, we'll never be allowed back in. The kingdom will claim it immediately."
"He's right," another man added, his tone practical. "We explore first. Take whatever valuables we can before anyone else gets their hands on them."
"And even one magic item," another woman said, her voice bright with excitement, "would be enough. We could sell it and live the rest of our lives in luxury in the capital."
The first woman sighed, her gaze drifting over the crumbling surroundings. Broken stone, collapsed sections of wall, and the weight of time pressed in from every side. "Maybe," she said quietly. "But I don't think there's anything down here."
The man holding the torch turned sharply, the firelight glinting off the polished edges of his armor. "Quiet," he warned, lowering his voice. "We don't know what could be down here."
In the shifting light, the group came into clearer focus. The armored man stood at the front, leading. Behind him was a man with two daggers at his sides, his posture relaxed but ready. A woman in a red robe carried a staff, her eyes sharp with curiosity. And finally, a woman in white robes followed, holding a long white staff crowned with a crystal. She hesitated for a moment, her expression pensive, before giving a small nod and continuing after the others.
They moved deeper into the ruins until the corridor split into two paths.
The armored man stopped and turned to face them. "We'll split up and check both directions," he said. "Laura," he nodded toward the woman in red, "you go with Sven to the left. Vall, you're with me."
"I don't think splitting up is a good idea." The first women said.
"Relax..!" The man with two daggers said while patting his weapons. "We haven't seen signs of and beast or monster since we entered, and if we do, we regroup back here and it business as usual."
The group exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement.
The woman in white—Vall—reached into her bag and pulled out another torch, handing it to Sven. He gave her a quick nod of thanks before leaning in and lighting it from the leader's flame. The new torch flared to life, casting a second pool of flickering light.
"Good," the armored man said. "We meet back here in ten minutes. If you run into anything, come back here immediately and call for help."
Their expressions turned serious. One by one, they nodded before heading off in their assigned directions.
The armored man and Laura lingered just long enough to watch Vall and Sven disappear into the dim corridor. Once they were far enough away, Laura spoke, her voice quieter now.
"Are you sure it's okay to split up?"
The man frowned slightly, though his tone remained steady. "It should be fine. These ruins we found are too old to have anything left inside. And we haven't seen a single living thing the entire way here."
Laura didn't look entirely convinced, but she didn't argue. The man turned, already moving. "Let's go."
They continued down the opposite corridor, their footsteps echoing as they passed a series of rooms. Each doorway stood empty, the doors long since rotted away or fallen from their hinges. Inside, there was nothing but dust, scattered debris, and the hollow remains of whatever had once been there.
Laura glanced into one of the rooms as they passed. "What do you think this place was?"
"Ruins like this are still a mystery," he replied. "No one really knows what most of them were used for. But if I had to guess…" He paused, glancing down the long stretch of corridor. "A lab. Or maybe a prison."
She looked back at him, curious. "Why those?"
"The layout," he said. "Long hallways. Small rooms. No windows. The only places I've seen like that are alchemy labs and prisons."
Laura let out a soft laugh. "You really think modern logic applies to something this old?"
He didn't answer.
Their conversation faded as they turned a corner—and came to an abrupt stop.
The corridor ended in a dead end. Set into the wall before them was a massive door, untouched by time. Its surface was covered in intricate carvings that seemed to shift in the torchlight.
Laura's eyes widened, her earlier doubts vanishing instantly. "Those are magic runes," she said, stepping forward. "The door alone could fetch a king's ransom!"
The armored man didn't share her excitement. He frowned, studying the carvings. "Why would someone carve magic runes into a door like this?"
Her expression faltered as the implication set in. "It's probably a lock," she said more cautiously. "Or a deterrent. Something meant to keep people out."
She approached the door, placing her hand against a large, clear stone embedded at its center. Her fingers brushed over it gently.
"This is a mana stone," she said, her voice filled with awe. "And a really big one."
She traced the carved lines surrounding it. "The door was powered by this stone. But…" She paused, her brow furrowing. "It's completely empty. There's no mana left in it at all."
She glanced around the room behind them, thoughtful. "Actually… I've noticed something since we came down here. There's barely any mana in this place compared to outside."
The man looked at her. "What does that mean?"
"It means if I use all my mana in a fight," she said, "I won't be able to recover it down here. I'd have to go back above ground. In here, I'd be no stronger than an average girl."
His expression hardened slightly. "Then we don't fight unless we have to. If anything shows up, we retreat. Straight back to the entrance."
She nodded in agreement.
He stepped forward and pressed his hands against the door, pushing.
It didn't move.
He tried again, putting more weight into it. Still nothing.
With a quiet grunt, he stepped back and handed her the torch. Then, bracing himself, he pushed with all his strength.
The stone groaned.
Slowly, the door shifted—just enough to create a narrow opening.
He exhaled sharply, the strain evident in his posture.
"Nice job," Laura said, handing the torch back to him.
They slipped through the opening.
The moment they stepped inside, the torchlight spread across the room—and both of them froze.
The entire space was filled, wall to wall, with strange devices. Metal frames, glass containers, intricate mechanisms—objects unlike anything they had ever seen before.
Laura let out a high-pitched squeal, bouncing slightly in place. "We're rich!"
The man couldn't help but laugh as he gestured around the room. "Look through everything. Only take what you can carry and still move freely."
They split up immediately. Laura rushed to one side, already scanning for the most valuable items, while the man moved more slowly, taking everything in.
He found a metal stand near the center of the room and placed the torch into it, freeing both of his hands. The light steadied, illuminating more of the strange equipment around them.
As he turned, something along the far wall caught his attention.
A large rectangular box.
Curious, he walked over and examined it. After a moment, he found a handle along its edge. With a firm push in asharp, audible click echoed through the room.
Laura screamed, spinning around. "What was that?!"
He glanced back at her, unfazed. "Relax. I just opened a box—"
Before he could finish—
A distant shout rang out from the corridor.
Followed immediately by a piercing screech.
The man's expression changed in an instant. "Vall —!"
Not bothering to check the contents of the box the man, took off towards the door! "Let's go!"
Grabbing the torch from the stand, they rushed out of the room, their footsteps pounding against the stone as they fled back the way they had come.
The light vanished with them.
The room fell into darkness.
Silence settled once more.
Then—
From within the open box, a faint, unnatural glow began to spread.