As they reached the bottom of the staircase, they found themselves in a vast underground chamber. The walls were adorned with ancient carvings, depicting scenes of battles and rituals. Leo felt a shiver run down his spine as he recognized some of the symbols from the portal research he had done.
"This place is ancient," Sofia said, her voice hushed. "These carvings—some of them are older than the Reclaimers themselves."
Owen was scanning the chamber with a flashlight. "There must be something important here. The Arbiter wouldn't go through all this trouble for nothing."
Evelyn pointed to a large stone altar at the center of the chamber. "Over there. That looks like a ritual site."
Leo nodded, feeling the surge of energy growing stronger as they approached the altar. He knew they had to be careful—this place was filled with dark magic, and any wrong move could trigger something catastrophic.
As they reached the altar, they found signs of a recent ritual. Burned candles, scorched earth, and remnants of strange powders littered the ground. It was clear that the Arbiter's forces had been here recently, and they had left in a hurry.
"We need to find out what they were doing," Sofia said, examining the altar. "If we can understand the ritual, we might be able to predict their next move."
Owen began taking samples of the powders and examining the carvings on the altar. He was careful not to touch anything directly, knowing that the dark magic could be harmful.
Leo felt a presence in the chamber, as if they were being watched. He turned around, scanning the shadows, but saw nothing. The feeling of unease grew stronger, and he knew they had to be on high alert.
As they continued their investigation, a low rumble echoed through the chamber. The ground beneath them began to shake, and the walls trembled. Leo's instincts kicked in, and he shouted for everyone to get back.
The altar cracked open, and a torrent of dark energy erupted from within. It was like a storm of malevolent force, swirling and churning with a dark, ominous presence.
Leo and Sofia raised their weapons, ready to defend themselves. They knew that the Arbiter's influence was still strong, and they had just triggered something far more dangerous than they had anticipated.