CHAPTER 58: CHAINS

The moment my hand touched the array, I felt it.

A pulse.

Not just from the crystal—something deeper.

The Swert was gone, sealed. But this... this was older. And it was angry.

Ancient echoes, I realized.

"Of course," I muttered through gritted teeth. "Because one mind-warping nightmare wasn’t enough."

The crystal’s glow pulsed in response, almost mocking me.

"Professor?" Wallace’s voice was tight, his breathing labored. "You said destroy it... but—"

"I know what I said," I murmured, already channeling mana through my cane. "Just keep the damn barrier steady."

Wallace grimaced but nodded, reinforcing the runes with what little mana he had left.

The crystal pulsed again, but this time, I felt it—a pull.

Something was trying to get out.

Not on my watch.

I poured mana into the array, tracing the lines with precision. The runes flared, responding to my will. But instead of reinforcing the seal, I was reversing it.

Unraveling the bindings.

"Professor..." Mira’s voice was tight. "Whatever you’re doing... do it faster."

"I’m trying," I muttered, teeth clenched.

Julien’s sword clashed against a tendril of shadow, sparks flying as he pushed it back.

"Faster would be great," he grunted, his mana flickering.

Mira was beside him, her dagger lashing out, slicing through another tendril. But I could see it—she was running on fumes.

Felix and Leo were still by the entrance, but they weren’t out of danger. The shadows were closing in.

Damn it.

"Holding!" Wallace hissed, his mana straining as he kept the barrier intact.

Almost there.

The array was coming undone, but this wasn’t a clean process. The runes were resisting, as if they knew what I was trying to do.

I pressed harder.

"Come on..." I growled, pouring more mana into the lines.

The crystal shuddered, its glow intensifying. The shadows around us twisted violently, reacting to whatever I was stirring up.

And then—

Crack.

The sound echoed through the cave, sharp and jagged.

"Professor..." Wallace’s voice was strained.

"Almost..." I whispered.

The array pulsed, the runes flickering—fighting me.

"Don’t you dare," I hissed, forcing my will into the weave.

Mana surged through my veins, burning hot as I pushed beyond my limit.

Break.

The runes resisted.

Break.

The crystal’s glow intensified, pushing back.

"Break!"

The lines snapped.

The array shattered, mana exploding outward in a pulse that sent shockwaves through the cave.

"Down!" I barked, throwing myself back just as the crystal fractured.

A wave of mana surged outward, slamming into the walls and scattering the shadows. The oppressive weight in the air vanished.

For a moment, there was... silence.

"Did..." Julien panted, still crouched, sword raised. "Did that work?"

I didn’t answer.

Because I wasn’t sure.

I pushed myself up, eyes narrowing as I scanned the cave.

The crystal was cracked, its glow dimming. Whatever power it had... was gone.

Good.

"Wallace?" I asked, voice steady.

"Here..." Wallace’s voice was weak, but he was still conscious. Barely.

"Julien, Mira?"

"Alive," Julien muttered, rolling his shoulder. "Barely."

Mira gave me a thumbs-up, her breathing heavy but steady.

"Felix, Leo?" I turned toward the entrance.

Felix was still standing, though he looked like he’d rather be anywhere else.

Leo...

"Leo?"

He was on his knees, eyes unfocused, staring at the cracked crystal.

"Leo," I repeated, moving toward him.

He didn’t respond.

"Damn it," I muttered, crouching beside him.

His body was trembling, his breathing shallow.

"Leo," I murmured softly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

The moment I touched him, a pulse of cold washed over me.

Not again...

But this time... it wasn’t the Swert.

It was him.

"Leo," I whispered. "Come back."

His eyes snapped to mine—wide, unfocused.

But I saw it.

Fear.

"No more," I murmured, voice firm. "You’re here. With us."

For a moment, he didn’t move.

And then—

A shaky breath.

His eyes cleared, focusing on me.

"Professor..." his voice was barely a whisper.

"You’re alright," I said softly. "You’re safe."

His body sagged, the tension finally leaving him.

"Good." I gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before helping him to his feet.

"Wallace," I called over my shoulder. "How bad?"

"Mana’s drained," Wallace rasped. "I can walk, but... don’t ask me to carve anything."

"Noted."

I glanced around the cave, taking in the aftermath.

The shadows were gone.

The crystal was dead.

But something still felt... off.

"Professor..." Mira’s voice was hesitant. "Do you feel that?"

I did.

A faint... pulse.

Not from the crystal.

Deeper.

My eyes narrowed.

"Everyone," I murmured, my tone sharp. "Stay alert."

Julien groaned. "Come on, Professor. We just—"

"Quiet."

The pulse...

It wasn’t fading.

It was getting stronger.

"Move," I said, grabbing Leo and pulling him back.

The ground shook.

"Out!" I barked. "Now!"

Julien didn’t argue this time.

Mira grabbed Wallace, supporting him as we moved toward the entrance.

"Felix, go!" I ordered, and for once, he didn’t hesitate.

We were almost out when—

BOOM.

The crystal shattered completely, and a wave of force erupted from its core.

The cave trembled, loose rocks falling from the ceiling.

"Go, go, go!" I shouted, shoving Leo forward.

We barely made it to the mouth of the cave before the ground behind us gave out.

"Out!" I barked, pushing everyone through.

We stumbled into the clearing outside, gasping for breath as the cave collapsed behind us.

Dust and debris filled the air, but we were alive.

"Everyone accounted for?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

"Here," Julien coughed.

"Alive," Mira mumbled.

"Wallace?"

"Breathing," he rasped.

"Felix, Leo?"

"Still standing," Felix murmured.

Leo was quiet, but he was upright.

"Good."

I straightened, scanning the area.

The cave was gone.

But...

That pulse.

It was still there.

And it wasn’t fading.

My jaw clenched.

"Professor?" Mira’s voice was hesitant.

I didn’t answer.

Because I already knew.

This wasn’t over.

The clearing was too quiet. The kind of silence that pressed down on your ears, making it feel like something was watching.

But nothing moved. Nothing stirred.

I didn’t trust it.

"We’re not done," I murmured, eyes narrowed.

"Professor..." Mira’s voice was tight, her fingers brushing the hilt of her dagger. "I feel it too."

"Same," Julien muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. His stance was relaxed, but his eyes were sharp—focused.

Wallace was slumped against a tree, drained but conscious. His breathing was steady, but I could see the exhaustion etched into his face.

Felix was pacing, which was... expected. The guy never handled silence well.

Leo...

Leo stood apart from the group, his expression distant. His eyes flickered with something I didn’t like.

"Leo."

He flinched, barely looking at me.

"Talk to me," I said softly.

For a moment, he didn’t respond.

"I..." His voice was barely a whisper. "I can still hear it."

I stiffened.

"Hear what, Leo?"

His hands clenched at his sides.

"The voice."

Everyone went still.

"Leo," I murmured, keeping my tone calm. "Look at me."

Slowly, he turned. His eyes were wide—haunted.

"It’s... still there," he whispered. "Whispering. I thought... I thought it was gone..."

My stomach dropped.

No.

The crystal was destroyed. The Swert was sealed. But...

The pulse.

It wasn’t coming from the crystal.

It was coming from...

"Leo," I said carefully. "When did you first hear it again?"

His eyes darted around, unfocused.

"After... after the cave," he murmured. "When we got out. I thought it was... just in my head."

It wasn’t.

"Professor," Mira’s voice was low, her eyes narrowing. "This isn’t normal."

"Yeah," I muttered. "I know."

Julien shifted, his grip tightening on his sword.

"So... what are we dealing with?"

Good question.

I focused, stretching my senses outward.

The pulse... it was faint, barely a whisper now. But it was there.

And it was... tethered.

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath.

"Professor?" Wallace rasped.

"We didn’t destroy it," I murmured. "Not completely."

The crystal was just a vessel. A fragment of something older.

And now...

It’s latched onto Leo.

"Shit," I muttered, running a hand through my hair.

"Professor..." Felix’s voice was quiet, almost scared. "What... what does that mean?"

"It means," I said slowly, "that whatever we thought we dealt with..."

It’s still here.

And it wasn’t done with us.

"Leo," I murmured, stepping closer. "I need you to listen carefully."

His eyes flicked to me, barely holding focus.

"We’re going to fix this," I said softly, but there was steel in my tone. "But I need you to trust me."

His jaw clenched, but he nodded.

"Good," I murmured.

I pressed my hand gently against his shoulder, sending a pulse of mana through the connection.

There.

I felt it.

A thin thread of mana—a tether.

"Son of a..." I murmured.

Julien moved closer, his eyes narrowing. "What is it?"

"Something... attached itself to him," I muttered. "A remnant."

Mira’s expression darkened. "You mean that thing’s still inside him?"

"Not fully," I murmured. "But enough."

"Can you get it out?" Wallace asked, his voice strained.

"Maybe." I wasn’t about to lie. "But it’s not going to be easy."

Of course, it wasn’t.

"Wallace," I said softly. "You’ve got enough mana to trace a tether?"

He frowned, eyes narrowing. "Barely."

"Then I need you to do it."

"Professor," Wallace’s voice was tight, "if I mess this up..."

"You won’t," I said firmly.

Wallace swallowed hard but nodded.

"Everyone else," I said, voice sharp, "watch the perimeter."

"Why?" Julien asked, already moving into position.

"Because if this thing feels threatened..." My eyes narrowed.

"It’s going to fight back."