The descent ended with a soft *thud*—a strange contrast to the sheer drop they'd just taken. They landed in a cavernous space, roots pulsing like veins across every surface, and the air smelled like earth mixed with ash.
The portal above them sealed shut with a squelching hiss.
"Welp," Lumi muttered, brushing dirt off her cloak. "Guess we're stuck in the evil root basement. Good job, team."
A soft growl echoed, and a spiny root crept along the wall. Yuki's tail snapped at it, severing the thing with ease.
"We're not alone," he said, his voice low and serious.
"No kidding," Elira whispered, her gaze flickering with violet magic. "These roots aren't just alive—they're watching."
Sylvaeria stepped forward, her winds parting the tendrils around them. "This whole place is a trap. A nest of soul parasites… or worse."
Aeris stood near the edge, her fingers twitching. "I know this place," she murmured. "I don't remember *how*, but it's like déjà vu on fire."
Lumi poked one of the roots with a stick. "Is that… bad déjà vu? Or just slightly traumatic dream déjà vu?"
"Definitely the kind that ends with someone screaming."
Lumi promptly dropped the stick. "Noted."
---
### **The Guardian**
A pulse shook the chamber. From the central mass of the roots, something stirred—a monstrous figure uncoiled from the wall. Eight eyes blinked open, and a jaw split down the center of its body, revealing rows of spined fangs.
It stepped forward, dragging chains made of thorns.
Yuki's pupils narrowed. "This… is just a guardian. A puppet."
**"You see clearly, Kindred Flame,"** the voice echoed again. **"But you are too late."**
Within the creature's chest, a faint light pulsed—a girl.
Aeris froze. "That's… that's her! My sister!"
The being stepped forward with a hiss, the light growing brighter. The girl inside was suspended like a core—eyes closed, arms limp. Black vines curled around her limbs.
"She's alive," Elira confirmed. "But barely. They're using her as a battery."
Rage built in Aeris's chest, and in that moment, something snapped.
Her body blurred. Crimson arcs danced across her limbs as her soul flared to life.
Yuki blinked. "That's new."
Sylvaeria's eyes widened. "Her soul power… it's awakening."
---
### **Aeris's Awakening**
Aeris launched forward, moving faster than even Lumi could track. Her blade, newly reforged by Yuki, shimmered with soullight.
"*Get away from her!*"
She struck the creature's leg, severing it at the knee. It screamed, the entire cave trembling.
Elira followed up with **Arcane Moonfire**, her signature spell washing the area in silver-blue flames. Lumi flashed behind the beast and unleashed **Stellar Slash**, slicing clean through a chain binding the girl.
Yuki leapt upward, charging **Solar Ascendance**, the sky-like glow blazing from his wings as he slammed down with a blast that cracked the root-laced floor.
The creature collapsed—but it didn't die. Instead, it began to unravel.
Dark tendrils slithered across the ground, rejoining the main network.
"Of course it's not dead," Lumi grumbled. "Why can't they ever *just die* when they're supposed to?"
Elira glanced at the girl suspended in the core. "We need to sever her completely from the hive."
Yuki nodded. "I'll extract her."
---
### **The Rescue**
He moved with precision—talons glowing with golden essence, slicing through the last layer of corrupted root. As the tendrils recoiled, Yuki gently caught the girl in his claws.
She was frail, barely breathing. Her spirit flickered like a dying candle.
Aeris knelt beside her, reaching out. "Sis…"
Sylvaeria touched the girl's forehead, whispering an incantation. Winds enveloped the girl, pulling away lingering corruption.
"She's safe," Sylvaeria said softly. "But she needs rest."
Yuki glanced at Aeris. "This wasn't just a guardian. This was a test. The real enemy is watching how we react."
Elira's brows furrowed. "Then we show them we don't break."
Lumi flexed her arms. "And when they show up, we *break them* instead."
---