Kazaf: The upside down

Kazaf, Rahim, Samir, and Harun pressed deeper into the ancient tomb, their footsteps echoing through the dimly lit corridor. Their sacks were now heavier with the spirit stones they had taken from Jalwa's men, but none of them felt at ease. The air was thick with an unsettling energy, as if the tomb itself resented their presence.

Harun exhaled sharply. "Something doesn't feel right."

Rahim nodded. "I was just about to say the same thing. The atmosphere… it's different here."

Samir chuckled, but it lacked his usual humor. "Maybe we're walking straight into a death trap."

Kazaf remained quiet, his eyes scanning the passage ahead. The flickering torchlight revealed crumbling walls lined with faded carvings, some depicting warriors, others showing grotesque figures with hollow eyes.

Then, as they turned a corner, the corridor widened into an enormous circular chamber, with multiple exits leading in different directions. Ancient stone pillars stood like silent guardians, and at the center of the chamber lay a massive stone dial engraved with mysterious symbols.

Rahim stepped forward, inspecting it. "This isn't just decoration… it's a mechanism."

Kazaf crouched beside him. "A puzzle?"

Rahim traced his fingers over the symbols. "Possibly. The wrong step could trigger a trap."

Samir whistled, looking at the multiple pathways. "So which way do we go?"

Harun crossed his arms. "If we choose the wrong one, we might end up lost… or worse."

Suddenly, the chamber trembled, dust raining from the ceiling. The stone dial began to turn on its own, the symbols glowing faintly. Then, with a deep grinding sound, the exits shifted and rearranged, closing some paths and opening new ones.

Samir took a step back. "Well, that's not terrifying at all."

Kazaf's eyes narrowed. "A shifting labyrinth."

Rahim exhaled slowly. "Whoever built this place really didn't want anyone leaving."

Harun clenched his fists. "So what do we do? Pick a random door and hope for the best?"

Kazaf studied the dial again. "No. There's a pattern."

Rahim followed his gaze. "You see something?"

Kazaf pointed at the glowing symbols, focusing on one that resembled a winged lion, the same as the crest of Elara Sect. "This symbol appears twice—on the dial and above that entrance."

Rahim's eyes widened. "That might be a clue."

Samir grinned. "Then let's stop wasting time and go before the tomb decides to mess with us again."

Without hesitation, they took the path marked by the winged lion symbol. The corridor stretched into the unknown, and as they ventured further, the walls became more ornate, the carvings more intense—depictions of warriors fighting shadowy figures with glowing eyes.

Harun glanced at the images. "What were they fighting?"

Rahim's expression darkened. "I don't know… but whatever it was, it must've been powerful."

Kazaf ran his fingers over one carving, where a warrior held a radiant gemstone aloft, warding off a monstrous entity. "These stones weren't just for cultivation. They had another purpose."

Before anyone could respond, a low growl echoed ahead.

They all froze.

Samir's hand went to his dagger. "Tell me that was just the wind."

Another growl, this time closer.

Kazaf's muscles tensed. "We're not alone."

From the shadows ahead, two red eyes flickered. Then another pair. And another.

A dozen creatures slithered out of the darkness, their bodies warped and twisted, like a fusion of man and beast, their skin ashen, their teeth long and jagged. Their presence reeked of decay and malevolence.

Rahim whispered, "Shadow fiends."

Harun unsheathed his sword. "Great. Now we're fighting things straight out of a nightmare."

The shadow fiends lunged.

Kazaf reacted instantly, his energy flaring, meeting the first creature head-on. He dodged its razor-sharp claws, spun, and delivered a powerful palm strike to its chest, sending it flying into the wall.

Samir dashed forward, using his speed and agility to slice through the fiends with precise strikes.

Rahim fought with graceful yet powerful swordplay, his blade cutting through their twisted forms, their inky blood staining the stone floor.

Harun, ever the powerhouse, took on multiple enemies at once, his strength crushing bones as he fought like a warrior possessed.

But the fiends were relentless. For every one they struck down, two more emerged from the darkness.

Kazaf's eyes burned with determination. "We can't keep fighting like this! We need to move!"

Rahim blocked an attack, barely dodging a claw aimed at his throat. "Then find a way out, fast!"

Kazaf's gaze snapped toward the end of the corridor, where a massive stone door loomed. It had a keyhole in the shape of the spirit stones they had collected.

An idea struck him.

"Rahim! The spirit stones!"

Rahim understood immediately. He pulled out one of the medial-grade stones and slammed it into the keyhole. The door rumbled, gears turning.

Samir and Harun fought back-to-back, holding the fiends at bay as the door slowly began to open.

Kazaf grabbed another stone, inserting it into a second slot. The glowing symbols on the door flared to life.

The fiends shrieked as the light touched them, their bodies recoiling, flesh burning.

Kazaf inserted the final superior-grade stone, and the door burst open with a blinding flash.

"Move!" he shouted.

One by one, they dashed through just as the door slammed shut, sealing the fiends behind.

Silence.

Their breaths were ragged. Their clothes were torn. But they were alive.

Harun collapsed onto the floor, laughing breathlessly. "I swear, I don't know whether to thank you or punch you, Kazaf."

Samir smirked. "I vote for both."

Rahim dusted himself off. "What was that back there?"

Kazaf looked at the glowing carvings on the walls. "A warning. This tomb isn't just protecting treasure. It's keeping something locked away."

They turned their gazes forward.

The chamber ahead was unlike anything they had seen before. At its center, resting on a golden pedestal, was a massive spirit stone, far larger than any they had encountered.

It pulsed with ancient energy, illuminating the room in a warm, otherworldly glow.

Harun let out a low whistle. "Now that… is worth all the trouble."

Samir grinned. "Question is—can we take it?"

Rahim's expression was unreadable. "Or should we?"

Kazaf stepped forward, feeling the power radiating from the stone. This was no ordinary treasure.

This stone held a secret.

And he was determined to uncover it.

End of Chapter 22

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