The underground corridor seemed to narrow the further we went. The living library was left behind, but it was as if its echoes continued to follow us, reminding us of every shadow that had emerged from the doors. The air grew denser. The walls took on a dull glow, as if made of polished stone mixed with glass. The flame within me pulsed restlessly, as if it knew exactly what we would find at the end of that path.
Rai'kanna walked a few steps ahead, eyes alert to any movement. Her wings, even folded, had a slight tremor, a sign of tension. Vespera followed behind, holding her bow with exaggerated care, as if trying to convince herself she wouldn't make a catastrophic mistake this time. Elara breathed slowly, balancing her mana before it evaporated into nothing. Liriel followed us with the weak light she could conjure—too weak for a goddess, but enough to keep the path illuminated. Lyannis stayed by my side, always worried about me, always vigilant.
The flame within me burned hotter.
"Takumi…" Liriel murmured, sensing the change. "The energy shifted. We're very close to the core… or to something pretending to be it."
Vespera swallowed hard. "Please, don't let it be another monster coming out of the wall. I'm already at my limit."
Elara sighed. "You always say that. And you always stay alive."
"That's no consolation!" Vespera retorted.
Suddenly, the corridor opened into a huge, circular room where sound seemed to die before echoing. The silence there was unnatural. It was deep, suffocating, almost solid. In the center floated a dark blue sphere, the size of a human head, surrounded by fragments of light that moved slowly, like tiny planets orbiting their own fear.
Lyannis squeezed my arm. "It… this is the artifact, isn't it?"
Before I could answer, Rai'kanna nodded. "The Silent Heart. The most unstable of the five."
Liriel stepped a little closer, observing the sphere with attentive eyes. "It reacts to emotions. Proximity changes its behavior. And… it's reacting to you, Takumi."
The sphere trembled. The fragments of light froze in the air. The silence intensified, as if sound itself was being forcibly stripped from the environment.
Elara stepped back. "It's draining mana!"
Vespera's eyes widened. "Wait, does that include my aiming mistakes? Can it suck skill too? Because then we're done for."
Liriel rolled her eyes. "No, it only absorbs magical and emotional energy. But be careful. If it absorbs too much, it loses control and… explodes."
"Explode how much?" Vespera asked.
"Explode like destroy half a city," Liriel replied casually.
Vespera let out a muffled scream. "GREAT."
Rai'kanna approached the artifact, moving slowly. "It must be sealed before we touch it. Takumi's flame will wake it even more."
The Silent Heart vibrated as if it had heard its name.
The flame within me blazed strongly, too hot, and I felt as if something was pulling me forward—a pull, a recognition. My feet advanced half a step without me noticing.
Lyannis held me tightly. "Takumi, don't go. Not like this."
I tried to control the flame, but it reacted on its own, as if it had finally found something of the same origin.
Liriel raised her hand. "Everyone, circle now! We need an improvised seal!"
Rai'kanna spread her wings, creating flames around to mark the first point of the circle. Elara tried to raise a rune, but her mana failed and she fell to her knees.
"Elara!" Vespera ran to help her. "Are you okay?"
"I… I couldn't maintain it." Elara pressed her chest. "It's draining so fast… like the air is pulling everything."
"Because it is," Liriel replied, focused. "Vespera, you stay with her. Takumi, stay in the center. Your flame will stabilize the seal just by existing. The artifact wants you, but it still doesn't know how to reach you."
"That's not reassuring at all," I commented.
"It wasn't meant to be," Liriel replied, as the light in her hands pulsed.
The room trembled.
The sphere began to expand and contract as if breathing. The blue light spread along the walls. The silence became so deep that my thoughts felt too loud.
Suddenly, a silhouette formed behind the sphere.
A tall figure, made of dark blue light, faceless, just a smooth surface reflecting what the flame inside me carried. It was like a living reflection of my essence.
Lyannis stepped back. "What… what is that…?"
Liriel took a step back. "It's not a projection. It's an emotional manifestation of the artifact. It… is trying to copy you, Takumi."
The figure moved.
I felt a shiver. My heart raced.
It imitated my posture, but its movements were slower, as if learning. With every gesture, the Silent Heart pulsed in response.
Rai'kanna steadied her spear. "If it completes the copy… it will be dangerous."
Vespera drew an arrow, her hand trembling. "I… I can try to hit it. Maybe, with luck, I…"
The arrow slipped from her hand and flew backward, hitting the ground three meters behind.
"Okay, forget what I said!" she shouted.
The reflection advanced.
The flame within me grew too intense, as if it wanted to leave my body and merge with the artifact. I felt the heat climb through my skin, through my muscles, through my bones.
The figure touched my hand.
And everything froze.
Not literally. But the sensation was as if the air had stopped. My heart, my mind, everything was suspended in an endless instant.
The flame inside me and the Silent Heart recognized each other.
A memory invaded my vision.
A giant buried beneath the city. A flame taken from him. A rupture. And an incomplete promise.
"You… are part of him," Rai'kanna murmured, sensing the connection.
I pulled my hand back forcefully.
The figure cracked. The artifact vibrated violently.
"Now!" Liriel shouted. "Seal it before it collapses!"
I raised my sword. The flame, now stabilized, enveloped the seal.
Rai'kanna sent fire around. Liriel completed the circle of light. Elara provided the little mana that remained. Vespera, even while failing, made an arrow ricochet off the wall, activating an ancient rune she hadn't even noticed.
And the seal closed.
The Silent Heart shrank and fell to the ground with a dry thud, finally asleep.
The reflection vanished.
Rai'kanna exhaled, exhausted. "We did it."
Liriel picked up the artifact using magic. "This one… is far too dangerous."
I looked at the flame inside me, still restless.
Something connected to the giant was awakening.
And I knew that artifact was more than a key.
It was a warning.