The Eternal Sketch

The oppressive weight in the air began to fade, yet the chamber still carried the lingering echoes of the struggle. Professor Alden lay unconscious, his breathing shallow but stable. The ink-like corruption that had ensnared him now swirled violently within Ryo's containment seal, its form writhing as if it were a living nightmare clawing for release.

Callus studied the trapped entity with an expression of deep thought, his arms crossed over his chest. "We need to destroy it."

Ryo swallowed hard. The ink pulsed against his control, resisting every attempt to fully suppress it. "I don't think it can be destroyed—not like this. It isn't just raw magic… it's something else entirely."

Elara nudged Alden with her foot, scowling. "Then what do we do with it? We can't exactly let it loose, and keeping it locked up in your ink forever doesn't seem like a great idea either."

Callus remained silent for a long moment before turning toward Ryo. "You felt it when you severed the connection, didn't you? This thing… it's not just magic. It has a will."

Ryo nodded. "It was trying to rewrite Alden from the inside out, like it was erasing his identity and replacing it with something else." He exhaled slowly, steadying his grip on his brush. "If we want answers, we need to figure out where this corruption came from in the first place."

Callus's gaze flickered toward the stone chamber around them. The ancient murals lining the walls depicted figures wielding ink-based abilities, their power shaping the world around them. But toward the end of the mural, the figures were consumed by the very ink they controlled, their bodies dissolving into darkness.

Elara frowned. "These ruins… they weren't just hiding knowledge. They were warning us."

Professor Alden stirred, his eyes fluttering open as a weak groan escaped his lips. His face was pale, sweat clinging to his brow, but his mind seemed to return in fragments.

Callus moved closer. "Alden. Can you hear me?"

Alden blinked slowly, his gaze unfocused. "Callus…?"

He coughed, trying to sit up, but Callus placed a firm hand on his shoulder, keeping him steady. "Easy. You were compromised."

Alden's eyes darkened with memory. "The ink… it spoke to me. Whispered things I couldn't ignore." His hands trembled as he looked toward the sealed corruption. "It showed me knowledge—impossible knowledge. But it demanded something in return."

Ryo hesitated, staying silent as Alden continued.

Callus narrowed his eyes. "What did it want?"

Alden's expression twisted with unease. "A vessel. A stronger one."

The words sent a chill through the chamber. Callus stiffened, his jaw tightening. The implication was clear.

The corruption hadn't just wanted Alden.

It was looking for someone more powerful.

Elara crossed her arms. "So, we just walked into its trap, didn't we?"

Alden shook his head weakly. "No… It was already here. Watching. Waiting. My research… it led me to this place, but I didn't open the vault alone."

Callus's expression darkened. "Then who did?"

Alden's lips parted, but before he could answer, the sealed corruption let out a piercing screech. The ink within Ryo's containment flared violently, its form shifting, breaking apart—and then reforming.

A voice emerged from the ink, hollow and twisted.

"You are not the first."

The containment seal cracked.

Callus reacted instantly, drawing his sword and slashing toward the ink before it could fully escape. The blade cut through the writhing mass, sending it recoiling in pain. But instead of dispersing, the ink twisted upon itself, taking form.

A shape began to emerge from the black mass. A humanoid figure, incomplete and shifting, its features flickering between multiple faces as if it couldn't decide on an identity.

It wasn't just an entity.

It was something that had once been human.

Ryo felt his stomach twist. "It's trying to reconstruct itself."

Callus didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, his blade igniting with raw energy. "Then we destroy it before it does."

The battle wasn't over yet.