The rhythmic thumping wasn't a heartbeat—it was footsteps.
"Into the crevice! Now!" I shouted, pulling Lyria toward a narrow opening in the cavern wall.
The ground exploded behind us. A massive arm, made entirely of jagged crystal and dark granite, smashed through the cave floor where we had been sitting just seconds ago. Dust and stone splinters flew everywhere.
"A Stone Sentinel," Lyria gasped, her eyes wide. "The Dark Lord has awakened the ancient guardians of the mountain. They are bound to the earth itself!"
I stepped in front of her, my ironwood staff already humming. I focused on that feeling of protection again—the image of Lyria's silver hair and the mark on my wrist.
Clang!
The staff transformed. The blades of light erupted, glowing with a fierce, holy radiance. The Sentinel roared—a sound like grinding boulders—and lunged at us.
"Shakil, the core! You have to hit the glowing rune on its chest!" Lyria cried out.
But the creature was fast. Its massive fist swung toward me. I didn't have time to dodge. I raised my weapon, and for a moment, I felt Lyria's strength flow through our bond. It was as if we were breathing as one.
I didn't just block the blow; I sliced through the stone arm like it was butter.
"My turn," I growled.
I leaped into the air, the light from my glaive trailing behind me like a comet. I saw it—a pulsing, dark purple rune hidden behind a layer of translucent quartz on the monster's chest.
"Aura Burst!"
I slammed the blade directly into the rune. A shockwave of pure energy threw me backward. I felt Lyria's hands catch me before I hit the stone wall.
The Sentinel froze. Cracks of light spread across its body, and with one final, earth-shaking groan, it shattered into a thousand harmless pebbles.
The silence that followed was heavy with the smell of ozone and crushed minerals. I was shaking, my mana almost gone, but the adrenaline was still surging.
"You did it," Lyria whispered, her arms still wrapped around me. I could feel her heart racing against my back. "No human should be able to kill a Sentinel alone."
"I wasn't alone," I said, turning to look at her. Our faces were inches apart. The glow from the bond on our wrists was the only light left in the cave. "I could feel you the whole time."
She didn't look away this time. Her hand trailed up to my neck, her thumb brushing over the pulse point. "The bond is growing stronger, Shakil. Soon, there will be no secrets left between us. Are you ready for that?"
Before I could answer, a soft, haunting melody began to echo from deeper within the mountain. It was a song I hadn't heard since I was a child—a song from the lost kingdom of Elaria.
"The Crystal City," Lyria breathed, her eyes reflecting a new hope. "It's calling us."