A few minutes into the tunnel, Asher and the others heard a distant noise echoing from deep within. It was the unmistakable sound of a battle: a clash of metal and the rumbling of stone.
"Do you hear that?" Aiden whispered, straining his ears.
"Yeah," Asher nodded. "Let's move in quietly."
They crept forward, inching closer to the source. As the tunnel widened, they were met with a shocking sight: Morrigan, battered and exhausted, was fighting alone against a horde of golems. Her movements were sluggish, her breath ragged. With each swing of her weapon, she barely kept the relentless onslaught at bay. Of Seraphina, there was no sign.
"Morrigan!" Freya gasped softly.
Just as the golems began to surround her, ready to land the final blow, Matthew stepped forward, unable to watch any longer.
"Over here!" he yelled, unleashing his skill.
[Taunt]
In an instant, the golems halted their assault on Morrigan and turned their attention to Matthew, as if they had found a more intriguing target. The stone creatures lumbered toward him, their massive bodies casting heavy shadows in the dim light of the tunnel.
For a moment, Morrigan stood frozen, her heart racing. She had been so certain that this was the end. The fear of death had gripped her, an overwhelming sense of dread clawing at her soul. But now, as the golems moved away, the relief that washed over her brought tears to her eyes.
She had never realized how close she had been to breaking until now. Seeing her friends standing between her and death was a sight she never thought she'd appreciate so deeply.
As Freya ran to her side, Morrigan's legs wobbled beneath her. "Are you okay?" Freya asked breathlessly, reaching out to steady her.
Marcella joined them, rummaging through her bag before pulling out a small vial. "Here, take this," she said, handing Morrigan a glowing pill. "It'll help."
"Thanks..." Morrigan replied softly, swallowing the pill with trembling hands. She could already feel a bit of her strength returning.
"Where's Seraphina?" Freya asked, looking around with concern.
"Yeah, I can't find Seraphina anywhere. Wasn't she with you, Morrigan?" Matthew asked as they all gathered around her, his tone filled with concern.
At the mention of Seraphina, Morrigan's composure broke. Tears welled up in her eyes, her breath hitching as the weight of the situation finally hit her. "She... she was trying to protect me," she choked out, her voice trembling between sobs.
"Protect you from what?" Rosa asked, anxiety rising in her voice. "Morrigan, where is she?"
Morrigan shook her head, unable to find the words to explain. The memory of Seraphina's sacrifice to protect her filled her with guilt and fear. She tried to speak, but the emotions were too overwhelming, and she could only cry harder.
"It's okay, everything's going to be fine, Mori," Matthew said gently, stepping forward and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. His calm presence helped to ease the tension, and the others stopped bombarding her with questions.
Freya moved in closer, wrapping her arms around Morrigan in a warm, comforting embrace. "It's alright now," Freya whispered. "We're here."
Morrigan buried her face into Freya's shoulder, her tears finally slowing as Matthew knelt beside her. "Take your time, Mori. We need to know what happened, but you don't have to rush. Just tell us how you got here and what happened with Seraphina."
Morrigan gasped, her eyes widening in shock and grief. "Seraphina..." she whispered, her voice cracking.
Everyone stood still for a moment, their hearts sinking at the sight of their petrified friend and the princess they had been searching for. They knew they couldn't do anything for them right now, but the weight of the situation was heavy.
"We need to keep moving," Asher said quietly, his voice filled with resolve. "We'll figure out how to save them. But first, we have to take care of whatever's waiting behind that door."
Asher stepped forward and brought out the key. As soon as he did, the surface of the massive door began to ripple, and a face slowly emerged from the stone, its mouth gaping wide open like a grotesque carving.
"I think it wants you to put the key inside," Evelina remarked from behind him, sounding intrigued.
"I know that already, smartass," Asher grumbled. He took a deep breath, staring at the eerie face. "Here goes nothing."
He carefully inserted the key into the gaping mouth. To his surprise, there was indeed a keyhole hidden within the hollow, and as he turned the key, the door emitted a low groan before it began to open automatically.
"Remind me again why I'm actually going through with this?" Finn sighed as he peered into the pitch-black hall beyond the door, the air heavy with anticipation.
"It's either this or be stuck here forever. I'm pretty sure you'd rather be making money outside than waiting to die in here," Freya shot back, giving Finn a pointed look that clearly said, "Stop complaining."
"That was a rhetorical question, dumbass. Whatever, let's get this over with," Finn muttered before stepping through the threshold, following closely behind Asher.
One by one, the group cautiously entered the hall, their footsteps echoing in the vast, ominous space. Morrigan hesitated, glancing nervously at the now-empty hallway behind them. She took a deep breath and stepped in last, trying to steady her shaking hands.
As soon as they were all inside, the door slammed shut behind them with a heavy *thud*, trapping them in the suffocating darkness.
"Alright, I'm really getting sick and tired of doors having their own will," Finn complained, his voice rising in frustration.
"Please, just shut up," Aiden sighed, exasperated.
"Why you..." Finn started, but before he could finish his sentence, the room responded. One by one, torches along the walls flared to life, casting flickering light across the stone chamber.
As the flames illuminated the room, they revealed the boss waiting for them at the far end. It was a hulking, menacing figure with jagged armor and an air of foreboding.
Aiden groaned, his face twisting into a grimace. "Of course. I expected someone like you as the boss, but really?" he muttered, recalling an unpleasant memory from a past encounter with a similar enemy a long time ago.
Before them stood a towering stone golem, its arms thick as tree trunks and its glowing red eyes fixed on them, radiating raw, destructive power.
*
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Boss fight