BOOM.
KA-BOOM!
The darkness split apart as a massive rock formation collapsed, crashing down and sending a shockwave through the cavern. Dust and sand burst outward in thick waves, swallowing everything in a choking haze.
Elias shot out of the wreckage, stumbling into a run despite the pain in his leg. He pushed forward, weaving through the narrow paths between towering rocks, sliding past clusters of jagged stalagmites that jutted out of the ground.
Behind him—
That sound.
A faint giggle.
It echoed through the darkness, sharp and wrong, carrying far too clearly in the silence.
'Shit… shit… shit!'
Elias didn't slow down.
His eyes darted across the terrain, searching for anything—anywhere—he could hide from the thing chasing him.
Fighting it?
That didn't even cross his mind.
There was a reason Echoforms were feared.
And it wasn't just because of their warped, maddening Songs.
It was something else.
Something far worse.
That was the real reason people feared Echoforms.
The reason ordinary humans stood no chance against them.
If you couldn't attune to frequency… you couldn't touch them.
Not maybe. Not sometimes.
You simply couldn't.
They phased through attacks like they weren't even there, shifting their frequency at will, turning themselves untouchable while still being able to tear you apart.
That was how humanity had fallen so easily in the beginning.
It wasn't that humans were weak.
It was that their enemies were unfair.
You can't win a fight when only one side can deal damage.
That was why Awakeners—Chordbearers—were treated like something close to gods. Awakening gave you a Resonance String, and with it, the ability to match frequencies.
To touch them.
To hurt them.
To fight back.
Battles between Chordbearers and Echoforms weren't just physical. There were always two fights happening at once—the visible clash of bodies, and the invisible clash of frequencies underneath it.
But Elias…
Elias couldn't do that.
Not yet.
Even though he had awakened, he still couldn't shift his frequency. Not without sensing his Harmonic Core.
Which meant, right now, he couldn't fight back.
At all.
That was why he hadn't even bothered bringing a weapon into the Mirroth.
Because what was the point?
If he couldn't find his Core, then this ended one way.
He dies.
Elias wasn't stupid. He could already tell—the thing chasing him wasn't even trying.
It was playing with him.
Taking its time. Letting him run. Watching him struggle.
Enjoying it.
This place was its domain.
And Elias?
He was just prey.
Some of the skeletons he'd seen earlier had probably gone through this same thing.
Run.
Hide.
Hope.
And in the end, the monster would've caught them anyway—dragging it out, enjoying every second before tearing them apart and fishing for their bones.
Elias gasped as his foot slammed into a jagged rock. The sharp edges tore through what was left of his shoe, biting straight into his flesh.
Pain shot up his leg.
He grabbed onto a rocky ledge to steady himself, teeth clenched tight as his vision blurred, tears stinging at the corners of his eyes.
Behind him—
A few rocks away—
He heard it.
That giggle.
Warped. High-pitched. Wrong.
It crawled under his skin, making him feel like something was moving where it shouldn't.
Its footsteps followed, uneven and distorted. Too fast, then too slow, like it didn't move the way it was supposed to.
Bones rattled with every step.
Loud.
Deliberate.
Like it wanted him to hear.
Wanted him to know exactly what was coming.
Sometimes it stopped giggling and started singing. Other times, it tried to laugh—but it never sounded right.
Just… off.
Like something pretending to understand what laughter was.
Goosebumps rose across Elias' skin. His body trembled, his injured leg refusing to cooperate no matter how much he tried to force it.
He couldn't run anymore.
And the footsteps were getting closer.
Slow.
Unhurried.
Mocking.
In the darkness, every sound felt heavier, sharper. The giggles cut through the silence like something straight out of a nightmare.
Elias swallowed hard, forcing down the fear as he repeated it again in his head.
Survive… survive… survive…
Survive… survive… survive…
Elyndra appeared in front of him, her wings fluttering unevenly as she hovered close, her small fists clenched so tightly they trembled.
Behind them, a broken song echoed through the darkness—soft, warped… almost like a lullaby from hell. It pressed into his mind, dragging at his thoughts until he couldn't help the low groan that slipped from his throat.
"There's no way out of this, Elias," Elyndra said, her voice tight. "If you don't find your Harmonic Core now… you're going to die."
Elias lifted his bloodshot eyes to her.
And then he laughed.
A rough, unsteady sound, his teeth flashing red.
Why was that funny?
Why did the thought of dying feel like some kind of twisted joke?
"You sound… sad, tiny gremlin," he said inwardly, voice laced with something sharp. 'Guess you don't hate me so much after all.'
Elyndra snapped her head toward him, her eyes glistening. "Shut up, idiot. Who would even like someone like you… you're so damn infuriating."
Elias didn't respond.
His fists clenched, his teeth grinding together as something moved in the darkness ahead.
A shape.
It stepped forward slowly, its limbs bending the wrong way, the sound of bones rattling with every movement.
And with each step—
It laughed.
It giggled.
It sang.
The femur in its hand caught what little light there was, and even in the darkness, the curve of its mouth was clear enough.
It was smiling.
Eager.
Like it couldn't wait to tear him apart.
Elias stared at it.
Then… he laughed again.
And this time, there was nothing light about it.
He spoke in his mind, loud enough for Elyndra to hear—his voice sharp, bitter, and burning with anger.
'Tiny gremlin, you're talking like today's my funeral. What a joke… seriously, what a stupid joke.'
He spat to the ground.
'I don't need a Harmonic Core to deal with that… thing. I'll rip it apart myself. I'll make it regret ever thinking I'm prey. I'll tear those eyes out—those stupid, excited eyes—with my bare hands.'
The Echoform was close now.
Close enough.
And Elias was already moving.
He limped toward it, bloodshot eyes locked in, filled with raw, burning spite.
Elyndra just stared at him, stunned.
The fear was still there—he could feel it, sitting heavy in his chest. The dread of facing something like that head-on.
But it didn't matter.
Something else had taken over.
Rage.
A sharp, blinding anger at the thought of being hunted, of being toyed with, of being reduced to something helpless in front of that abomination.
It drowned everything else out.
Maybe it was reckless.
Maybe it was stupid.
But when had that ever stopped him?
He would fight.
Win or lose didn't even matter anymore.
He just needed to fight—needed to feel something before the end.
Because dying without ever truly facing an Echoform…
That would be the real waste.
"Tell me, monster…" Elias growled, dragging himself forward as fast as his injured leg would allow. "What is the fate of the damned?"
The Echoform stopped.
Its head tilted slightly, its eyes sharpening with something that almost looked like intelligence.
"HU—MAN— SCREEE— TAS—CRAAA—TY—"
The sound hit him like a blade, warped and unbearable.
Elias winced, but didn't stop.
He was close now. Close enough to smell it—rot, decay and something foul that turned his stomach.
"Wrong answer."
He bent backward suddenly, forcing his body to move despite every instinct screaming at him to stop. Using his good leg, he pushed off the ground—
Launching himself straight at it.
Behind him, Elyndra screamed his name.
"Find out the rest in hell."