Capítulo 39: The Veiled Threshold
The restoration of the Fragment in the Whispering Peaks had reinvigorated our bond with Lyria. The resonance pulsed through the land with a renewed clarity, its rhythm carrying a sense of both triumph and urgency. Yet, as we descended from the peaks, a new thread of dissonance lingered in the air, faint but unmistakable.
Sira was the first to speak of it, her crystal glowing faintly as she paused to study the energy around us. "The resonance is strong, but it's… uneven. Like something else is pulling at it."
Jaina, ever the pragmatist, adjusted the straps of her gear as she scanned the horizon. "Could it be another Fragment? Or something worse?"
Tarek shrugged, though his usual bravado was subdued. "After what we've seen, I wouldn't bet on it being anything easy."
I listened to the pulse of the resonance, closing my eyes to focus on the faint undertone that tugged at the edges of my awareness. It wasn't like the dissonance we'd encountered before—it was subtler, more elusive, like a whisper just out of reach.
"It's leading us somewhere," I said finally, my voice quiet. "The resonance is trying to guide us again."
Our path led us southward, away from the jagged peaks and into a dense forest that stretched endlessly in every direction. The air here was thick with moisture, the canopy overhead blocking out much of the sunlight and casting the ground in a perpetual twilight.
The resonance grew stronger as we moved deeper into the forest, its rhythm steady but laced with an undercurrent of unease. Sira studied the energy flows with increasing focus, her crystal glowing brighter with each step.
"There's a disturbance here," she said, her voice tight. "It's not corruption, but it's not natural either. The resonance is being… diverted."
Jaina unsheathed her sword, her eyes scanning the shadows. "Then we need to find the source. Stay sharp."
The forest seemed alive in a way that was both beautiful and unnerving. The trees towered above us, their trunks covered in glowing moss that pulsed faintly with resonance. Strange, luminescent creatures darted through the underbrush, their movements synchronized with the energy that flowed through the land.
But as we pressed on, the forest began to change. The glow of the moss grew dimmer, and the resonance became fragmented, its pulse uneven and disjointed. The air grew colder, and the shadows seemed to deepen, moving in ways that defied explanation.
"We're getting close," Sira said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Whatever's causing this disturbance, it's just ahead."
The forest opened into a wide clearing, and at its center stood a structure unlike anything we'd encountered before. It was a massive archway, its surface carved with intricate patterns that seemed to shift and shimmer as we approached. The resonance emanating from it was powerful but unstable, its rhythm fragmented and chaotic.
Sira knelt beside the base of the archway, her hands tracing the carvings. "This isn't a Fragment," she said, her voice filled with awe. "It's… a gateway. But it's incomplete. The resonance is trying to flow through it, but something's blocking the connection."
Jaina studied the archway, her expression tense. "If it's a gateway, where does it lead? And what's on the other side?"
Tarek moved closer, his usual humor giving way to a rare seriousness. "More importantly, why does it feel like something's trying to come through?"
The resonance around the archway pulsed erratically, its energy surging and fading in uneven bursts. It was as if the gateway was caught between two worlds, its connection to Lyria incomplete and unstable.
"We need to stabilize it," Sira said, her voice steady despite the enormity of the task. "If the resonance can't flow properly, it could collapse—and take this entire area with it."
We set to work immediately, positioning resonance crystals around the archway to create a stabilizing field. Sira directed our efforts, her knowledge of the resonance guiding her as she calibrated each crystal to match the energy patterns of the gateway.
Jaina and Tarek took up defensive positions, their weapons ready as they scanned the shadows. The forest around us was unnervingly quiet, the usual sounds of wildlife replaced by an eerie stillness.
As we activated the stabilizing field, the resonance surged, its energy converging on the archway. The carvings glowed brightly, their patterns shifting and aligning as the field took hold.
But as the resonance stabilized, the shadows around us began to move. Dark shapes emerged from the forest, their forms flickering and shifting as they moved closer. They were unlike anything we'd faced before—tall, angular figures made of fragmented light and shadow, their movements disjointed and unnatural.
"They're not projections," Jaina said, her voice tight as she raised her sword. "They're something else."
The figures moved toward the gateway, their fragmented forms pulsing in time with the erratic rhythm of the resonance. It was as if they were drawn to the instability, feeding on the chaos.
"Keep them back!" Sira shouted as she adjusted the stabilizing field. "If they interfere with the gateway, we could lose control!"
Jaina and Tarek moved as one, their weapons flashing as they engaged the figures. The creatures were fast and unpredictable, their fragmented forms making them difficult to track. But Jaina's precision and Tarek's agility kept them at bay, their movements synchronized with the resonance.
Meanwhile, I focused on the connection between the crystals and the gateway, guiding the energy flows and amplifying the resonance to counteract the instability. The carvings on the archway began to align, their patterns glowing brightly as the energy stabilized.
"It's working!" Sira called out, her voice filled with urgency. "Just a little more!"
The battle with the figures intensified as more of them emerged from the shadows, their fragmented forms flickering violently as they pressed toward the gateway. Jaina and Tarek held their ground, their movements a blur of precision and strength.
"They're getting stronger!" Tarek shouted as he deflected a blow from one of the creatures. "Whatever's on the other side of this thing is pushing them through!"
I focused all my energy on the resonance, drawing on the bond between us and Lyria to stabilize the gateway. The carvings on the archway flared with light, their patterns locking into place as the energy flows aligned.
With a final surge, the resonance pulsed through the gateway, its rhythm steady and harmonious. The fragmented figures froze, their forms flickering before dissolving into harmless light. The carvings on the archway glowed brightly, their patterns now stable and complete.
The clearing fell silent, the resonance around us calm and steady. The gateway stood before us, its surface shimmering like a pool of liquid light. The energy flowing through it was powerful but stable, its rhythm now fully aligned with the resonance of Lyria.
Sira approached the gateway, her hands trembling as she placed them on its surface. "It's… open," she said, her voice filled with awe. "The resonance is flowing through it, but I can't tell where it leads."
Jaina joined her, her sword still in hand. "If this is a gateway, then it could lead anywhere. Another part of Lyria, another world… or something worse."
Tarek stepped forward, his usual grin returning. "Well, there's only one way to find out, right?"
I placed my hand on the gateway, feeling the resonance flow through me. The energy was familiar yet different, a reminder of how vast and mysterious Lyria truly was. "This is why the resonance called us here," I said. "To open the gateway and see what lies beyond."
Sira nodded, her expression resolute. "Then let's do it. Together."
As we stepped through the gateway, the light enveloped us, and the resonance surged, its rhythm guiding us forward into the unknown.
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder