Chapter 20: They’re Warnings

The wilderness seemed to grow colder with each step. A strange tension hung in the air, pressing down on Marcus Domitus and his soldiers as they continued deeper into the unknown. Ahead of them, the ground sloped downward into a frozen valley, where something unnatural waited—a structure half-buried beneath the ice.

"We’re close to the source," Seneca whispered, his breath turning to mist in the frigid air. "The readings are almost overwhelming now."

Marcus scanned the landscape, his instincts prickling. "This place feels wrong."

Gaius, walking silently beside Marcus, kept his eyes fixed on the distant horizon. His earlier outburst still weighed heavily on him, but he hadn’t spoken of it again.

"Stay together," Marcus ordered. "We don’t split up—not for anything."

The soldiers approached the structure cautiously. It was ancient—far older than anything Roman. Stone archways jutted from beneath layers of frost, their surfaces etched with strange, curling symbols. The air around the ruins buzzed with unseen energy, like a low hum beneath the surface of reality.

Seneca knelt beside one of the archways, running his fingers over the carvings. "This language... it’s not just old—it predates everything we’ve found so far. It’s as if these symbols are waiting for someone to understand them."

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "They’re warnings."

Seneca looked up, surprised. "How do you know that?"

Marcus exhaled slowly, his gaze distant. "Because I’ve seen something like this before—in my dreams."

The soldiers entered the ruins, moving carefully through narrow corridors that twisted beneath the frozen earth. The walls were covered in more of the strange symbols, glowing faintly in the dim light. The deeper they went, the stronger the hum became, vibrating through their bones.

"Does anyone else hear that?" Drusus whispered, his voice tight with unease.

"It’s not a sound," Marcus muttered. "It’s a feeling. Something trying to pull us in."

Seneca glanced nervously at Marcus. "You think the ruins are... alive?"

"Alive or not, they’re dangerous," Marcus replied. "Keep moving."

As they ventured deeper, the whispers began—faint, fragmented voices brushing against their minds. The words were incomprehensible, yet they carried a strange familiarity, as though they were fragments of forgotten memories.

Gaius stumbled, gripping his head. "It’s happening again. I can hear them... inside my mind."

Marcus caught him by the arm, steadying him. "Stay with me, Gaius. Don’t let them take hold."

Gaius nodded weakly, though his eyes were clouded with fear. "I’m trying... but they’re so loud."

The corridor opened into a vast underground chamber. In the center stood a strange monolith—tall, jagged, and pulsing with a faint blue glow. The whispers grew louder as they approached, swirling around the soldiers like a gathering storm.

Marcus stopped at the edge of the chamber, his jaw tightening. "This is it. This is what’s been calling to us."

Seneca stared at the monolith, his expression a mix of awe and dread. "What is it?"

"I don’t know," Marcus admitted. "But it needs to be destroyed."

As the soldiers spread out around the chamber, the whispers grew more intense, seeping into their minds like a slow, relentless tide. Gaius stood frozen at the edge of the monolith, his hands trembling.

"It’s calling to me," Gaius whispered, his voice strained. "It knows me."

Marcus stepped toward him, gripping his shoulder. "Look at me, Gaius. This thing doesn’t know you. It’s lying."

Gaius’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. "What if... what if it’s telling the truth?"

Marcus shook him roughly. "We came here to end this. And we will—together."

For a moment, Gaius seemed to falter. Then he gave a slow nod, though doubt lingered in his eyes. "Let’s finish this."

Seneca approached the monolith, studying its surface with growing unease. "If we try to destroy this thing, there’s no telling what will happen. It could collapse the entire chamber—or worse."

"We can’t leave it standing," Marcus said firmly. "Whatever this is, it’s been pulling strings since we first encountered the echoes. It ends here."

Drusus, standing nearby, folded his arms. "And if it takes us all with it?"

"Then we go down fighting," Marcus replied without hesitation. "We’ve come too far to turn back."

As Marcus raised his sword, the monolith pulsed violently, sending out a shockwave that knocked the soldiers off their feet. The whispers swelled into a deafening chorus, filling the chamber with chaotic energy.

The ground trembled, and cracks spread across the walls, sending shards of stone crashing to the floor.

"It’s waking up!" Seneca shouted, struggling to his feet. "We need to act now!"

Marcus gritted his teeth, gripping his sword tightly. "Gaius! With me!"

Together, Marcus and Gaius drove their weapons into the heart of the monolith. The impact sent a jolt of energy surging through them, and for a moment, time seemed to freeze—everything suspended in a strange, dreamlike stillness.

In that frozen moment, Marcus saw something—fragments of another reality flickering at the edges of his vision. He saw cities lost to time, battles fought in distant lands, and faces he did not recognize but somehow knew.

And through it all, a single truth echoed: The empire will fall. All things must.

The vision shattered as quickly as it had come, and Marcus found himself back in the chamber, gasping for breath. The monolith cracked, its glow dimming as the whispers faded into silence.

"Move!" Marcus shouted as the walls began to crumble. "Everyone out—now!"

The soldiers scrambled toward the exit, their footsteps pounding against the trembling ground. Stone pillars cracked and fell, sending clouds of dust into the air.

Marcus grabbed Gaius by the arm, dragging him toward the corridor. "Stay with me! We’re almost there!"

They reached the exit just as the chamber collapsed behind them, sealing the monolith beneath tons of stone.

The soldiers emerged into the cold night, coughing and gasping for breath. The ruins lay in silence behind them, buried beneath the earth once more.

Marcus leaned heavily against a boulder, his heart pounding in his chest. "It’s done."

Seneca staggered beside him, clutching his scanner. "That... was too close."

Gaius sat on the ground, his face pale but calm. "It’s gone," he whispered. "I can’t hear the whispers anymore."