The shadow hovered for a moment, its broken chains rattling in the night air. The group tensed, expecting an attack but instead, it paused, almost… waiting.
Alex lowered his sword slightly, eyes still sharp. "It's not charging. Everyone observe. Don't make the first move."
Mya huffed, restless. "Great. Just stand there and… wait? I hate waiting."
"We need to understand it," Alex replied, voice calm. "Whatever's down there it's tied to the Scythe. We figure it out, we stay alive. Simple."
Vile squinted at the chains, crouching to examine the ground. "It's… peculiar. The patterns these chains make… they're deliberate. Like a code."
Liam peeked from behind Alex. "A code? You mean… like, a puzzle?"
"Exactly," Vile said, adjusting his glasses. "We don't fight it we solve it."
Lyra knelt, her fingers brushing the dirt near the pit's edge. "I feel… energy. Not harmful, but old. Very old. Like it's remembering everything it's touched."
Kira stepped forward, calm and silent for a moment. Then she pointed to a pattern the chains made as they writhed. "Look. They're forming symbols. Not random."
Ethan leaned over, frowning. "Symbols? Ugh, can't we just smash something? That's way easier."
"No," Alex said firmly. "If we rush, we'll trigger it. We need to read it first."
The team spread out cautiously, each member focusing on a different part of the chain patterns. Vile murmured calculations under his breath, tracing the metallic curves. Mya's impatience showed, but she followed Alex's lead, observing subtle shifts in the chains. Liam and Lyra worked together, gently adjusting loose stones to reveal faint inscriptions beneath.
Hours or maybe minutes; time seemed warped near the pit passed in tense silence, broken only by the occasional click or scrape of chains. Then Lyra gasped softly.
"Look… these symbols. They're like… fragments of the Primordials' markings," she said. Her voice carried awe and caution. "Sun, stars, light… even blood and energy. Whoever or whatever was bound here, it was tied to them."
Alex's eyes narrowed. "The Scythe… it's connected to the Primordials. That's why it's calling. It's not just a weapon it's a key."
Vile frowned. "A key to… what? Their power? Their memories? Or something else entirely?"
Before anyone could answer, the shadows recoiled slightly, as if sensing they were understood, not threatened. The chains writhed, forming a pattern that glowed faintly in the moonlight, pointing deeper into the pit.
Alex took a step closer. "It's showing us the way. Everyone… stay sharp. This is only the beginning. We solve this together or we don't leave."
Mya gritted her teeth, finally calming her frustration. "Fine. Let's figure this out, then. No one messes with my team."
Ethan adjusted his armor, a glint of determination in his eyes. "Gold doesn't matter right now… but winning this puzzle? That's worth more than anything."
Liam swallowed hard but nodded. "I… I'll follow your lead."
Kira glanced at the glowing pattern, silent as ever, and gave a single, almost imperceptible nod.
Lyra smiled softly. "Then let's see what the Scythe wants us to find."
The chains shifted again, revealing a faint pathway deeper into the pit. And as the group prepared to descend, a soft hum echoed from the depths ancient, powerful, and calling…
The first step into the unknown had begun.