The air inside the final chamber was heavy—thick with the damp scent of stone and an almost metallic tang that clung to the tongue.
Alex stepped in first, the soles of his boots scraping softly over the ancient floor. His breath slowed. Trisha came next, gliding forward with the cautious silence of a predator, her dagger already spinning lightly between her fingers. Callum followed close behind, bow in hand, an arrow nocked but not yet drawn, eyes scanning every shadow.
The chamber was vast, big enough to house a small cathedral, and at the far end stood the gate. Towering black stone doors embedded with intricate carvings of spirals and elemental symbols—water, fire, earth, and air—gleamed faintly in the torchlight. They looked ancient and untouched by time.
And blocking the way was the silent guard.
The earth golem was massive, more than fifty feet tall, its body built from enormous slabs of obsidian and bronze fused with glowing seams of molten-orange light. Where a head should have been, an eagle's skull with two eye sockets burning like twin furnaces stares at them. Runes were carved deep into its shoulders, and on its chest a glowing crystal pulsed rhythmically, each beat like a slow, dangerous heartbeat.
It didn't move—yet—but Alex could feel its awareness fixed on them.
Callum whistled under his breath. "The big guy doesn't look like the friendly sort."
Trisha tilted her head slightly. "We could try saying hello."
Alex gave her a side glance. "You first."
The golem moved.
It took one heavy step forward—BOOM—the floor trembling beneath them. Then another. The runes flared brighter. Dust drifted from the high cavern ceiling.
Its voice, when it came, wasn't from a mouth but from the deep vibration of the chamber itself:
"Trespassers, turn back… or be destroyed."
"Yeah," Callum muttered, "definitely not friendly."
"Get ready," Alex said, his tone sharpening. "It's not going to let us pass."
The golem didn't wait for them to decide. With a sudden burst of speed unnatural for its size, it swung its colossal arm forward, the stone forearm whistling through the air like a falling boulder.
"Move!" Alex barked.
They scattered just as the arm smashed into the ground, exploding tiles into shrapnel.
Trisha darted in first, using the distraction to sprint up the side of the golem's arm like a shadow. Her dagger flashed in the torchlight as she aimed for one of the glowing runes on its shoulder.
But the golem shifted, twisting with alarming agility. Its other arm came sweeping across in a massive backhand. Trisha dropped low, sliding under it, but even then the rush of displaced air knocked her slightly off balance. She grits her teeth, flipping back to her feet.
"This thing's fast!" she called.
Alex raised both hands, calling on the earth around them. Jagged spikes of rock shot up from the floor beneath the golem's feet, trying to trap it in place. The runes on the golem's legs flickered for a moment—but then flared bright again, and with a single stomp, it shattered the spikes like brittle glass.
Callum's bowstring thrummed. His arrow, tipped with a special piercing head, flew across the chamber and slammed into one of the glowing runes in the golem's shoulder. A faint crack appeared around the impact, but the golem barely reacted.
"It's like shooting a mountain!" Callum growled, already reaching for another arrow.
The golem lunged forward, aiming a crushing fist at Alex. Reflex vision kicked in—Alex's senses spiking as time seemed to slow. He dove to the side, the punch smashing the spot where he had stood into rubble.
"Hit the runes and the crystal in its chest," Alex shouted as he rolled back to his feet. "That's what's powering it!"
Trisha didn't need telling twice. She appeared at the golem's flank, her movements a blur as she leapt onto its back. Her dagger plunged into a rune on its right shoulder—sparks flaring where enchanted steel met enchanted stone. The glow dimmed for a heartbeat, and the golem roared, a sound like an avalanche breaking loose.
It bucked violently, and Trisha was flung into the air. She twisted mid-flight and landed in a crouch, sliding back several meters. Her wrist throbbed from the landing, but she didn't stop.
Callum released another arrow, this one wrapped in thin steel wire. It struck the golem's knee joint, the wire unfurling and tangling around the stone limb. Alex seized the chance—he slammed both palms to the ground, sending a surge of vines bursting from the cracks to coil around the trapped leg.
For a moment, the golem's movement slowed.
Alex summoned his wolf companion with a sharp whistle. The beast materialized in a shimmer of green light, darting forward to harry the golem's other side, snapping at the glowing seams.
The golem responded by slamming both fists into the ground. The floor heaved, a shockwave rippling outward that sent Alex, Callum, Trisha, and the wolf all tumbling back.
Alex's shoulder slammed into a stone pillar. Pain lanced through him, and he gritted his teeth, using Regeneration to force the ache down.
Trisha spat dust from her mouth. "Okay. This thing hits like a mountain, too."
Callum rolled to his knees, already drawing another arrow. "We need to bring it down faster before it decides to bury us alive."
"Then let's break its legs," Alex said, pushing back up.
The golem charged. For such a huge creature, its speed was terrifying—its footsteps like thunder, each one shaking the chamber.
Trisha vanished in a blur, Silent Pounce activating as she reappeared directly behind it. Her dagger slashed deep into the back of its knee seam. The glow there flickered violently.
Callum's next arrow followed immediately, slamming into the same spot. The combined damage caused a jagged spiderweb fracture across the joint.
The golem staggered, one knee buckling. Alex seized the moment. He summoned a column of stone from the floor, slamming it into the side of the weakened leg with a loud crack. The limb gave way, and the golem dropped to one knee with a roar.
But even kneeling, it was still dangerous. The golem swings its arm like a battering ram, catching Alex mid-turn and sending him flying into the far wall. His vision went white for a second.
Trisha swore under her breath. "Alex!"
"I'm fine!" Alex's voice echoed back, though it was strained.
Callum loosed three rapid arrows in succession, aiming for the crystal on its chest. Two bounced harmlessly off the stone armor, but the third embedded deep, causing another flicker in its glow.
Trisha darted in, her dagger a blur of strikes, targeting the damaged rune on the golem's shoulder again and again. Chips of glowing stone fell away under her relentless assault.
The golem's other leg stomped hard, sending another shockwave across the chamber. This one cracked the ceiling above them, and chunks of rock began to fall.
Alex forced himself up, shaking the daze from his head. "We end this now!"
The druid braced, then shifted—his form shrinking, feathers sprouting, and wings bursting from his back. In a blink, he was a hawk, darting into the air as the golem's hand swiped through where he'd been standing.
From above, Alex raked its head with talons before shifting back mid-air, landing hard, and sinking his katana into the glowing fissure. The force of the blow sent a shockwave rippling out, cracks spiderwebbing across the golem's body.
"It's cracking!" he shouted.
The golem bellowed, swinging both fists in wide arcs. One caught Callum square in the side, sending him flying into the wall. He hit with a grunt and slid down, gasping for breath.
"Callum!" Trisha yelled.
"I'm fine," he groaned, wincing. "Probably."
The golem's glowing crystal was flickering now, pieces of its face breaking away. But it was still moving and still dangerous.
Alex's wolf, Kael, leapt again, sinking its fangs into the back of the golem's knee, making it drop for just a second.
Alex reached deep into his elemental control, pulling both earth and wood into his will. Massive roots erupted from the ground, wrapping around the golem's arms and torso, holding it in place just long enough for Trisha to leap high, using one of the roots as a springboard.
"Now!" Alex shouted.
Trisha took the chance—she sprinted, flipped onto its arm, and ran up its shoulder like a shadow. With a final, vicious cry, she drove both daggers into the crystal again, this time burying them to the hilt.
At the same moment, Callum's arrow—tipped with lightning energy—slammed into the same spot.
The crystal flared once, then shattered, sending a shockwave of energy outward.
The golem froze, its massive arms hanging in the air. Cracks split its entire body, glowing briefly before fading.
It let out one final, rumbling roar before collapsing forward, the massive stone body breaking apart into lifeless rubble that shook the floor.
The chamber went silent. Only their heavy breathing remained.
Trisha hopped down, brushing dust off her arms. "That was… exhausting."
Alex leaned on his sword, breathing hard. "Well… that was fun."
"Fun?" Trisha said, pulling her daggers free from the rubble. "I nearly got turned into jam. Twice."
Callum limped over, clutching his side. "Remind me never to annoy a pile of rocks again."
Alex chuckled faintly, glancing toward the massive black gate behind where the golem had stood. "Well… the way's clear now."
Callum lowered his bow. "I'm just glad it didn't have a brother."
Alex walked toward the massive gate, eyes narrowing at the ancient carvings. "Let's hope whatever's behind this door is easier to deal with than that."