The ruins seemed to breathe with an ancient, malevolent energy as we gathered around the central chamber, the crystal pulsing with a deep, foreboding light in my hands. The air was thick, not just with the humidity of the surrounding forest, but with the tension that had gripped us since we left the safety of the cave. Every step we took into these ruins felt like a descent deeper into a trap we had unknowingly set for ourselves.
Raven knelt by the base of an ancient pillar, tracing her fingers over the worn symbols etched into the stone. "These markings... they're old, Jade. Older than anything we've encountered before," she murmured, her voice filled with a mix of awe and fear. Zara, standing beside her, nodded in agreement as she deciphered the inscriptions, her eyes narrowing in concentration.
