Morning mist curled through the glade as the group packed their things. The runes on the ruins still shimmered faintly, like the earth itself was trying to remember a secret.
Kael moved silently, his expression sharp and unreadable. Lyra hummed as she mixed potions, occasionally setting off small sparkles that made Pyra hiss in annoyance. Eiji, meanwhile, sat on a rock, staring at the medallion like it might suddenly explain itself.
"So," he began, "any idea what this 'First Seal' actually does?"
Kael didn't look up. "Legends say there are seven seals scattered across Zorynthia. When all are broken, something ancient awakens. The Oracles were supposed to guard them, not set them off."
Eiji frowned. "So I just… undid part of a magical lock keeping an ancient evil sealed away?"
Lyra grinned. "Congratulations! You might've doomed the world before breakfast."
Pyra hovered over his shoulder. "A new record for you, Oracle."
Eiji buried his face in his hands. "I'm going to need so much therapy."
Kael sighed. "For now, we move north. There's a temple beyond the river where old prophecies were recorded. If anyone can explain what you've done, it will be there."
They set out through the forest, sunlight flickering between the trees. Birds fluttered above, and faint traces of magic shimmered along the leaves where the First Seal had been broken.
Lyra tossed a potion at a log, and it exploded into a puff of purple smoke. "Testing reaction stability," she said cheerfully.
"Testing my heart rate," Eiji muttered.
By afternoon, they reached a wide river that glimmered under the sun. An old bridge stretched across it, worn and covered in moss.
Kael stepped forward cautiously. "This bridge shouldn't be glowing."
Eiji squinted. "It's glowing?"
Before anyone could react, the medallion pulsed. The glow intensified until light danced across the water. Runes appeared in midair, spinning slowly like fireflies.
A deep voice echoed in Eiji's mind.
"The First Seal is broken. The next lies beneath the river of memories. Speak your truth, Oracle, or drown in lies."
Eiji stumbled back. "That's not creepy at all."
The air shimmered, and suddenly the bridge vanished beneath them. They plunged into the river with a collective shout.
Cold water swallowed them. Eiji surfaced first, gasping, only to find strange glowing fish circling around him in perfect formation.
Lyra floated nearby, laughing. "At least it's pretty!"
Kael surfaced next, glaring. "You find this amusing?"
"Very," she said, tossing her hair.
Pyra popped out of the water, steam rising from her ember form. "If anyone mentions the word 'refreshing,' I'll set something on fire."
Then, as Eiji reached for the riverbank, the medallion flared again. Images flashed in his mind—visions of the past. He saw glimpses of an older Oracle standing before the same ruins, warning a crowd of a coming darkness.
"The Oracle's failure begins the cycle anew."
Eiji gasped and clutched his chest. The voice faded, leaving only silence.
Kael pulled him to shore. "What did you see?"
"I… I think I saw the last Oracle. And they failed. Whatever happened before, it's happening again."
Kael looked grim. "Then we have little time. The Shadow Guild isn't just after you. They're after the seals themselves."
Lyra squeezed water from her hair and sighed. "So we're racing evil cultists, awakening ancient doom, and still have no idea what we're doing. Fun."
Eiji sat on the riverbank, dripping wet, staring at the medallion. "At this rate, I'll accidentally save the world by tripping over it."
Pyra floated beside him, smirking. "You say that like it hasn't happened twice already."
Eiji looked up at the bright sky. "If the universe is watching, please stop giving me prophecies that rhyme."
The medallion pulsed once, softly—almost like laughter.