The System Warning still hovered in Ethan’s vision, pulsing in an angry red glow.

  [SYSTEM WARNING: UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS DETECTED]

  [LOCATION: ???? — OUTSIDE SYSTEM JURISDICTION]

  DANGER LEVEL: UNCLASSIFIED]

  [RECOMMENDATION: LEAVE IMMEDIATELY]

  But the System’s authority ended here. That much was clear. Ethan dismissed the message, his chest tightening as they moved forward. The air was heavier, the shadows stretched too far the city felt… awake. Like it had been waiting. And the further they walked, the stronger that feeling became. Kara gritted her teeth, adjusting her grip on her sword. “Okay. Anyone else feel like we’re being… herded?” Leah swallowed. “Not just herded. Watched.” Ethan didn’t respond. Because she was right. Something was guiding them deeper. And the worst part? He was letting it. A City That Shouldn’t Exist They passed through the ruins, moving cautiously. Massive stone towers loomed above them, covered in twisting carvings that seemed to shift when no one was looking. Buildings stood in impossible angles. Strange, humming symbols pulsed in the walls. The deeper they went, the more the city looked… untouched. As if it hadn’t been abandoned. As if it had been preserved. Waiting for someone to wake it up. Gareth’s expression was grim. “This place isn’t dead.” Ethan nodded. “No.” It was alive.

  They reached the center of the city. And there it was. A massive obelisk, towering over the ruined streets.

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  Black stone, covered in glowing veins of red. Ancient symbols that hummed in a language none of them understood. The same sigil that was on Ethan’s chest—carved into its base.

  Ethan’s mark burned. Leah took a shaky step back. “…This isn’t just some ruin.” Her voice shook. “This was a temple.” Ethan felt his stomach drop. A temple. Not for humans. Not for the System. But for something else. Something older. Something buried. And they had just stepped into its domain.

  The air shivered. And then— A whisper. Faint. Ancient. But not in his mind. This wasn’t the Master. This was something else. Something left behind. “You have come.” Ethan froze. The others heard it too. Gareth’s spear snapped upward, his stance tightening. “What the hell was that?” “The chains weaken.” “The gate stirs.” Leah’s face was pale. “Ethan… what is this?” Ethan’s breath came out slow. Because he didn’t know. But he was about to find out. Because the ground beneath the obelisk shifted— And a hidden staircase spiraled downward.

  The air was suffocating. Cold, damp stone beneath their feet. Walls lined with more of the strange pulsing sigils. A deep thrumming, like a heartbeat beneath the city. And then— They reached the bottom. A massive chamber stretched before them. And in the center— A gate. Black, obsidian-like material with massive rusted chains wrapped around it a crack in its surface, pulsing with an eerie glow. Ethan’s mark burned hotter than ever. Leah’s voice was barely a whisper. “…This is what was sealed away.” Kara exhaled sharply. “And it’s already breaking.” Ethan stepped forward. The whispers grew louder. And this time— He understood them. “Open the door, little predator.” “Let us finish what was started.” His fingers brushed against the chains. And for the first time, Ethan felt it— A presence behind the gate. Waiting. Hungry. And he knew— Whatever was sealed here… It wasn’t the Master. It was something worse.