Ascension of the Eternal Game-Chapter 38: The Heart of the Gate

The staircase spiraled downward into the earth, a twisting path of ancient stone that seemed to swallow the light. Each step was slick and smooth, worn by centuries of unseen travelers, and Lyra Vex took them carefully, her bow slung across her back. Her fingers grazed the damp walls, steadying her as the air thickened—a heavy mix of musty stone and something electric, like the buzz of raw mana pulsing through the rock. Behind her, Elara Moonwhisper's staff glowed faintly, its soft light pushing back the darkness, though the shadows clung stubbornly to the edges, writhing as if alive.

Lyra's breath hitched with every step, her mind a storm of hope and fear. Alex was down there, somewhere, trapped by the Eternal Gate, his spirit the only thing keeping the Devourer at bay. She could feel him—a faint tug deep in her chest, a connection that refused to break. They'd fought through too much to lose him now. She had to hold onto that.

Kael Stoneforge followed close behind, his usual cocky grin replaced by a tense frown. His sharp eyes scanned the gloom, hands resting near the hilts of his daggers. "This place feels wrong," he muttered, keeping his voice low. "Like we're marching into our own graves."

"It's not far off," Elara said, her tone calm but edged with unease. "The Gatekeepers locked the Devourer here for a reason. This is its prison—and we're walking right into it."

Thorne, his warhammer balanced on one shoulder, gave a gruff snort. "Prison or not, we've got a job to finish. Alex needs us."

Mikey brought up the rear, his small frame dwarfed by his overstuffed pack. His hands gripped the straps tightly, but his eyes burned with determination. "He's my brother," he said, voice quiet yet fierce. "I'm not leaving him here."

Lyra glanced back, offering him a quick, reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. "None of us are, Mikey. We'll get him out—together."

The stairs ended without warning, spilling them into a cavernous chamber that stretched beyond sight. Runes lined the walls, glowing faintly, their light casting strange patterns across the stone floor. At the center stood the Eternal Gate—a towering arch of dark stone, its surface carved with symbols that pulsed with a sickly green hue. And there, floating before it, was Alex Kain.

He hung in midair, his body faint and flickering, like a candle about to gutter out. Mana chains wrapped around him, their dark energy shimmering as they tethered him to the gate. Lyra's heart lurched, her hand twitching toward her bow. "Alex..."

Elara stepped up beside her, staff raised, her eyes narrowing as she studied the scene. "Those chains—they're draining him to maintain the seal. We have to break them."

Kael's daggers slid free with a soft rasp, his jaw tightening. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's cut him loose."

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

But before they could move, the chamber shook with a deep, guttural growl. The floor quaked, and from the shadows lumbered a monstrous guardian—its body a grotesque blend of stone and writhing darkness, its eyes glowing like twin furnaces.

Thorne shifted his grip on his warhammer, squaring his shoulders. "Guess we've got a welcoming party."

The beast charged, claws gouging the stone, sparks flying in its wake. Lyra loosed an arrow, but it skittered off the creature's hide, useless. "It's too strong!" she yelled, leaping aside as a claw swiped where she'd stood.

Elara thrust her staff forward, a beam of light slamming into the beast's side. It staggered, roaring, but the wound sealed itself, shadows stitching it shut. "It's regenerating!" she shouted, her voice tight with strain.

Kael darted in, daggers slashing at the beast's legs, but a flick of its tail sent him crashing against the wall. He groaned, spitting blood. "Damn thing's a bloody tank."

Mikey rummaged in his pack, pulling out a vial of glowing liquid. "Try this!" He lobbed it at the beast, and it burst into a blaze of alchemical fire. The creature thrashed, howling, but the flames faded quickly, leaving it scorched but unharmed.

Lyra's mind raced, her gaze snapping to the gate and Alex's chains. If the beast drew power from the seal, maybe breaking the chains would weaken it. "Elara, can you disrupt the mana in those chains?" she asked, urgency sharpening her words.

Elara nodded, though her face was pale. "I can try. But I'll need a moment to focus."

Thorne stepped up, hammer raised. "We'll buy you that moment. Mikey, hang back—use your potions. Kael, Lyra, keep it busy."

Lyra locked eyes with Kael, and they split, circling the beast. Thorne barreled forward, his hammer smashing into its snout with a bone-shaking crack. It reeled, and Lyra fired an arrow into its eye, drawing a shriek as it clawed at its face. Kael struck low, slicing at its legs.

Elara dropped to one knee before the gate, her staff aglow as she chanted—a rhythmic hum that filled the air. The chains flickered, their light dimming, but the beast whirled, its burning eyes fixing on Elara.

"Thorne, now!" Lyra called.

Thorne bellowed, his hammer arcing into the beast's jaw, knocking its head aside. Mikey hurled another potion, this one bursting into a blinding flash that dazed the creature.

Elara's chant peaked, her staff slamming into the stone. A surge of energy rippled outward, and the chains shattered, dissolving into sparks. Alex crumpled to the floor, free.

The beast roared, its form shuddering as the shadows sustaining it faltered. Lyra rushed to Alex, dropping to her knees and lifting his head into her lap. His skin was icy, his breathing faint, but his eyes opened, finding hers.

"Lyra..." His voice was a whisper, fragile but real.

Tears blurred her vision as she brushed hair from his face. "We've got you, Alex. You're safe."

The ground shook again, and a chilling laugh rolled through the chamber. A figure emerged from the gate's arch—tall, cloaked in shadow, its eyes alight with a ravenous gleam.

"You've freed the keeper," it rasped, its voice a chorus of hisses, "but the Devourer wakes. And it hungers."

It raised a hand, and the gate's runes blazed, the green light swelling. The air grew suffocating, reality itself bending under the strain.

Elara's face drained of color. "The seal—it's failing. The Devourer's breaking through."

Lyra clutched Alex's hand. "We have to stop it."

The figure's laughter deepened, mocking. "Stop it? You cannot halt what begins."

Alex pushed himself up, voice ragged. "There's a way... the Heart of Eryndor. It can strengthen the seal."

Lyra's breath caught. "The crystal from the woods?"

He nodded, wincing. "It's the key. But it needs someone to channel it."

Elara stepped forward. "I can do it. I know the Gatekeepers' rites."

Alex shook his head, his gaze steady on Lyra. "It has to be me. The gate chose me as its keeper."

"No, Alex," Lyra protested, her voice breaking. "You've sacrificed enough."

His smile was weak, pained. "Not this time. With the Heart, I can stabilize it without being trapped. Trust me."

The figure sneered. "Trust? Against the void? Pathetic."

Thorne slammed his hammer down, cracking the stone. "Enough chatter. Let's end this."

The group rallied—Kael's daggers ready, Elara's staff glowing, Mikey clutching a potion, Thorne poised to strike. Lyra and Mikey helped Alex stand, the Heart of Eryndor pulsing in his grip as they approached the gate.

But the figure raised its arms, and the gate's light flared. A portal ripped open, and a fathomless darkness poured out—tendrils of shadow lashing forward, insatiable.

The Devourer was here.