Chapter 8
The Fall into Darkness
Ran and Mariya kept falling through the dark underground passage.
Cold air rushed past them.
Everything around them was completely dark.
Mariya screamed in fear.
"Ran!"
Ran tried to reach her in the darkness.
"I'm here! Don't panic!"
After a few seconds, they suddenly hit something soft.
THUD!
They had landed on a thick layer of old sand.
Ran slowly stood up.
His head was still spinning from the fall.
"Mariya… are you okay?"
Mariya sat up and nodded slowly.
"Yes… I think so."
Ran turned on his phone flashlight again.
The small light revealed something unbelievable.
They were no longer inside a narrow tunnel.
They were standing inside a huge underground cave.
The ceiling was so high that the light could not reach it.
Strange glowing crystals were growing from the walls.
Blue and green lights filled the cave like tiny stars.
Mariya looked around in amazement.
"This place… it's beautiful."
Ran looked serious.
"But this place shouldn't exist."
They walked forward carefully.
The ground was covered with ancient stone paths.
Broken pillars and ruins were scattered everywhere.
It looked like an ancient underground city.
Suddenly Mariya noticed something on the ground.
"Ran… look at this."
Ran came closer.
There was an old stone statue lying half-broken.
The statue looked like a warrior.
But the strange thing was—
The warrior was holding the same circle and triangle symbol.
Ran whispered slowly,
"This place must be connected to the secret society."
Mariya nodded.
"Maybe this is where the ancient power is hidden."
Just then…
A strange sound echoed through the cave.
ROOOOOM…
Ran and Mariya froze.
They looked into the darkness.
Something was moving deep inside the underground cave.
And whatever it was…
It was big.
The Creature in the Darkness
The strange sound inside the cave became louder.
Ran and Mariya stood completely still.
The glowing crystals on the walls flickered slightly.
Something was moving in the darkness ahead.
Mariya slowly stepped closer to Ran.
"Ran… I don't like this."
Ran tried to stay calm.
"Stay behind me."
He held his phone tightly and pointed the light forward.
For a few seconds, nothing moved.
The cave was silent again.
Then suddenly—
ROOOOAR!
A deep and powerful roar echoed through the underground city.
The ground shook slightly.
Mariya gasped.
"What was that?!"
Ran's eyes were fixed on the darkness.
And then they saw it.
Two glowing yellow eyes slowly appeared in the shadows.
Something huge stepped forward.
It looked like a giant creature made of stone and rock.
Its body was covered with ancient cracks and glowing blue lines.
The creature looked like a guardian of the underground ruins.
Mariya whispered in fear,
"It's… a monster."
The creature slowly moved closer.
Its heavy footsteps echoed across the cave.
Ran suddenly felt the same blue energy in his hands again.
The ancient power inside him was reacting.
Mariya noticed the light around his hands.
"Ran… your power!"
Ran looked at the creature.
"Maybe this place is testing us."
The creature raised its massive arm.
It was about to attack.
But at that moment—
The blue energy around Ran's hands suddenly became stronger.
The crystals in the cave also began glowing brighter.
The creature suddenly stopped moving.
It looked directly at Ran.
For a moment…
The entire cave became silent.
The Guardian of the Ruins
The giant creature stood in front of Ran and Mariya.
For a moment, nobody moved.
The glowing crystals on the walls filled the cave with a mysterious blue light.
Ran could feel the strange energy inside his body becoming stronger.
It was flowing through his hands like electricity.
The creature slowly lowered its massive arm.
Its glowing yellow eyes were fixed on Ran.
Mariya whispered softly,
"Ran… I think it stopped."
Ran nodded slowly.
"Yes… but I don't know why."
The creature suddenly took another step forward.
The ground shook under its heavy weight.
Mariya held Ran's arm tightly.
But something strange happened.
Instead of attacking them, the creature knelt down slightly.
It looked like a warrior showing respect.
Ran and Mariya were shocked.
"Why is it doing that?" Mariya asked.
Ran looked at his glowing hands.
"Maybe… it recognizes this power."
The blue light around Ran's hands grew brighter.
At that moment, the glowing lines on the creature's stone body also began to shine.
The creature made a deep rumbling sound.
It was not angry anymore.
It sounded like a signal.
Suddenly the crystals in the cave began glowing brighter.
The ruins around them slowly became clearer.
Ancient stone pillars stood tall in the distance.
Broken statues and old walls appeared from the darkness.
Ran realized something amazing.
"This place…"
"It's not just ruins."
"It's an ancient underground city."
Mariya looked around in wonder.
"But why is it hidden under the city?"
Before Ran could answer, the giant creature suddenly turned its head.
It looked toward a dark path between the ruins.
Then it slowly started walking in that direction.
Ran watched carefully.
"I think it wants us to follow it."
Mariya looked nervous.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
Ran smiled slightly.
"We don't have many choices."
The two of them slowly followed the giant stone guardian.
They walked through the ancient ruins.
Strange glowing plants were growing between the broken stones.
The air felt ancient and mysterious.
After walking for several minutes, they reached a large open area.
At the center of that area stood a massive structure.
It looked like an ancient temple.
Tall stone stairs led to a huge door covered with the same circle and triangle symbol.
Mariya looked amazed.
"Ran… this must be the place where the power is hidden."
Ran nodded.
"I think this is the heart of the underground city."
The giant guardian stopped in front of the temple stairs.
Then it turned toward Ran again.
Its glowing eyes seemed calm now.
It slowly moved aside, as if allowing them to enter.
But suddenly—
A loud explosion echoed from far above.
BOOOOM!
Dust fell from the ceiling of the cave.
Ran's face became serious.
"Victor…"
Mariya looked worried.
"You think he found the way down here?"
Ran nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"And if he reaches this temple…"
"The real battle will begin."