The massive golem towered over James, its body pulsing with raw energy drawn from the mountain itself. Its glowing eyes locked onto him, and James could feel the weight of the trial pressing harder on his shoulders, as if the very air was thickening around him. The clash of his sword against the golem's stone fist had sent reverberations through his entire body, but there was no time to dwell on the impact. He had to press forward, toward the altar.
"James!" Lynara called out, her voice strained as she engaged another golem at the periphery. "We can't hold them forever!"
He knew they were running out of time. The golems, endless and unrelenting, were a distraction, and the true danger lay in the mountain's magic. The energy in the air was almost suffocating now, like the mountain itself was trying to crush them into submission. The golems weren't just creatures, they were the physical embodiment of the mountain's will, designed to break anyone who dared challenge it.
