The Obsidian Canyon was a graveyard of forgotten knowledge, an unholy remnant of an era where power transcended mortality. Its walls stretched toward the darkened sky like jagged teeth, inscribed with the runes of a civilization that had vanished in ruin. Kael Thorn ran a hand along the cold stone, feeling the faint pulse of energy woven into the canyon itself .
Everything here was alive.
The whispers of the shard burned in his mind like embers waiting to ignite. The second shard sat secured within its reinforced case, its glow intermittently flickering, responding to something unseen. It was as if the canyon was calling to it , stirring echoes of memories lost to time.
Liana Sevier trailed close behind, her unease evident in the tight grip she kept on her blade. Though she had survived treacherous ruins, perilous encounters, and Kael's reckless ambition, there was something different about this place. Something wrong .
"You sure about this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kael didn't look at her. His eyes were focused ahead—on the massive stone gateway that loomed at the far end of the canyon path. It stood like a fractured monument, its surface splintered and torn, as though it had once held something back —or tried to.
"I'm always sure," Kael murmured.
Liana sighed. "That's the most terrifying thing about you."
The Wounded Gateway
Kael stepped forward, placing his hand against the fractured stone. A sharp pulse of energy shot through his fingertips, like lightning sinking into his skin. He winced , but did not pull away.
"This seal... it's damaged," he said, more to himself than to Liana.
She edged closer, narrowing her eyes. "Damaged how ?"
Kael studied the fragmented runes. The inscriptions had been disrupted , their lines jagged, incomplete. Someone had tried to break through this barrier. Someone powerful —but not powerful enough.
"Someone attempted to force entry," Kael continued, running his fingers along the deepest crack in the stone. "They almost succeeded."
Liana exhaled sharply, shifting her weight. "Almost?"
Kael nodded, his mind racing. "Whatever they did weakened the seal, but it still holds. Which means... whatever's behind this barrier?"
He paused, then smirked.
"It's angry."
Liana groaned, rolling her eyes. "Fantastic. Because what's a good adventure without angering ancient forces?"
Before Kael could reply, the shard pulsed violently. The glow from its casing intensified, bathing the canyon in flickering blue light. The inscriptions on the gateway reacted instantly, shifting— coming to life.
And then, the air tore apart .
A sound like shattering glass filled the canyon, and from the fractured gateway, something emerged.
The Keeper of the Abyss
A humanoid figure stepped through the broken gateway, its form flickering between corporeal and spectral , moving as though the very fabric of reality struggled to contain it. Shadow and lightning intertwined, weaving a body that had long since abandoned human form.
Kael felt the pressure of its presence—like gravity had shifted, bending toward the entity that had now crossed into their world.
Its hollow eyes locked onto him.
The shard in Kael's possession reacted violently , its glow fluctuating, pulsating in sync with the creature's aura. He could hear it now—not just whispers, but echoes, distant voices from an era long past.
"You seek eternity...but are you prepared to pay the cost?"
The words did not come from the creature's mouth , but rather from the very air around them. Spoken by something far greater than the entity before them—by the Eternals themselves.
Kael tightened his grip on his dagger, his pulse steady.
"Let's find out."
The Trial Begins
The Keeper of the Abyss raised one hand, its fingers elongated, shifting like tendrils of liquid shadow. From its palm, crackling energy gathered— raw power stolen from the canyon itself.
Kael moved first.
He lunged toward the Keeper, his dagger blazing with runic fire , its glow cutting through the darkness. The entity responded instantly , launching a blast of black lightning toward him.
Kael twisted mid-air, barely evading the attack as the canyon wall behind him exploded , shards of obsidian scattering into the wind.
"Kael!" Liana shouted, her blade now drawn.
She moved like lightning itself, her strikes precise , aimed for the entity's weak points—if it had any. But her blade passed through it like mist, the edge barely cutting through its shifting form.
Kael landed, his mind racing. This wasn't a creature that could be fought with simple steel. This was something different . Something that required understanding —not brute force.
And then, it clicked.
"The shard," Kael breathed.
Liana barely dodged another attack. "The what ?!"
"The shard is connected to it!" Kael shouted, moving toward the runed casing strapped to his side. "That's why it's reacting—it's part of the trial!"
Liana's eyes flicked to the glowing container, realization dawning. "So what? You're gonna throw it at the thing?"
Kael smirked. "Something like that."
The Offering
Kael activated the shard , twisting the seal on its protective casing. The moment the second shard was exposed, the Keeper froze , its hollow gaze locked on the glowing fragment.
The canyon trembled. The inscriptions around them shifted , rearranging as though rewriting history itself.
Kael stepped forward, holding the shard in his palm.
"Answer me," he spoke—not just to the Keeper, but to the Eternals. "What is the cost?"
The entity lowered its arm , its form shifting , solidifying ever so slightly.
And then, it spoke .
"All who touch eternity...must sacrifice themselves to it."
Kael smirked.
"I don't sacrifice."
The shard pulsed —and in the next instant, a surge of energy erupted from its core. It collided with the Keeper, and for the first time, the entity screamed —not in pain, but in revelation.
The trial was complete.
The Path Forward
As the light faded, the Keeper dissolved , leaving behind a single object—a fragment , smaller than the shard Kael had found in the Obelisk, but pulsing with the same eerie glow.
Kael picked it up, feeling its energy merge with the shard in his possession. It wasn't a full shard—it was a key . A missing piece in a puzzle still unsolved.
Liana exhaled shakily, watching as the fractured gateway began to seal itself once more.
"That was...terrifying," she admitted.
Kael rolled the new fragment between his fingers, eyes shining with intrigue. "That was just the beginning."
She groaned. "Of course it was."
And so, with the fragment now secured , they stepped beyond the gateway , the whispers guiding them deeper toward the truth of eternity.