Chapter 05: The Secret Within
The rumble beneath their feet grew louder, and the walls of the chamber began to groan. The soft blue light of the crystal pulsated faster, casting strange, twisting shadows that danced across the chamber. Kira’s heartbeat quickened as the air around her seemed to grow heavier with the intensity of the crystal’s glow.
Jaxon’s hand shot out, grabbing her arm. “Get back,” he ordered, his voice low and urgent.
Kira didn’t resist. They backed away from the pedestal, her eyes never leaving the shimmering crystal as its light flickered faster. Something was wrong. The stone walls around them groaned and cracked, as if the very foundation of the Ruins was being shaken to its core.
“What’s happening?” Kira gasped, her pulse racing. “The crystal… it’s reacting to us.”
Jaxon’s face was grim. “It’s not just reacting. It’s… it’s awakening.”
Before she could ask what he meant, the ground beneath them cracked open, a deep fissure forming along the chamber floor. The rumble intensified, and for a split second, Kira feared the whole place was about to collapse.
But then, from the darkness below, a low hum resonated through the room. It wasn’t like the rumbling before. This sound was deliberate, purposeful. It echoed through Kira’s bones, resonating with something deep within her, as if the very core of the asteroid was alive.
She looked up at Jaxon, who was now holding his weapon tightly in his hands. “What is that?”
“It’s not just a treasure,” Jaxon muttered, more to himself than to Kira. “It’s a key. A key to something much bigger.”
Kira glanced back at the crystal. The glow had shifted. The pulsing light now radiated outward, and within it, something began to take form. A figure—almost human, yet not quite—appeared within the light. It was faint at first, like a mirage, but it quickly became clearer, as if the very fabric of reality was warping around it.
The figure was tall, its shape vaguely humanoid, but its skin shimmered with an ethereal glow, shifting between translucent and solid. Its eyes—if they could be called eyes—were glowing orbs, filled with an intelligence far beyond anything Kira had ever encountered. The figure’s body seemed to ripple and distort with the same energy that surrounded the crystal, and Kira couldn’t help but feel a strange connection to it, as if it was calling her name.
“Who… what are you?” Kira whispered, her voice shaking.
The figure’s head tilted slightly, and though it didn’t speak, Kira felt its presence in her mind. A strange, ancient voice, not of words but of thought, filled her head.
We are the Keepers. The Crystal is the heart of the Gate. You have unlocked what should remain closed.
Kira stumbled backward, her breath catching in her throat. The voice… it wasn’t just in her head; it was everywhere. It came from the air itself, reverberating through the walls, through her very bones.
Jaxon’s hand shot out, gripping her arm tightly. “This is bad,” he said, his voice barely audible. “The Keepers were meant to guard this place. They’re the reason it’s been hidden for so long. If they’re awake, we’re in serious trouble.”
Kira shook her head, trying to process the enormity of the situation. The Keeper—the being before them—was no longer a mere relic of the past. It was alive, conscious, and it was addressing them as if they were part of its history. But what did it mean by “the Gate”? And why had it awakened now, with them standing so close?
“What do we do?” Kira asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Jaxon was already scanning the room, his eyes darting between the figure and the crystal. “We need to get out of here. Now. Whatever’s happening, it’s not safe. We’ve triggered something we don’t understand.”
But before either of them could move, the Keeper’s gaze—if it could be called that—turned toward Jaxon. It didn’t speak, but Kira felt the weight of its attention on him.
You are not what you seem, the voice echoed in her mind. Your presence here is not by chance.
Kira watched as Jaxon’s eyes widened. His hand tightened on his weapon, but his stance was defensive rather than aggressive. He had been expecting something like this. But what did the Keeper mean?
You carry the mark, the Keeper continued, the one who will decide whether the Gate opens or closes.
Jaxon stiffened. His eyes met Kira’s, and for the first time, she saw something that looked like fear in them. Not the kind of fear that was born from danger, but something deeper, something more personal. Whatever the Keeper was referring to, it clearly had a profound effect on him.
“Jaxon…” Kira began, but before she could finish her sentence, the Keeper’s form flickered, its shape distorting as if it was being pulled apart by an unseen force.
The choice is yours, the voice said, the tone now laced with a sense of finality. You must decide. Open the Gate, or seal it forever.
With that, the Keeper’s form collapsed into a burst of light. The ground beneath them shook violently, and the chamber around them began to warp. The very walls seemed to bend inward, and Kira had to hold on to the pedestal to keep her balance. The crystal in the center of the room flared brighter than ever before, and the air became thick with energy.
“We have to go!” Kira shouted, her voice barely audible over the cacophony of noise and vibrations. The entire chamber was collapsing in on itself, the walls crumbling like sand. It was as if the Ruins themselves were being torn apart.
Jaxon nodded grimly, taking her hand and pulling her toward the exit. They sprinted through the collapsing corridors, the sound of rumbling stone chasing them as the ruins seemed to fold in on themselves. The ground cracked open beneath them, and Kira stumbled, almost falling into the darkness below. Jaxon yanked her back, his grip firm and unyielding.
Together, they made their way back to the ship, the Scavenger’s Edge sitting just beyond the chaos, like a lone beacon of safety in the midst of the destruction. Kira could feel the energy building behind them, the air charged with something electric, and the unmistakable sensation that they had narrowly avoided something catastrophic.
As they climbed aboard the ship, Kira glanced back at the fading ruins, the darkness now swallowing them whole. The Keeper’s words echoed in her mind: The choice is yours.
And as the ship lifted off, disappearing into the void of space, Kira realized that whatever lay ahead, the true test was only just beginning.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
