CHAPTER 5

Towards Darkness's Edge

While Lucian and Seraphina negotiated the maze of trees and twisted vegetation, Dawn's light battled to reach the thick canopy of Moonshade's woodland. Every step made the ground under them moist from the rain, the woodland air heavy with the smell of wet dirt and pine. Every drop that dropped from the leaves above seemed to speak secrets of the deep forests; their quiet patter was a continual reminder of the dangerous trip they had gone.

Walking closely behind Lucian, Seraphina looked around the darkness for any indication of threat. Her meeting with Morgan that evening had left her shaken; the danger of losing all she loved hung weight in her head. Her mind was tormented by Morgan's terrifying grin, a specter of fear. She felt a greater chill as she struggled with her anxiety about what was ahead, even though the chilly rain was soaking her cloak.

Though his eyes revealed a tiredness that mirrored Seraphina's own, Lucian's manner remained cool. Though the storm had passed, a heavy veil of gloom persisted over their every movement. Though each step was deliberate as he moved forward, Seraphina could feel the pressure under his will.

"Lucian," she whispered her voice no more than a murmur against the woodland background. "What if Morgan has more traps just waiting for us? Suppose he has already decided on his next action”.

Lucian turned back to her, his face a combination of comfort and worry. "We cannot afford to muck around "what ifs". We have to keep ahead and concentrate. The sooner we go to the old ruins. The better.”

Though uncertainty still bit her within, Seraphina nodded. Though the path there was dangerous, the ruins they sought were said to contain the secret to conquering Morgan. Her memory played back the words of the guardian from the temple, the caution on the price of the information they had acquired. She felt the weight of that duty bearing down on her, the weight of guaranteeing their life.

The jungle started to thin, exposing a stony path leading toward the old ruins. Above was a subdued gray, the traces of the storm still visible. The terrain changed as they climbed; the rough road tested their balance. Breath came in short spurts for Seraphina; the exertion of ascending burned her lungs.

"This is it," Lucian remarked, his voice strong even in tiredness. "The ruins are just ahead of us."

Seraphina looked over the mist clinging to the summit. Before they loomed the ruins, a fading monument to a time lost. Ancient stones with surfaces marked with fading markings and weathered symbols jutted out from the ground like skeleton bones. A tangible force that appeared to pulse through the very air, the atmosphere was heavy with old power.

Seraphina's heart hammered with both excitement and fear as they neared the ruins' gate. The gateway was a dark, frightening mouth in the stone. Leading the way, Lucian moved carefully to clear the thick vines blocking the entryway.

Inside, the ruins revealed more of the old construction as one turned along a maze of halls and rooms. The air was thick with dust and the smell of decay; their flames created ghostly shadows on the walls. The sound of Seraphina's footfall reverberated menacingly, accentuating the tension dancing through the air.

She said, "This place is amazing," stunned by the majesty of the old building. It seems like entering another universe.

Lucian looked steadily and with unwavering concentration. “Keep vigilant. What guards or traps could be waiting for us is unknown.”

Their route meandered through crumbling rooms and gloomy hallways as they descended into the ruins. Vibrant paintings representing cosmic occurrences and historical wars covered the walls. Every stride seemed to send them more into the past, the air infused with an old strength.

They came to a great room dominated by a huge stone altar deep among the ruins. Symbols on the well-carved altar matched what they had seen in the temple. Fundamentally, it was an antique book with gold filigree on the cover bound in leather.

Lucian walked toward the altar, balancing respect with caution. "This has to be it." This book holds the information we need.

As Seraphina laid eyes on the time, they became wide. The book attracted notice with its seeming pulse of a weak, alien light. She could sense its weight, the promise of knowledge, and the possibility of immense risk.

Lucian grabbed for the book, his fingertips caressing its cover. His palm touched and the earth shook under their feet, a deep rumbling filling the space. Fear and exhilaration whirled around Seraphina's heart.

Her voice faltering, she questioned, "What's happening?"

Lucian looked alarmed as the room started to tremble. "I am not sure. Something set off.”

The earth under them cracked deafeningly, as a gap started to develop engulfing the stone floor. As Seraphina felt herself being drawn into the expanding divide, her eyes became horrified.

She said, "Lucian!" and reached for him as the gap opened up.

Lucian shot for her, his hand grabbing hers barely in time. The earth was collapsing all around them, with great force. Her body hung dangerously over the chasm as Seraphina felt her hold failing.

Lucian hauled her back to safety with a Herculean effort; their breaths came in ragged gasps as they slumped upon the steady ground. The room kept shaking, the wreckage seemed alive with a terrible force.

"What have we done?" Fear trembling her voice, Seraphina gasped.

Lucian had a pallid face and dreadful awareness in his eyes. "We have awakened something. The tome is guiding the ruins' response. We had to leave here, right now.”

The old room seemed to shut in around them as they hurried to their feet. The once-grand ruins have turned into a dangerous labyrinth, the path out hidden by shifting stone and tumbling rubble.

Seraphina saw the tome, lying on the altar, among the tumult. Its cover glowed now with a strong, spooky light. The book was appealing to them, offering wisdom and power but at a great cost.

"We cannot leave it here," Lucian remarked, his voice firmly. "We have to bring it with us.

Seraphina stopped, her head whirling with the ramifications of their behavior. The book could be the secret to beating Morgan, but the risks they encountered were growing with every second.

The earth kept shaking as they returned over the disintegrating remains, the very foundation of the old site almost falling around them. Fear mixed with a strong will to survive drove Seraphina forward.

They arrived at the ruins with one last, desperate effort. An orange light across the mountain came from the sun setting. A sober reminder of the danger they had just avoided, the ruins behind them were a black shadow against the dusk sky.

Breath coming in short, breathless gasps, Lucian and Seraphina staggered out of the rubble. The woodland was quiet, the storm gone and the heavens cleared. Their faces marked with both relief and tiredness, they turned back to the ruins.

"We made it," Seraphina remarked, sounding both tired and in wonder. But at what cost?

Lucian stared at the time, which he now held open in his hands. The brilliant symbols on its pages appeared to move and alter, a living being of old magic. "We need to comprehend even if we already know. We must uncover its mysteries before it is too late.

A terrible murmur accompanied a freezing air that passed the trees as they were ready to leave the scene. Her heart skipped a beat as Seraphina turned to see a black form rising from the shadows, its eyes glistening with a terrible brightness.

"Did you think you could flee me so easily?" The figure had a deep, threatening growl.

Lucian's eyes became sharp and his posture defensive. "Morgan.

The man entered the light and exposed Morgan's cool, deliberate face. You would come here, I knew. And now, it appears, the actual game starts.

There was an obvious conflict between them, the threat of a forthcoming clash hanging weightily. The weight of their goal and the approaching menace of Morgan combining into a single, overpowering force tore across Seraphina's head.

The destiny of their search and their lives hung in the balance as Morgan's black presence surrounded them; the next action vital in the fighting against the darkness that aimed to swallow them all.