章 173: awakened

The dust had barely settled from the fight, but there was no time for rest. Emily leaned against the cold stone wall of the chamber, her chest heaving as she tried to steady her breath. Her fingers still tingled from the encounter with the relic's raw power, and her mind raced with the implications of what had just transpired.

Sam paced nervously in the corner, rubbing his shoulder where the guardian's blow had connected. His eyes darted toward the relic in Emily's hand, suspicion growing in his gaze. Clara, meanwhile, was crouched beside the wall, tracing her fingers over the faded inscriptions that covered the ancient stones. The air between the trio was thick with tension—unease, excitement, fear.

"We can't stay here much longer," Sam muttered, breaking the silence. "That thing—it was powerful, but it was just a guardian. There's more to this place, and I don't trust that relic in your hands."