Chapter 4

                                                                        Memory's Depths

As they sank more into the forgotten depths under the destroyed Empire, the darkness engulfed them. The sound grew louder in the little hallway as Zara's every foot reverberated against the chilly stone walls. The still air pressed down on her chest, making her breathe in quick, shallow gasps. The dim glow from the phosphorescent stone walls was the tunnel's only source of light, creating strange shadows that moved and flickered with every shift.

With each step, the weight of his injury became more noticeable as Kael walked beside her at a slower pace. Zara sensed him at her side, his steady, if forced, breathing a continual reminder of their mutual danger. At first, she had believed he was unbeatable—someone who could guide her to safety, someone who could withstand the last of the Empire. However, the truth of their predicament was beginning to set in as they delved farther into the shadowy centre of their disintegrating universe.

"How much further?" Zara's voice was only a breath against the deafening quiet as she whispered.

Kael's face was marked with pain and he took a moment to respond. Zara could see the sweat trickling from his brow as he pushed through it, his hand gripping his side more tightly with each stride. His voice was a strained mumble that hardly made it through the empty room when he spoke.

"A few more meters," he said. "We’re getting close."

Zara nodded, but the response did little to calm the knot in her stomach. Her instincts warned her that this area was more than just a physical test, whether it was the weapon, the tunnels, or whatever waited ahead. It was something else. A test of determination and decisions that could haunt them long after they leave this underground maze.

They kept walking in silence, the distant sounds of their footfall resonating through the tunnel. Zara's mind strayed back to the reasons behind her current situation. She returned to the city in ruins, the people she had lost, and the swiftly passing empire. She had seen the fall of civilization, the rise of warlords, and the destruction of what once seemed unbreakable. Even though she made it through the aftermath, simply surviving didn't mean she was truly living. Zara had long since given up on the idea that living meant hope.

However, Kael—Kael was unique. He was unlike anyone she had ever encountered. Even when there was no reason to continue, he was propelled ahead by something in his eyes. Zara felt she had to keep him alive, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She wanted him to get them there if the weapon was real, if it was indeed the secret to changing the course of events.

Kael's body lurched to the side, and he tripped a little. Before he could collapse, Zara quickly grabbed him and steadied him by holding onto his arm.

"Kael," she whispered, her voice kind yet worried. "You're not feeling well. We must halt. You must get some rest.

With a gleam of rebellion in his eyes, Kael shook his head defiantly. "No," he said in a very tight voice. "We're too near. Now I can't stop.

Zara wanted to fight and suggest that they take a break, but she hesitated because of his expression. She was unable to ignore his tenacity—grit—despite his own deteriorating physical condition. She was aware that emotions shouldn't influence her decisions, but she couldn't help but notice something unadulterated and unbridled about Kael.

Zara answered, "All right," her voice firm in spite of the anxiety gnawing at her gut. "But if you fall, I'll carry you."

At that, Kael gave a little smile, more of a grimace than a genuine smile. "Don't be concerned. I refuse to give up.

They moved silently forward, their pace increasing as the tunnel widened. Something colder—something older—took the place of the stale moisture of the stone walls as the air changed and grew heavier. Zara sensed the weight of history before she even saw it. the sensation that someone or something had been here for a very long time before they ever stepped foot in this abandoned location.

"Do you feel that?" Zara's question was hardly audible above a whisper.

Kael took a moment to respond. His eyes were focused on the future, his entire body tensed, every muscle alert, as though he could feel the same uneasiness in the air.

"Yeah," he whispered after a while. "We're near. We're nearly there.

Long, flickering shadows that appeared to go on forever were cast by the faint glow of the walls as the corridor grew even wider. Now, half-hidden by the encroaching darkness, Zara could make out the outlines of what appeared to be a huge iron door, its surface pitted and damaged from years of neglect.

Kael stopped short of it, his palm extending out to touch the cool metal of the door, his breath ragged. As his fingertips touched it, Zara briefly believed she caught a glimpse of something, perhaps dread, flickering in his eyes.

"This is it," Kael whispered softly, his voice brimming with a mix of fear and excitement. "The vault's entrance."

Zara felt her heart skip a beat. Now she could see it: odd patterns, mysterious markings that pulsed with a faint light, were engraved into the iron door. The door itself seemed to have been anticipating their arrival. Instinctively, she extended her hand and touched the chilly surface.

Zara murmured, "Kael," in a quiet, unsure voice. "Are you certain of this? Are you certain that this is the correct location?

He took a while to respond. His face hardened with a resolve Zara was all too familiar with as he stared towards the door. Zara, this is where everything starts. This is the weapon. And everything changes along with it.

Zara stepped back, watching the door suspiciously, her heart thumping in her chest. This was not merely an artefact from the past. The secret to more than just survival lay behind that door, whatever it was. For better or worse, it had the ability to change the world in which people lived.

With a strong order in her voice, she added, "Then open it."

With his fingers pressed against the door's markings, Kael nodded. Zara looked carefully as the door creaked slowly open and the symbols glowed brighter as the iron surface appeared to react to his touch. The sound of metal grinding against stone reverberated through the tunnel, accompanied by a faint moan. The door barely opened, revealing a dimly lighted chamber beyond.

Zara found herself peering into the centre of the Imperial vault, a location that had been unaltered for generations, as the door finally gave way, leaving a thick quiet in its wake. The interior was enormous, extending beyond her line of sight in the dim light, and was lined with shelves upon shelves of antiquated artefacts, armaments, and artefacts from the Empire's heyday.

However, she wasn't drawn to the relics. It was the dim light coming from the middle of the space. There was something. Something living, something pulsing with vitality. Despite Zara's senses telling her to turn around, Kael moved forward while keeping his gaze focused on the shimmering object.

Kael's voice was hardly audible above a whisper when he added, "Stay close." "No matter what, wait for me to say before touching anything."

Zara nodded and trailed him as they moved more into the room. The silence of the place pressed in on her, and the air was heavy with the smell of decay and dust. Zara sensed it more and more as they approached the centre; it was a hum, something beyond ordinary technology, almost like the vibrations of an old machine.

They arrived at the glow's origin. A little, crystal-like object rested on an old and weathered pedestal, throbbing with a light that appeared to match Kael's heartbeat. His fingers shook as they touched the smooth surface as he cautiously reached for it.

"This is it," he remarked quietly, with wonder in his voice.

Gazing at the item in his hands, Zara's breath seized in her throat. She was aware of its weight and the power it held. They had come for this reason. The weapon. The secret to everything.

However, there was a change in the atmosphere when Kael raised the crystal. A low rumble reverberated across the room, and the object's light blazed brightly, briefly blinding her.

Then suddenly the ground trembled under them.