The growls beneath the throne chamber became thunder.
Kael stood at the edge of the broken abyss, sword in hand, while the Keeper of Cinders tightened his grip on the ancient staff. From the darkness below came the sound of claws scraping stone, followed by the low, hungry breathing of things that had slept too long.
Then the first one emerged.
It climbed over the shattered edge on six twisted limbs, its body lean like a starving wolf but covered in plates of black bone. Its mouth opened too wide, revealing rows of glowing teeth, and from its throat came a hiss that sounded almost human.
Another followed.
Then another.
Within seconds, dozens of creatures poured into the chamber, crawling across pillars, walls, and broken stone with terrifying speed. Their eyes shone like embers in the dark, and all of them were fixed on Kael.
"The tunnels are open," the Keeper said grimly. "The death of the Ember Wyrm has broken the seal."
Kael raised his sword. Blue fire ran along the blade like liquid lightning.
"Then we close it."
The creatures attacked in a wave.
Kael met them head-on, his sword carving arcs of blue flame through the ruined hall. One beast leapt from above, and he split it in half before it touched the ground. Another seized his shoulder with hooked claws, only to be thrown back by a blast of fire from the mark on his hand.
Beside him, the Keeper slammed his staff against the floor. Rings of burning ash spread through the chamber, igniting several creatures at once. Their screams were sharp and shrill, fading quickly as they collapsed into black dust.
But more kept coming.
Too many.
Kael fought like a storm, every strike stronger than the last, yet still the swarm pushed forward. One of the beasts bit into his arm. Another clawed his side. Blood darkened his armor, but he refused to step back.
At the center of the chamber, the fractured throne began to pulse again.
Blue light spilled from its cracks and flowed across the floor in branching lines. Ancient symbols awakened one by one, spreading toward the abyss like chains of living fire.
"The throne is responding!" the Keeper shouted. "It can seal the breach!"
Kael understood at once.
He cut his way through the swarm, forcing a path toward the edge of the abyss. The creatures sensed his purpose and threw themselves at him in desperation. He burned them, crushed them, drove them aside with raw fury.
At last he reached the broken edge.
Below him, the darkness moved.
Hundreds of burning eyes stared back.
Kael lifted his sword high above his head and drove it into the stone.
A pillar of blue fire erupted downward into the abyss.
The entire chamber shook violently. The creatures shrieked as the ancient symbols blazed with unbearable light. One by one, cracks of blue flame sealed across the walls of the chasm, binding the darkness beneath.
The swarm began to burn.
Some leapt into the abyss. Others dissolved where they stood. Within moments, the tide of monsters was gone, and only silence remained.
Kael fell to one knee, exhausted.
The Keeper approached, breathing heavily. "It is sealed. For now."
Kael pulled his sword free from the stone and looked into the fading darkness below.
"For now," he repeated.
Because somewhere beneath the seal, something had watched him.
And it had not feared the fire.