13 parts Ongoing As the group charged deeper into the decaying ruins of Atlantis, the oppressive weight of the Ancient One's corruption pressed down on them, thickening the air with a cold, suffocating darkness. Every step echoed through the hollowed city, a once-glorious place now shuddering under the weight of despair. Suddenly, they stopped, hearts sinking at the sight before them: Ina stood in the center of a crumbling courtyard, surrounded by dark, writhing tendrils of corruption. Her gentle aura was gone, replaced by an overwhelming darkness that radiated from her, and her eyes-once warm and filled with understanding-were now vacant and consumed. Ame instinctively reached for her pocket watch, but as her fingers closed around it, a sharp pain shot through her chest; the watch was cracked, rendered useless. "No..." Ame muttered, staring in disbelief, while Calli tightened her grip on her scythe, sorrow etching her features. Gura stepped forward, desperate to reach Ina, convinced there was still a flicker of her friend within the shadows. Kiara, glowing with phoenix fire, clenched her fists, refusing to abandon her friend despite the peril. The air stilled as they exchanged anxious glances, knowing they couldn't hurt Ina but could not leave her to the darkness. Ame stepped closer, her heart racing, and called out softly, "Ina, I know you're in there." For a moment, the tendrils hesitated, and a flicker of recognition sparked in Ina's eyes before the darkness surged again, dragging her back into the void. The reality of their situation crashed down on them: without a way to sever the corruption's hold, they were running out of options and time.
