Night blanketed Valenhold, casting long, eerie shadows as the group approached the sanctuary. The faint glow of corrupted light seeped through the cracked windows, pulsing like a sick heartbeat.
Kieran signaled for silence, motioning toward the side entrance. Jace took the lead, axe at the ready, while Mira whispered a muffling spell to soften their footsteps. Rag stayed close, nose twitching as he tracked the lingering scent of dark magic.
Inside, the sanctuary had transformed. Vines pulsing with corrupted energy coiled around pillars, and spectral apparitions flickered along the walls, their hollow eyes tracking intruders.
Rolan muttered, "They're using the spirits to reinforce the barrier. If we disturb it too soon, it could collapse on us."
Kieran gritted his teeth. "We'll have to disable the conduits first. Spread out and cut off the energy flow. Mira, you and Bram handle the eastern side. Jace and I will take the western."
Mira nodded, pulling a vial from her satchel. "If you see any glowing sigils, disrupt them with this mixture. It should counteract the corruption temporarily."
As they moved through the grand hall, shadows danced along the walls, whispering in languages long forgotten. Kieran felt a chill run down his spine, but pressed on, determined.
At the western arch, a glowing rune pulsed with dark energy. Jace smashed the base with his axe, sending cracks through the inscription. Kieran poured Mira's concoction over it, watching as the light dimmed and faded.
On the other side, Mira and Bram encountered a pair of cultists tending to a similar rune. Mira gestured to Bram, and he whispered a blinding spell, dazzling the pair. Mira struck swiftly, cutting them down before they could react. She splashed the mixture on the sigil, and the tendrils of darkness retreated.
A rumble echoed through the sanctuary as the energy weakened. Kieran regrouped with the others at the heartstone's chamber. The corrupted glow had faded to a dull flicker, and the spectral apparitions thinned out.
Jace grinned. "Looks like that did it."
Before Kieran could respond, the ground shook violently, and the heartstone flared with a final burst of dark light. A figure emerged from its center—a tall, armored wraith, eyes glowing with malevolence.
It raised a spectral sword, voice echoing like thunder. "You will not undo the master's work!"
Kieran stepped forward, sword drawn. "We're putting an end to it."
The wraith lunged, moving faster than expected, forcing Kieran to parry hard. Mira sent bolts of light crackling toward it, but the wraith absorbed them, feeding on the energy.
Rolan cursed. "Light magic's just making it stronger!"
Jace circled behind, aiming for the wraith's legs. His axe passed through like smoke, and the wraith retaliated, slashing with its spectral blade. Bram chanted a protective barrier just in time to deflect the strike.
Kieran gritted his teeth, realizing that brute force wouldn't work. "We need to sever its connection to the heartstone!"
Mira's eyes lit up with an idea. "If we overload the heartstone with pure energy, it might disrupt the bond!"
Rolan nodded. "Then we'll channel everything we have."
While Kieran and Jace kept the wraith occupied, Bram and Mira prepared a combined incantation, pooling their magic around the heartstone. Rolan etched runes on the floor, amplifying the spell's power.
The wraith, sensing the disruption, howled and redoubled its assault. Kieran took a glancing hit, pain searing through his side, but he held firm, countering with a flurry of strikes.
"Now!" Mira shouted.
The combined energy surged into the heartstone, and it blazed with pure light, forcing the wraith to stagger back, howling in agony as it disintegrated. The sanctuary fell silent, the oppressive atmosphere finally lifting.
Kieran panted, wiping blood from his side. "Is it over?"
Mira knelt beside him, tending to the wound. "For now. But if they corrupted this heartstone, there might be others."
Jace spat on the ground. "We'll just have to find 'em and fix 'em."
Kieran managed a weary smile. "One battle at a time."