Chapter 27
As the newly revealed stairway yawned before them, the warmth of triumph quickly turned to the chill of unease. The sanctum above had been built for trial and recognition. But this? This passage reeked of secrecy—not protection.
Draziel stood at the threshold. Though the Sigil had recognized him, its final whisper lingered in his mind like a riddle: *"Power is not yet purpose."* The meaning clawed at him.
Ryann placed a hand on the stone wall, fingers brushing faint etchings that shimmered faintly under her touch. "This wasn't constructed by the same hands as the trials," she murmured. "This predates it."
Sylas stepped beside her, eyes tracing the spiraling void below. "Or it was hidden by those who feared what was buried beneath."
*What this path means:*
*A Forgotten Power:* The stairway descends into the *Sub-Sigil Vault*, an ancient chamber predating the Primordial Trials. It was sealed by the first Dominion Council, meant to keep a dangerous force or truth buried. Draziel's completion of the four trials unintentionally unlocked it.
The chill from the open stairwell kissed their skin, but none of them moved yet.
Draziel stood nearest the edge, the ancient stone beneath his boots humming with a silent pull. The whisper of the Void was faint, almost reverent, like it recognized this place. Or feared it.
Behind him, Ryann sat on a low rock, arms wrapped around her knees. Her eyes weren't on the stairs, but on Draziel. "You don't have to do this alone," she said softly.
"I know," he replied, not turning.
Sylas let out a quiet breath, pacing just beyond them, hands fidgeting with his coat straps. "This place… doesn't feel right. Feels like a grave that's still breathing." He kicked a loose pebble into the void. It vanished without a sound.
"It wasn't part of the trials," Ryann added. "It didn't even exist before the Sigil reacted to you. What if it wasn't meant to be opened?"
"Or," Draziel said, "what if it was meant for someone like me—and no one else could survive what's inside?"
There was silence again. The kind that made the air feel heavier.
Then, Draziel turned. "I need to know what this power is. Where it came from. Why it chose *me*. If there's even a chance it could corrupt me… better I find that out now."
Sylas stopped pacing. "And if it does?"
Draziel met his gaze. "Then I'll find a way to control it—or destroy it."
Ryann rose. "Just promise us this," she said, stepping closer. "You won't shut us out. Not again. Whatever we find down there—we face it *together*."
Draziel's eyes softened. "I promise."
And slowly, the three of them turned toward the stairwell—toward the ancient dark beneath the sanctum.
Their steps echoed with quiet weight as they began their descent into the newly revealed path. The air changed with every level they passed—no longer just cold, but dense, like they were pushing through unseen layers of something older than language.
The walls weren't stone anymore. They pulsed faintly, like living veins of obsidian shot with shimmering streaks of violet. Ancient glyphs glowed softly across the surfaces, shifting and rearranging as if reacting to Draziel's presence. The Void was responding.
Ryann ran her fingers along one of the walls, pulling back when it briefly shimmered under her touch. "It's like it's *watching* us."
Sylas muttered, "Or waiting."
Draziel said nothing. But he felt it too. The pull had grown stronger. Not malevolent—but *hungry*. Not for destruction, but purpose.
They reached a vast open chamber.
It was circular and enormous, with no clear ceiling—just a dome of swirling shadows and starlight, as if the night sky had been sealed into stone. In the center stood a massive monolith, jagged and spiraled, as though forged by pressure rather than tools. It hummed with a deep, constant tone that vibrated through their bones.
And at its base—an altar. Upon it, a mark.
The *Void Sigil*, newly formed.
The moment Draziel stepped forward, the sigil flared to life, a ring of light and shadow spinning beneath his feet. His breath caught as memories—not his own—slammed into his mind:
*Worlds collapsed into void.*
*A being of pure darkness sealed away in forgotten time.*
*A whisper across centuries, searching… waiting… for a vessel.*
He staggered. Ryann caught his arm. "What do you see?"
Draziel's voice was distant. "This power… it's not just an element. It's a remnant of a war that predates everything. The Void didn't choose me. It's testing me."
A sudden tremor.
The monolith *cracked*.
From its surface, a figure stepped forth—cloaked in shadow, face hidden beneath a crown of blackened light. Its voice echoed in all directions.
*"Then prove yourself."*