They climbed the stairs in complete darkness, a path that seemed to extend longer than usual, plunging them into a dense and bewildering gloom. Each step resonated in the silence, marking time slowly and heavily, as if the very place resisted being disturbed by their presence. The air, laden with the scent of ancient dust and the moisture of the ages.
Finally, they emerged into the light, finding themselves facing a small temple rising in the distance, bathed in a faint and ethereal light that seemed to emanate from its very structure. Rays of light filtered through cracks in the ceiling, creating a play of shadows and reflections. The floor was littered with small stones, and fine specks of dust floated in the air, as if time itself had stopped in that forgotten place.
