The moment Felton Harper's manifestation shattered into shimmering sparks, a deep silence fell upon the catacomb chamber — a silence heavy with magic's aftertaste and the growing uncertainty that gnawed at Ezra's mind. His grip tightened on Harper's tome, knuckles white beneath his mage's bracers. Callista pressed close, her pulse matching his, a rhythmic affirmation that both were still alive — for now.
"That… was Felton Harper…?" Ezra whispered quietly. His disbelief was plain in his voice — Felton Harper, the greatest mage-scholar of their era, manifesting from death itself?
Callista nodded, reluctantly. "He… he anchored a piece of his soul to his notes. So that when someone was in danger… someone he believed might redeem magic… he could aid them." Her knees trembled, threatening to give way. "He chose us. We shouldn't let him down."
Across the chamber, the intruder's form was slowly disintegrating — purple-black magic fading into ashes — yet its voice remained, a chorus bouncing off the stones, a sinister thread tying itself to their fates. "Harper… Vale… Valeheart… you will pay a price for trusting the past…"
The ashes fell, a fleeting silhouette briefly retaining its form — a mask — a piercing purple glow within its empty sockets — then disintegrated. The two fell into silence, their hearts heavy.
"That… what was that?" Ezra whispered, reluctantly. "Did we destroy it… or just… delay something bigger?"
Callista pressed her magic forward, adding a protective rune circle to ease their defenses. "It's not gone… not entirely. The curse Felton Harper feared — whatever it may be — is still alive. We've only forced it back into the abyss… for now."
She turned toward a side passage — a staircase descending into utter blackness. The path glimmered faintly under her magic, a trail forged by Harper's manifestation. "He opened a way forward… toward something we must see… something we must redeem or destroy. Are you ready, Ezra Vale? Because there's no turning back now."
Ezra tightened his grip on Felton Harper's tome — his last link to understanding, and possibly redeeming magic itself — and nodded. "I'm ready. Whatever's down there… I'm not afraid."
Together, side by side, the two began their descent — down into a labyrinth of forgotten knowledge, danger, and promises that might yet redeem or destroy their world.