The eerie glow of the moon cast long shadows across the deserted corridors of the magic academy as Simon and his companions made their way towards the room with the portals. The night was silent, save for the faint rustle of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl, lending an air of foreboding to their clandestine mission.
As they reached the entrance to the portal room, Simon's heart hammered in his chest, his nerves tingling with anticipation and fear. He glanced at his friends, their expressions grim and determined, their eyes reflecting the flickering torchlight as they exchanged silent nods of solidarity.
With a deep breath, Simon pushed open the door and stepped inside, the dim light of the torches illuminating the room in a soft, golden glow. But as they entered, their eyes were drawn to the sight before them—a series of bloodstains leading towards one of the portals, dark and ominous against the cold stone floor.
Thaddeus frowned, his brow furrowed with concern as he followed the trail of blood with his eyes. "This doesn't look good," he muttered, his voice low and tense.
Alaric nodded in agreement, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword as he scanned the room for any sign of danger. "We need to be careful," he warned, his gaze darting from one shadowed corner to the next.
But before they could react, Simon's attention was drawn to the portal at the center of the room—a swirling vortex of shimmering light that seemed to pulse with a malevolent energy. With a sense of trepidation, he approached the portal, his heart pounding in his chest as he reached out to touch its surface.
As his fingers brushed against the cool, ethereal light, a rush of vertigo swept over him, sending his senses reeling as he was engulfed by a swirling maelstrom of color and sound. And then, in an instant, he found himself standing in a vast, cavernous chamber, its walls lined with rows upon rows of skeletal remains and lifeless bodies.
The air was thick with the stench of decay, and Simon felt a wave of nausea wash over him as he took in the grisly scene before him. The bones were piled haphazardly upon one another, their empty eye sockets staring blankly into the darkness as if accusing him of some unspeakable crime.
"By the gods," Thaddeus breathed, his voice barely a whisper as he surveyed the room in horror. "What...what happened here?"
Alaric's jaw clenched with anger as he examined the remains, his eyes narrowing in disgust. "These are the missing students," he said, his voice grim and determined. "The ones who never returned from their journeys through the portals."
Simon felt a cold shiver run down his spine as he realized the gravity of the situation. The magic academy, once a place of learning and enlightenment, had become a tomb—a graveyard for those who had dared to seek knowledge beyond its walls.
But even as fear gnawed at his heart, Simon knew that they could not turn back now. They had to uncover the truth behind these grisly murders, no matter the cost. And as they stood together in the flickering torchlight, their resolve hardened, their determination burning brighter than ever before. For they knew that they were the only ones who could stop the darkness that lurked within the heart of the magic academy.