As they ascended the steep mountain path, the air grew colder and the wind more biting. The fortress loomed closer with each step, its dark, jagged silhouette stark against the twilight sky. Alaric's senses were on high alert, every rustle of leaves and snap of twigs amplifying the tension. He exchanged a glance with Adrian, whose eyes were also scanning the surroundings with vigilant intensity.
They reached the outer perimeter of the fortress just as darkness fell, the shadows deepening around them. The fortress was an imposing structure, its stone walls covered in creeping vines and moss, and its towers rising like ominous sentinels. The air was thick with an almost palpable sense of dread.
"We need to find a way inside without alerting the guards," Alaric whispered, his voice barely audible over the howling wind.
