Lioren's eyes, sharp and filled with an ancient sorrow, bore into Kael's. "The enemy you seek to defeat is not just a threat to Eldros, but to the entire realm. It stirs beneath the earth, waiting for the right moment to rise."
Kael glanced at Saerin, whose sword still glimmered faintly in the moonlight. "What enemy? What do you mean?"
Lioren's voice lowered. "Long ago, before Eldros was lost, a darkness was sealed beneath these stones—a shadow born of greed and hatred. It fed on the memories of those who dwelled here and grew stronger with each forgotten secret."
"The Flame Shard you carry is the key to that seal," Lioren explained. "Only by rekindling the city's true memory can we prevent the shadow's escape."
Saerin stepped forward. "And how do we do that? You said the city remembers... but how do we unlock those memories?"
Lioren nodded toward the fountain's shimmering waters. "This water is the Remembrance Spring. Drink from it, and the past will flow through you. But beware—the truth may be more painful than you expect."
Kael hesitated for a moment but then reached out and cupped the glowing water. As he drank, visions flooded his mind—lost faces, forgotten promises, and the fall of a civilization consumed by its own hubris.
He staggered but held firm. "I see it now... the betrayal, the fear... the shadow rising because of the city's despair."
Saerin took a breath, her resolve hardening. "Then we must fight—not just for ourselves, but for the souls lost beneath Eldros."
Lioren lifted his staff, which pulsed with blue light. "The shadow will awaken soon. Prepare yourselves."
From the depths of the ruins, a rumble began—a trembling that shook the very stones beneath their feet. The air thickened with darkness as a low growl echoed through the hall.
Kael gripped the pendant tightly, the Flame Shard blazing bright in his palm.
The battle for Eldros had truly begun.