Tension permeated the vault as Zara held the antiquated relic closer to her chest. Long shadows were created on the walls by its unearthly glow as it pulsed weakly. Kael stood close by, his sword out, watching for anything in the darkened room. Except for the occasional trickle of water resonating from invisible cracks, the silence was deafening.
"We're running out of time," Zara muttered, her voice shaking. "The alignment only lasts until the next full moon," the symbols stated.
Kael's mouth clenched. And we're not by ourselves here. I sense it.
A deep snarl echoed from the shadows. Their bodies tensed, they both looked towards the sound. A thing they had never seen before emerged from the darkness. Like smoke, its shape changed, hardening and then dissolving. The air cooled, and eyes like flaming coals stared at them.
"What is that?" Zara's voice was almost heard as she asked.
Kael remained silent. With the blade of his sword shining dimly in the light from the artefact, he raised i
