The damp air inside the dungeon was heavy with the stench of decay.
Crimson veins of mana pulsed faintly through the walls, illuminating the uneven ground beneath their feet.
Virel clung to the back of the group, his eyes darting around as the Crimson Moon entered formation.
Ahead of him were his father, Darius Ludin, and the rest of the famed adventuring party Lyra, Ronan, Scarlet, Alina, and Darren.
Each of them carried a calm, battle-hardened expression that came from years of experience.
"Stay close to your mother," Darius said without turning back.
His voice echoed through the chamber like the rumble of distant thunder.
"Yes, Father," Virel replied quietly, gripping the small dagger his father had given him.
He knew it was just for self-defense, but the weight of it in his hands made his heartbeat quicken.
---
As they ventured deeper, the faint hum of mana grew louder.
Every step brought them closer to the heart of the dungeon.
Lyra crouched near a glowing crystal, brushing her fingers across its surface.
"This dungeon's core is unstable. The mana density's fluctuating something forced the beasts out."
"That explains the break," Ronan muttered, twirling his spear. "Let's deal with it before it gets worse."
A low growl echoed from the shadows ahead.
Then came the scraping of claws against stone.
Dozens of Stoneclaw Beasts emerged from the darkness, their bodies covered in jagged rock-like armor, their eyes glowing blood-red.
"Formation B," Darius ordered.
His blade ignited with mana as he stepped forward.
Lyra's bow sang, releasing a stream of glowing arrows.
Wind pressure from Alina's spell blew the monsters off balance, giving Ronan and Scarlet the opening they needed.
Scarlet dashed across the battlefield, her twin daggers slicing through weak joints, leaving trails of wind behind her.
Earth spikes erupted under Darren's control, impaling two beasts at once.
Each attack landed with perfect timing the Crimson Moon moved like one being.
---
Virel stood at a distance beside his mother, his small hands clenched into fists.
He watched, memorizing every motion, every shift of weight and rhythm.
So that's what true combat looks like…
The way Darius's sword carved through stone made Virel's chest tighten with both awe and longing.
He wanted to fight like that to feel mana flow through him as naturally as breath.
But all he could feel was emptiness.
His broken core lay silent inside him, like a shattered mirror.
---
After what felt like hours, the last beast fell, its body crumbling into dust.
The cavern trembled softly, a rhythmic pulse echoing from deeper within.
"That's the core," Alina said. "It's close."
They advanced carefully until the path opened into a vast chamber.
In the center floated a crimson core, suspended in the air, radiating waves of unstable energy.
"Be ready," Darius warned, tightening his grip on his sword.
"Unstable cores don't go down quietly."
---
The core pulsed once then twice before releasing a sudden shockwave.
"Barrier!" Selene shouted, pulling Virel close as she erected a glowing shield.
The wave passed through them, shaking the ground.
Virel winced. His chest burned.
A faint red light flickered beneath his skin brief, but real.
Selene saw it. "Virel? What?"
The core pulsed again, stronger this time, as if answering him.
The others staggered, struggling to hold their ground.
"Destroy it before it ruptures!" Darius roared.
Lyra drew her bow. "On your mark!"
Darren slammed his hands into the ground, jagged pillars of stone rising to anchor their footing.
Alina summoned a cyclone of compressed wind, swirling around the core to weaken its defenses.
"Now!" Darius commanded.
Lyra's mana arrow flew straight through the center of the crimson light.
A thunderous crack split the air and the core shattered, scattering shards of glowing mana dust across the chamber.
---
The shaking stopped, and the oppressive energy slowly faded away.
But Virel collapsed to one knee, gasping for breath.
"Virel!" Selene rushed to him, checking for wounds. "What's happening?"
Darius knelt beside them, his eyes narrowing. "It resonated with him… that pulse. I saw it."
Lyra frowned. "That shouldn't be possible for someone without a working core."
Ronan rubbed his chin. "Maybe it's not broken. Maybe it's… dormant."
Darius didn't answer. His gaze lingered on his son the faint trace of crimson light still glimmering under Virel's skin before fading completely.
"We'll head back for now," he said finally, standing up.
"Once we've rested, we'll go to Vaelgard. I want someone there to take a look at him."
Selene Ludin hesitated but nodded. "Alright."
The group packed up and prepared to leave the dungeon.
Me, my mom and dad went back home first while the crimson moon went to the ironhearth inn.