Doom Verse

In the dim room where shadows twisted ominously, a small black crystal embedded in the floor cast a faint glow, offering the only source of light. The team's heavy breaths echoed, mixing with the oppressive weight of their recent battle. The group of survivors remained stunned, their hearts racing from narrowly escaping death by some strange, magical force. Yet, there was no time for relief or rest. They had to save Voltra.

Kneeling beside him, Misa worked quickly. She wore a metallic glove, the fingers of which glowed faintly as they sizzled against Voltra's wounds, cauterizing them to stop the bleeding. Fortunately, Voltra was unconscious, spared from the agony of the procedure. She carefully applied her medical skills, focused and determined, despite her own visible exhaustion.

After a long, tense silence, Misa finally sighed, wiping the sweat from her brow. "I'm finally done," she murmured, glancing down at Voltra with a mix of worry and relief. "Let's hope he'll survive. That's all I can do right now."

Moros, standing nearby, rested a hand on her shoulder. "You did a great job, Misa. How is he?" His question held the concern shared by everyone in the room. Voltra was one of them, and his fate weighed heavily on them all.

Misa looked at Voltra's pallid face, her expression somber. "Even if he survives, he should end his work as a blacksmith. His body… he'll never be the same." She paused, her gaze distant. "And his mind… I don't know if he'll ever recover from the trauma."

"Don't worry," Moros assured her, his tone soft yet firm. "You did everything you could." His words were intended to comfort her, but they could not dispel the lingering unease that clung to the room.

Meanwhile, Spinell was moving along the edges of the chamber, carefully inspecting the walls. He was one of the best scouts in the world, his sharp instincts complemented by a mask equipped with night-vision lenses. After several minutes of meticulous examination, Spinell called out, "Sandro, bring the flashlight over here! There's something on the wall."

Sandro hurried over, flashlight in hand, illuminating the wall where Spinell pointed. Faint scratches formed a line of text that was difficult to read in the dim light. The message was unsettling:

"You made it here. You proved that you are worthy. Only thing left is to reseal the Doom."

At the end of the message sat a skeleton, its bony fingers clutching another small crystal, its hollow eye sockets staring into nothingness. The eerie sight was a stark reminder of the dangers they faced.

Sandro's face grew grim as he studied the message. "That's bad," he muttered. "We don't know how to seal anything… and we're trapped in here."

His shoulders sagged as he looked around. "Help me look around. There has to be something we missed." His words stirred the group into action, as they spread out to search the room for any clue, any possible escape.

The room felt more oppressive than ever as they searched, the faint light of flashlights and the black crystal barely penetrating the darkness. From beyond the door, ominous sounds echoed: scratching, low growls, and the steady thud of something heavy pushing against it. Each sound sent a chill down their spines, reminding them of the imminent danger waiting just outside.

Half an hour passed in this bleak search. The air grew thick with desperation as they regrouped around Voltra, their search proving fruitless.

"Did anyone find anything?" Moros asked, a hint of frustration in his voice.

Everyone shook their heads. Their thorough investigation had yielded no results; they had found nothing that could help them seal the Doom or open a way out. Spinell, however, looked thoughtful.

"I did notice something strange," he said, gesturing for them to follow him. He led them to a particular section of the wall, where he pointed to a straight crack running along the stone. "This line here… it connects the crystal in the middle of the room to this indentation, like a nest for something."

He then moved to the opposite wall, showing another identical crack. "There's a similar line here, but this one ends with the crystal. My guess is that there should be another crystal on the other side to complete the link."

He shrugged, his expression uncertain. "But I don't know where to find it."

Hanz, who had been standing silently, finally spoke up. "I think it's the only way for us to get out of here. But we're trapped… There's no way to leave this place to look for a crystal." He looked away, his voice a mere whisper. "Maybe this is the end for us."

Moros frowned and stepped forward, landing a firm slap on Hanz's shoulder. "Don't talk like that! There's always a way out."

At that moment, Josh, who had been watching quietly, raised his hand. "I… I think I know where the crystal is." Slowly, he removed his new arm and held it up. "I think it's inside here."

Spinell's eyes widened as he took the arm from Josh, examining it closely. He let out a shout of surprise. "You're right! There's a crystal embedded in here!" He looked at Voltra's unconscious form, his voice softening. "Even after everything he went through, Voltra's still helping us. Fortunately he crafted arm with the crystal, that saved us."

Moros clapped his hands together, a spark of hope rekindling in his eyes. "Alright, let's put it in. We don't have much time; I have a feeling that something big is about to happen."

Even as he spoke, cracks began forming on the door. The monsters outside had almost broken through. Hanz, Josh, and Moros rushed to brace the door, straining to keep the creatures from bursting in.

"Do it faster!" Sandro shouted, his voice edged with panic. The pressure was mounting, and they had precious little time.

As Spinell inserted the crystal into the nest, the entire room trembled. For a long, tense moment, nothing happened. Then a voice cut through the darkness.

"Now… what should we do?" Spinell whispered, fear creeping into his tone.

At that moment, a figure burst through the door—a hybrid creature with the twisted features of both Solutus and Lawless. It lunged at Moros, scratching him with a clawed hand before Hanz severed its arm in a swift, brutal motion.

Blood spattered the floor, mingling with the creature's severed hand. As the blood hit the ground, the room was suddenly filled with blinding light. They shielded their eyes, a strange warmth surrounding them as reality itself seemed to warp around them. In a flash, they were standing outside, next to the blocked entrance of the Palace of Doom.

As the light faded and their vision returned, they stared at each other, incredulous. They had escaped, and the twisted palace of horrors lay behind them. All that remained was the return journey to the city, where they could tend to their wounds and finally rest.

Exhausted and battered, they knew their survival was a miracle—but with Voltra's life still hanging in the balance, they couldn't afford to celebrate just yet. For now, all they wanted was to heal, regroup, and prepare for whatever trials awaited them next.