The light from the shattered Titan had barely faded when the tremors returned—more violent this time. The ground beneath their feet cracked, revealing a spiral staircase that plunged deep into the earth. Kaen narrowed his crimson eyes.
"The real core is below," he said.
Zian sheathed her blade, breathing hard. "We just beat a Titan. How much worse can it get?"
Lirien, brushing blood off her uniform, shot Kaen a sidelong glance. "You knew it wasn't over."
"I always know," Kaen replied, smirking.
The group descended into the depths. The walls here weren't stone—they were bone, pulsating faintly, almost like they were alive. Magic torches ignited as they passed, casting eerie shadows that moved on their own.
Leon walked beside Kyel. "Still think we're the good guys here?"
Kyel shook his head. "I think we're alive. That's all that matters."
At the bottom of the spiral, a vast chamber opened up. In its center hovered a heart—literally. A massive black heart, encased in silver chains, pulsed with unnatural rhythm. Its beat echoed like thunder.
"This is the gate core," Lirien muttered.
Suddenly, spectral chains shot from the walls. The heart screamed—an eldritch sound—and a new enemy emerged: a Reaper-class Warden, forged from shadows and hate.
"Spread out!" Kyel shouted.
Mira launched radiant bolts. Leon circled to flank. Zian's blade clashed with the Warden's scythe, both combatants moving like streaks of light and shadow.
Kaen watched quietly until Lirien was knocked back, a gash across her side. He caught her before she hit the wall.
"You alright?"
She growled. "I don't need your help."
"You will," he said, letting her go with a grin.
Zian was struggling—her memories had shaken her focus. Kaen stepped in beside her. "You've faced worse."
"I don't remember how," she hissed.
"You don't need to."
With a wave of his hand, Kaen summoned his shadow army. They swarmed the Warden, distracting it long enough for Zian to pierce the core of its chest.
The Reaper let out a final screech and collapsed into smoke.
The heart shattered. The chamber began to collapse.
"Time to go," Kaen said.
As they fled upward, Lirien glanced back at him.
"You're not what you seem."
Kaen smiled. "Neither are you."