Blinding light gave way to suffocating darkness. For a moment, Trench felt as though he were suspended in an endless void. No sound, no weight, only the steady thrum of the monolith's resonance in his chest. Then, the darkness cracked, and a kaleidoscope of images and sounds rushed in, overwhelming his senses.
He gasped, his body hitting solid ground with a jarring impact. The air was thick and cold, carrying an acrid metallic scent. When he opened his eyes, the world around him was unlike anything he had ever seen. Jagged, obsidian structures jutted from the ground, their surfaces glowing faintly with crimson lines. The sky above was a swirling mass of black and red, punctuated by violent bursts of light.
Trench pushed himself to his feet, his breathing ragged. He was alone.
"Reyes? Ryan?" he called out, his voice swallowed by the oppressive atmosphere. Only the hum of the monolith answered him, now distant but ever-present.
As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he saw that he stood on a narrow path suspended over an abyss. The path wound through the jagged terrain, leading toward a massive structure in the distance. The monolith's twin, larger and more menacing, loomed at the center of this alien realm. Its crack pulsed rhythmically, releasing waves of energy that warped the air around it.
Trench steadied himself, gripping his weapon tightly. Whatever this place was, it was alive—and it didn't want him here.
Trench followed the path, every step resonating with a dull thud that seemed to ripple through the ground. Shadows shifted at the edges of his vision, and faint whispers began to creep into his mind. The language was alien, yet there was an unsettling familiarity to it.
As he rounded a corner, the path opened into a vast expanse littered with remnants of battles long past. Fragments of stone and metal lay scattered, their designs unlike anything from Earth. Among the debris, humanoid figures emerged—their forms translucent and flickering, like living memories.
"Echoes," Trench muttered, raising his weapon. The creatures turned toward him, their hollow eyes glowing with faint red light. They moved with unnatural fluidity, their limbs bending at impossible angles.
One of the echoes lunged, its distorted hand swiping at him. Trench fired, the bullet tearing through its form and dispersing it into wisps of energy. The remaining echoes advanced, their movements quick and erratic.
"Come on," Trench growled, firing again and again. Each shot dissipated an echo, but more seemed to materialize from the shadows. The whispers in his mind grew louder, almost deafening.
Desperation mounting, he spotted a narrow passageway ahead. He sprinted toward it, weaving through the advancing echoes. As he dove into the passage, the whispers faded, and the echoes stopped their pursuit. For a brief moment, silence returned.
The passage led to a cavernous chamber, its walls adorned with glowing symbols. At the center of the room stood a pedestal, upon which rested a small, intricately carved stone. The stone's surface shifted, displaying symbols that seemed to react to Trench's presence.
As he approached, a voice echoed through the chamber. "You should not have come here."
Trench froze, his weapon at the ready. "Who's there?"
From the shadows, the figure from the monolith stepped forward. Its form was clearer now, more defined. It resembled a man, but its features were sharp and angular, its skin marked with glowing lines that mirrored the symbols on the walls.
"You continue to disrupt the balance," the figure said, its tone devoid of anger but heavy with authority. "Each step you take brings this realm closer to collapse."
"I didn't ask to be part of this," Trench said, his voice edged with frustration. "But if I'm here, there's got to be a reason."
The figure tilted its head. "You are the catalyst. Your actions in the physical realm have weakened the barrier. Now, you must repair it."
"How?" Trench demanded.
The figure gestured to the stone. "This holds the key. The monoliths are anchors, binding this realm to yours. Their corruption spreads because the energy is unbalanced. Restore the balance, and you may yet save both worlds."
Trench hesitated, his gaze shifting between the figure and the stone. "Why me? Why am I the one who has to fix this?"
The figure's expression remained inscrutable. "Because you are connected to it. Your choices, your existence… they are intertwined with the anomaly. There is no turning back."
The chamber trembled, and a deafening roar echoed from the depths of the passage behind him. The figure's form began to flicker.
"Take the stone," it said, its voice urgent. "You must leave this place before it is too late."
Trench grabbed the stone, its surface warm and pulsing in his hand. The moment he touched it, a surge of energy coursed through him, and the symbols on the walls flared brightly.
The figure stepped back into the shadows. "Remember, Trench. Balance must be restored."
The ground beneath Trench's feet began to crumble, and the chamber shook violently. He sprinted back through the passage, the roar from before now accompanied by the sound of shattering stone.
The echoes had returned, swarming the path ahead. With no other choice, Trench charged forward, firing his weapon as he ran. The stone in his hand grew hotter, its light intensifying with each step.
As he reached the end of the passage, the path opened into the void once more. The massive monolith loomed ahead, its crack now a gaping chasm spewing energy. The whispers in his mind returned, louder and more insistent.
"Restore the balance," they demanded.
Trench approached the monolith, the stone in his hand reacting violently to its energy. The shadows around him coalesced into monstrous forms, but he ignored them. He had one focus now.
"Let's end this," he muttered, pressing the stone into the monolith's crack.
The reaction was immediate. A shockwave of energy exploded from the monolith, sending Trench flying backward. The shadows dissolved, and the crimson glow began to fade. As his vision blurred, he saw the monolith's crack sealing, its surface returning to its obsidian smoothness.
Darkness consumed him once more.
Trench awoke in the cold of the Bureau's medical bay. The hum of the Oldest House was a welcome familiarity. Reyes and Ryan stood nearby, their relief evident as they saw him stir.
"Welcome back," Reyes said, her voice steadier than he felt. "You did it."
Trench sat up slowly, his body aching. "Is it over?"
Ryan exchanged a glance with Reyes. "The anomaly's contained. For now."
Trench nodded, but the weight in his chest didn't lift. He could still feel the monolith's resonance, a faint echo that refused to fade.
"For now," he repeated. In his heart, he knew the battle was far from over.