The group emerged from the depths of the Keep, the stale, cold air of the lower chambers giving way to a more temperate atmosphere as they ascended. Their footsteps echoed in the silence, the sound a reminder of their isolation in this ancient and hostile place. As they reached the top of the staircase, Elara paused, taking a moment to gather herself. The encounter in the ritual chamber had left her shaken, though she tried to hide it.
The others were silent as well, each lost in their own thoughts. The Keep was a place of endless danger, but the battle against the dark force had been different—more personal, somehow. It had felt as though the Keep itself was testing not just their strength, but their resolve, their very souls. Elara couldn't shake the feeling that the voice they had heard, the entity they had narrowly kept imprisoned, wasn't done with them yet.
