The flickering glow of Emberfall Cross's dim underbelly cast long shadows as Ash entered the cramped meeting spot. The familiar scent of burnt resin and cold iron lingered in the stale air—a constant reminder of the city's dangerous undercurrent.
Kade was already there, seated on a low stone bench, eyes scanning over a worn journal filled with scribbled notes and sketches. Vetra leaned against the wall nearby, fingers lightly tracing the faint Syndicate emblem etched into her bracer, her gaze sharp and calculating.
Ash dropped his pack with a quiet thud and looked between them. "What did you find?"
Vetra answered first, voice low but steady. "I tapped into Syndicate contacts—trusted members only. Rumors are swirling about something beneath the city. Dark power. Dangerous enough that even hardened Tamers steer clear. The Syndicate wants answers but isn't ready to risk much yet."
She glanced toward Ash. "There's more than just gang politics here. Deeper Syndicate circles believe a threat is waking—something tied to the 'Shattered Root.'"
Kade closed his journal, eyes focused. "I dug into old records, Syndicate and public alike. Found references to a sealed vault beneath Emberfall Cross, marked with glyphs tied to ancient elemental forces—the Shattered Root and the Deep Maw."
His voice dropped. "It matches legends about elemental titans buried beneath major cities. But no one has confirmed if any of it's real."
Ash ran a hand over his face, exhaustion and worry flickering in his eyes. "While you two were digging Syndicate whispers and archives, I was at the black market—beast trading circles."
He hesitated, then added, "Found the twin Riftborn Aqua-Drakes. They're rare—usually solitary—but these two were caged together, and something about them felt off. When a rival Tamer tried to grab them, it got messy."
His voice hardened. "In the chaos, both drakes bonded to me—at once. Unexpected. Like they chose me together."
Vetra's expression tightened. "That kind of shared bond isn't normal. There's something unusual about those drakes."
Kade nodded slowly. "With what I found about the vault and the glyphs... it all ties together. The 'Shattered Root' might be more than legend."
Ash glanced down at Shadow, the wolf-like beast pacing near the doorway. Its amber eyes flickered with alertness beneath a shifting ember-mist that curled around its broad frame, as if it absorbed the scarce light itself.
But it was Specter who reacted most sharply—the insectoid hybrid with segmented limbs and a chitinous carapace now faintly glinting with crystalline edges. Its multifaceted eyes darted nervously, antennae twitching toward some unseen threat.
"Specter's been on edge since we got closer to the vault's location. There's corrupted energy here—unnatural," Ash said quietly.
The three exchanged grim looks. The weight of the threat settled heavily between them.
Vetra finally broke the silence. "We can't ignore this anymore. The Syndicate needs confirmation. They're officially tasking us—to descend into the Nexus ruins beneath Emberfall, identify the threat, and stop whatever's trying to awaken."
Ash's jaw clenched. "No choice but to face it head-on."
Kade's eyes flashed with resolve. "No matter what's waiting for us in the vault, we'll be ready."
The narrow stairwell beneath Emberfall Cross barely allowed single-file descent. Faintly glowing glyphs etched into the damp stone walls pulsed with a dull, sickly light—ancient runes that spoke of power and warning.
Shadow moved silently ahead, its keen nose working overtime, ears twitching for any danger. Behind it, Specter crawled carefully, multiple limbs adjusting to every uneven stone step, antennae sweeping the stale air.
The air grew heavier, dense with ozone, earth, and something metallic—a foul twist of corruption.
Kade bent low to examine the glyphs. "These are wards. Protective seals designed to keep something in… or out."
Vetra's fingers brushed a glyph. "This one references the Shattered Root—the source of the corruption below. And here, the Deep Maw. Whatever's buried here ties to elemental forces unlike any we've faced."
Suddenly, Specter hissed sharply, antennae quivering. Shadow growled low, teeth bared.
A tremor rattled the walls. The glyphs flared bright crimson.
"Something's triggering the wards!" Ash shouted, pulling Shadow and Specter back as the floor beneath cracked.
A cascade of shards—stone and dust—rained down, forcing them to sprint forward as the ancient seals detonated in a controlled collapse.
Breathless, they reached a massive iron-bound door scarred with more glyphs. The air before it thrummed with corrupt energy—heavy and suffocating.
Ash's hand hovered over Shadow's bond crystal, feeling its pulse quicken. At the same time, Specter's mandibles clicked in agitation, the hybrid's compound eyes reflecting the ominous light.
"This… this is what Specter was sensing," Ash whispered, eyes narrowed. "This vault holds more than we imagined."
Vetra pressed her palm against the glyph-covered door. "If the legends are true, this is a prison for one of the Hollow Root Beasts. And if it's breaking, the Herald's rise isn't just a story."
Kade's voice was grim. "We report this. Syndicate reinforcements. Before it's too late."
Ash nodded, fingers tightening around the bond crystals of Shadow and Specter. "But first, we find out what's inside."
Back at their safehouse, the weight of what they'd uncovered settled like a stone in Ash's chest.
He activated the status window, focusing on the twin drakes resting nearby—Morning Glory and Night Shade. They lay curled together—still weak, at their lowest evolution stage, but their presence was a steady comfort amid the growing darkness.
Shadow lay close by, alert but calm, while Specter sat motionless, antennae flicking as if sensing danger even at rest.
A sudden buzz snapped Ash's attention to his comm device.
"Syndicate Command calling. Priority update on your mission. Report immediately."
Ash's eyes met Kade's and Vetra's.
This was only the beginning.