The staircase spiraled downward, glowing faintly with runes carved into every step. Each symbol pulsed as they passed, as if judging them.
Sayos ran a hand along the wall. "Creepy. Do these stairs ever end?"
"Be grateful they're even here," Honkai muttered. "Ryojin could've left us trapped."
Rika smirked, though her burns were bandaged now. "He doesn't want us dead yet. He wants us to reach the island."
Mizu stayed silent, his focus sharp. The blue crystal at his chest pulsed faster the deeper they went.
Finally, the stairs opened into a massive cavern.
And there it was.
A gigantic underground lake stretched before them, glowing faintly in shades of blue and green. At the far end, rising out of the mist, they saw it—an ancient stone dock, and beyond it, dark waters that disappeared into the unknown.
"The Forbidden Island…" Rika whispered.
Sayos whistled. "Guess we found it."
Lucy growled low, her ears flat. "Something's wrong. Too quiet."
As if on cue, a rumble echoed from the lake. The water rippled unnaturally.
Then, slowly, a massive shape rose from the depths—a colossal serpent, its body covered in glowing runes, its eyes burning with ancient fury.
The dock ahead lit up, forming a glowing bridge across the water.
Mizu's heart pounded.
"This is it," he said.
The serpent roared, shaking the cavern.
Honkai readied his lightning. "This is the last guardian. After this… there's no turning back."
Rika stepped up beside Mizu, fire sparking at her hands. "Then let's make it quick."
The serpent lunged, waves crashing against the stone.
And as they prepared to fight, a distant, calm voice whispered through the cavern:
> **"Welcome, chosen ones… to the beginning of the end."**
The lake roared as the colossal serpent rose fully from the depths, its scales shimmering with runes that pulsed like a heartbeat. The glowing bridge to the Forbidden Island stretched before them, trembling under its own magic.
Sayos swore under his breath. "This thing makes the other guardians look like pets."
"Focus," Rika snapped, her fire flaring to life. "This isn't just another guardian. Look at the runes—it's protecting something… or someone."
The serpent's eyes locked on Mizu, its massive head lowering until it was inches from the bridge.
Then, a deep voice—not Ranshin's, not Ryojin's—echoed directly into their minds:
"So… you are the one who carries the stolen flame."
Mizu froze, his heart hammering. "What?"
The serpent hissed, its voice growing louder.
"You're not worthy of what you hold. And I will tear it from you myself."
The serpent lunged, shattering the first section of the glowing bridge—
**To be continued…**