GUARDIAN OF THE FIFTH REALM

CHAPTER 7

Before Jace could respond, the cavern rumbled, the crystalline walls shimmering as if caught in an earthquake. The runes beneath the platform flickered wildly, and a sharp, piercing sound cut through the air.

Aila’s mask tilted upward. “They’ve found us.”

“Who?” Jace asked, his stomach sinking.

She didn’t answer. Instead, she grabbed his arm and pulled him off the platform. “We need to move. Now.”

As they sprinted toward the staircase, the cavern’s entrance exploded, shards of crystal flying in every direction. Jace shielded his face, but when he looked up, his blood turned cold.

Shadowy figures poured into the cavern, their forms shifting and flickering like smoke given shape. At their center was a creature unlike any Jace had ever seen, a hulking mass of darkness and glowing red veins, with a single, massive eye that locked onto him the moment it appeared.

Aila cursed under her breath. “A Void Warden. He’s sent one of his generals.”

The Void Warden let out a guttural roar, and the shadows surged forward, clawing at the air as they raced toward Jace and Aila.

“Can we fight it?” Jace asked, his voice shaking as he backed away.

Aila gave him a sharp look. “Not in your state. And definitely not without backup.”

Jace glanced at the shard embedded in his palm, its faint glow barely visible. “What about this? Can’t it...”

“Not unless you want to risk giving the Phantom King another opening!” Aila snapped, already casting a shield spell to block the advancing shadows. “You’ve barely survived bonding with the shard. If you use its power recklessly now, you’ll kill us both.”

The Void Warden roared again, it's massive form lumbering closer. The ground shook with every step, and the shadows intensified, swallowing the light of the cavern.

“Then what do we do?” Jace demanded.

Aila’s eyes narrowed behind her mask. “We run.”

She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward a hidden passage at the side of the cavern. The entrance was narrow, barely visible against the crystalline wall, but Aila muttered a command, and the stone slid aside, revealing a dark tunnel.

“This leads to the lower catacombs,” she said as they slipped inside. “If we can reach the surface, we might stand a chance of losing them.”

“And if we don’t?” Jace asked, glancing over his shoulder as the Void Warden’s glowing eye appeared in the distance, staring directly at the tunnel.

Aila didn’t answer, but her silence spoke volumes.

They ran, the shadows close behind, the tunnel twisting and turning in ways that made Jace’s head spin. The air grew colder, and the sound of the Void Warden’s roars echoed through the stone, growing louder with each passing moment.

Just when Jace thought he couldn’t run any farther, the tunnel opened into another chamber, a circular room filled with glowing runes carved into the walls and floor. In the center stood a massive stone door, its surface covered in intricate, shifting patterns.

Aila stopped abruptly, turning to Jace. “Help me seal it.”

“What?” Jace asked, breathless. “Seal what?”

She pointed at the runes. “The door! It’s a barrier, an ancient one. If we activate it, it might hold the Void Warden long enough for us to escape.”

“Might?” Jace repeated, his heart racing.

“Do you want to argue, or do you want to live?” she snapped.

Jace didn’t need more convincing. Together, they pressed their hands to the runes, their combined energy activating the ancient spell. The stone door groaned, its shifting patterns locking into place as a wave of golden light spread outward, forcing the shadows back.

The Void Warden appeared just as the door slammed shut, it's massive form colliding with the barrier. The entire chamber shook, but the door held, for now.

Jace collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving. “What… was that thing?”

Aila leaned against the wall, her staff glowing faintly. “The Phantom King’s enforcer. A creature bound to his will, tasked with hunting down anything that threatens his plans.”

“And we’re the threat,” Jace said bitterly.

Aila nodded. “For now. But the more you use the light, the more you’ll attract them. This was just the beginning, Jace. The Void won’t stop until it consumes you.”

Jace clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing. “Then I’ll give it a reason to fear me.”

Aila’s eyes flickered with surprise at Jace’s resolve, though her tone remained guarded. “Brave words. Let’s see if you can back them up before the Void devours everything.”

Jace pushed himself to his feet, his body still trembling from the encounter. The shard in his palm pulsed faintly, as though it were alive, syncing with his heartbeat. “What’s next? Because running can’t be the only plan. If these Void Wardens keep coming, it’s just a matter of time before...”

“Stop.” Aila cut him off with a sharp gesture. “You’re not ready to talk about ‘next.’ You barely survived your first test.”

“I don’t care!” Jace snapped, his voice echoing in the chamber. “If the Phantom King is hunting me, then I’m going to hunt him back. I’ll...”

Aila stepped forward and grabbed his arm, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “Don’t you dare make that mistake. You have no idea what you’re dealing with. The Phantom King isn’t just a foe to fight. He’s a force. He doesn’t fall to swords or spells or grand speeches. He breaks realms, Jace. He breaks people.” Her voice softened, but the intensity remained. “And he’ll break you if you rush into this unprepared.”

Jace yanked his arm free, glaring at her. “Then teach me. Train me. Whatever it takes.”

Aila studied him for a long moment, her expression unreadable behind the mask. Then she turned away. “There’s no training for what you’re facing. Only survival. And survival means we need allies.”

“Allies?” Jace asked, following her toward the far side of the chamber. “What kind of allies?”

“The kind who hate the Phantom King as much as we do,” she said grimly. “There’s a resistance in the shadows of the Eighth Realm. Outcasts, exiles, and… others. They’ve been fighting the Void for years, though calling it ‘fighting’ might be generous. More like delaying the inevitable.”

“Why haven’t they been wiped out?” Jace asked.

“Because they know how to stay hidden,” Aila replied. “They know the cracks in the realms, the places the Void can’t reach easily. If anyone can help us figure out how to sever your connection to the Phantom King and give you the strength to fight, it’s them.”

Jace frowned. “And you trust them?”

Aila glanced over her shoulder, her eyes cold. “I don’t trust anyone, Jace. But I trust that they want the Phantom King gone more than they want to betray us. That’ll have to be enough.”

She raised her staff and muttered a spell under her breath. The runes on the far wall shifted, revealing another hidden passage, this one lined with faint, glowing symbols that seemed to hum with ancient power.

“Where does this lead?” Jace asked.

“To a portal,” Aila said. “If it’s still intact, it’ll take us to the borderlands of the Eighth Realm. But we’ll need to move quickly. The Void Wardens might be held back for now, but they’ll find another way to track you.”

As they stepped into the passage, the air grew heavier, charged with an energy that made Jace’s skin prickle. The shard in his palm pulsed again, brighter this time, and he felt a strange tugging sensation, as though it were pulling him toward something.

“Do you feel that?” he asked, his voice uneasy.

Aila nodded, her grip tightening on her staff. “The shard is reacting to the portal. It’s connected to the magic of the realms in ways we can’t fully understand. Just don’t fight it. Let it guide you.”