The first strike came without warning—an arc of molten steel hissing through the air. Rondan barely twisted aside, the blade grazing his shoulder and searing his cloak. The heat was so intense it felt like the weapon was cutting through fire itself.
Leina darted back, slipping into the shadows along the cavern wall. Her hands moved quickly, tracing invisible lines in the air as she whispered a chant. Sparks of silver light gathered around her fingertips.
The masked warrior advanced, relentless. Every swing of his molten-glass sword left glowing scars in the stone floor.
Rondan parried with his dagger, but the impact nearly tore the weapon from his grasp. Too strong… His arm throbbed from the force.
The second warrior didn't attack immediately. Instead, he circled to the side, watching like a predator studying prey. His voice echoed from behind the mask:
"The Heart chooses who lives. You were never meant to leave these halls."
"Then it's going to be disappointed," Rondan growled.
The first warrior pressed harder. Rondan's foot slipped on a patch of soot, and the sword came within inches of his neck—only to be deflected by a sudden streak of silver light.
Leina had launched her spell—a crescent-shaped wave that struck the molten sword, sending up a shower of sparks. The impact forced the warrior back a single step.
"I can't hold them both," she warned. "You have to push them toward the seal!"
Rondan glanced toward the far end of the chamber. A circular plate of black stone lay embedded in the floor, covered in ancient runes. The seal pulsed faintly—almost like it was waiting.
"I hope you know what happens when we do," he said.
"I don't," she admitted, "but it's better than dying here."
The two masked warriors moved again, one striking from the front, the other cutting off their escape.
Rondan's instincts sharpened. He sidestepped a slash, slammed his shoulder into the first warrior's chestplate, and drove him two steps closer to the seal. The masked man barely budged—but it was enough.
The Heart's glow flared, casting long shadows across the chamber. The runes on the seal began to flicker, as if awakening.
The second warrior hissed through his mask.
"You fool. The seal is not your salvation… it is your doom."
And then—
The ground shook violently, and a deep, guttural roar rose from beneath the floor.