A flash of brilliant light tore through the darkness as a portal materialized in the air. Eli stumbled through, clutching Starling tightly, his body still aching from the battle with the corrupted guardian. The portal snapped shut behind him with a sound like thunder, leaving him standing in an unfamiliar chamber.

  "Marco?" he called, his voice echoing in the vast space. Only silence answered him.

  Eli drew in a sharp breath as he took in his surroundings. He stood at the edge of an enormous cavern, its ceiling arching high above him like the dome of a cathedral. Massive crystal formations jutted from the walls and ceiling, their surfaces faceted and gleaming with an inner light. Shades of blue, violet, and silver pulsed within them, casting shifting patterns across the stone floor.

  Stalactites hung like frozen waterfalls, their crystalline surfaces refracting light in dazzling rainbows. Beneath them, smaller formations rose from the ground, creating a forest of glittering pillars. Some were as thin as his finger, others as thick as ancient trees, all of them humming with a subtle vibration he could feel through the soles of his boots.

  The air smelled clean and fresh, with a faint mineral tang that reminded him of spring rain. It was a stark contrast to the corruption-tainted atmosphere of the dungeon's previous chambers. Each breath felt purifying, as if the very air was washing away the lingering corruption from his lungs.

  At the center of the grotto lay a shallow pool, perhaps thirty paces across. Its surface was mirror-smooth, reflecting the crystals above, and it glowed with the same otherworldly light that filled the cavern—only more intense, more alive. The water itself seemed to shimmer with an inner radiance, each ripple carrying threads of luminescence.

  The binding spell at his neck felt unusually quiet, its usual searing pain replaced by a low, dull hum. Eli reached up to touch it, surprised by the absence of heat beneath his fingers.

  "Where are we?" he murmured to Starling, running his thumb over the fractured core.

  In response, the core flickered, a pulse of violet light that seemed to strain against the cracks in its surface. The light flickered again, brighter this time, when Eli's gaze drifted toward the luminous pool.

  He took a hesitant step forward, and the core pulsed more intensely. Another step, and the rhythm of the light quickened, like a heartbeat accelerating with excitement.

  "You want me to go there?" Eli asked, staring at the pool.

  The core flared brilliantly in answer, the light within pushing against the fractures, seeking escape. It almost seemed alive, urging him forward with increasing insistence.

  Eli approached the edge of the pool carefully, Starling extended before him like a divining rod. With each step closer, the staff's core pulsed more insistently, its light synchronizing with the gentle glow emanating from the water.

  At the pool's edge, he knelt and examined the water. It was perfectly clear, revealing a bottom lined with smooth white stones and what appeared to be more crystals, these ones smaller and more numerous than those adorning the walls.

  Then he felt it—a soft ringing, not through his ears but through his bones. A vibration that seemed to sync with his heartbeat, drawing him toward the water with gentle insistence. It wasn't like the binding spell's harsh commands or Marco's direct communication. This was subtler, an invitation rather than a demand.

  Waves of emotion washed over him—curiosity, comfort, a sense of welcoming that seemed to emanate from the pool itself. There was an undercurrent of urgency too, a sense that this moment was important, necessary.

  Starling's core now pulsed frantically, the light within struggling against its constraints. Eli could feel the staff vibrating in his hands, urging him forward.

  Taking a deep breath, he removed his boots and outer garments, leaving only his lightest clothes. Then, with Starling firmly in his grasp, he stepped into the pool.

  The water was cool against his skin, sending pleasant shivers up his legs. It parted around him with unusual fluidity, almost like liquid silk. As he waded deeper, ripples spread outward, carrying pulses of light across the surface like messages.

  The humming in his bones intensified, resonating through his entire body. Each step further into the pool seemed to lighten the weight of the binding spell, its constant pressure easing incrementally. For the first time since the spell had been placed upon him, Eli felt he could breathe freely.

  When he reached the center, the water had risen to his waist. He stood there, uncertain what to do next, when Starling's core suddenly flared with such intensity that he had to squint against the brightness.

  Thin tendrils of light rose from the pool, weaving through the air like luminous serpents. They circled around Eli and Starling, pulsing in time with the vibrations that filled the grotto. Then, with deliberate purpose, they began to flow toward the staff's core.

  Eli watched in fascination as the light from the pool seeped into the cracks of the core, filling the fractures with liquid radiance. The river-stone at Starling's heart drank in the light greedily, its glow intensifying with each passing moment.

  If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  At the same time, Eli felt the strange energy flowing into him as well. It traveled up his legs, spread through his torso, and reached toward the binding spell at his neck. Where the energy touched, he felt a cooling sensation, as if balm were being applied to a burn.

  The black veins of corruption that had been spreading beneath his skin receded, replaced by the silvery lines of his own magic. The patterns on his arms brightened, becoming more defined, more intricate.

  Acting on instinct, Eli lowered himself further into the pool, submerging up to his shoulders. He held Starling beneath the surface, allowing the water to engulf the fractured core. The light grew even more intense, the tendrils more numerous, wrapping around the staff like loving hands.

  A profound weariness washed over him, not unpleasant but irresistible. His eyelids grew heavy, his thoughts slowing like honey in winter. The tension drained from his muscles, and he found himself leaning back, allowing the water to support his weight.

  The pool cradled him gently, keeping his face above the surface as he drifted into a deep sleep. Starling floated beside him, the core now pulsing with a steady, vibrant light.

  —

  In his dreams, Eli saw threads of light weaving through darkness. Violet strands intertwined with black corruption, not breaking it but creating a delicate balance. He caught glimpses of Marco, distant and unreachable, like a figure seen through thick fog. Not gone, but far beyond his reach.

  He dreamed of flight, of wings cutting through air, of freedom after long imprisonment. Of purpose renewed and promises to be kept. He saw a fractured crystal healing, its jagged edges smoothing, but its light changing, transforming into something new and unknown.

  —

  Eli awoke with a gasp, his body still floating in the pool's embrace. The water continued to lap gently against his skin, but something fundamental had changed while he slept.

  The pool's light had intensified, turning the water into liquid crystal. His wounds had closed completely, leaving no trace of the battle that had brought him here. The silver patterns on his arms glowed with newfound vigor, their traceries more defined than ever before.

  But the most startling change hovered just inches from his face—a tiny winged figure bathed in the same crystalline light that filled the pool.

  She was no larger than his hand, with delicate, translucent wings that shimmered with iridescent hues of violet and silver. Her form seemed crafted from light itself, her edges softly blurred as if she weren't fully solid. Her face, though small, held features that reminded him of a human girl in miniature. Her eyes, large and luminous, studied him with unmistakable intelligence.

  Eli stared back, transfixed. Though the tiny winged creature made no sound, he could feel waves of emotion radiating from her—curiosity, relief, and a cautious warmth.

  As he met her gaze, Eli became aware of Starling floating beside him. Reaching for the staff, he lifted it from the water and was shocked to find its core completely dark. The fractured crystal had been transformed into a smooth, flawless gemstone, but the light within had vanished entirely.

  The colorful creature zoomed around the darkened core, her movements agitated and purposeful. She hovered directly over the stone, and to Eli's amazement, tiny motes of light began to flow from her wings into the core. The light infused the smooth gemstone, healing the jagged edges where cracks had been, though the core itself remained dark.

  "Did you... come from there?" Eli asked, gesturing toward the core.

  The winged girl nodded, her movements quick and birdlike. She circled the staff once, trailing sparks of light, before returning to hover before Eli's face.

  Through the maelstrom of sensation and memory, Eli struggled to focus. The violet light from Starling's core had spread throughout the pool, creating patterns that reminded him of the aurora his father had once described, seen on a journey to the northern reaches.

  "Aura," he whispered, the name feeling right on his tongue. "Your name is Aura."

  The tiny winged girl performed a small aerial somersault, her entire body illuminating with brilliant light. The pool's surface beneath them briefly mirrored the pattern of her wings, as if acknowledging the rightness of the name.

  As he stood upright, water streaming from his clothes, Eli felt a subtle change in Starling. Though the core remained dark, something stirred within it—not light, but a faint vibration that traveled up the staff and into his palm. It felt almost like a heartbeat, slow and searching.

  Then he noticed it—a wisp of corruption, drifting from his own healing wounds. The black essence floated in the air, a stark contrast to the purity of the grotto. Before Eli could react, the dark wisp moved toward Starling's core as if drawn by an invisible force.

  The gemstone pulsed once, and the corruption disappeared into it like water into parched soil. The core seemed to swell slightly, though the stone remained just as dark. For a brief moment, Eli could have sworn he felt something stirring within the gemstone—not just hunger but awareness, as if the core were testing its new ability, savoring the corruption it had consumed.

  Eli glanced at Aura, whose light had dimmed dramatically. Her wings drooped, and she physically recoiled from the staff, a sharp spike of guilt radiating from her so intensely that Eli almost gasped. Her emotions flooded into him—a complex mixture of relief mingled with profound regret, as if she'd known this transformation was inevitable but had desperately hoped otherwise. For just an instant, her tiny hands reached toward the core, then pulled back, trembling.

  "What was that?" Eli asked, studying the core. "It absorbed the corruption."

  Aura hovered closer to Eli's hand, her tiny fingers touching the gemstone. Her emotions shifted—sadness, acceptance, and a strange sense of purpose. She looked up at Eli, her eyes conveying a message he somehow understood: This is how it must be.

  He made his way toward the edge of the pool, his feet finding the bottom once more. The binding spell at his neck felt different now—a tool perhaps rather than simply a curse. The pool's magic hadn't removed it, but had somehow transformed it, creating a balance between corruption and control.

  As he stepped onto the shore and gathered his discarded gear, Eli noticed Aura hovering near a passage leading deeper into the grotto. Her tiny form glowed against the shadows, wings cast faint reflections on the water's surface as she glanced back at him, her gaze insistent.

  From her, Eli felt a mixture of urgency and reassurance—a wordless message: hurry, but do not fear.

  He hesitated, the dark core of Starling a cold weight in his hands. The silence in his mind where Marco's voice should be felt vast and empty. But staying here would bring no answers.

  With a deep breath, Eli shouldered his pack and followed Aura into the shadows.