The moment the figure's eyes met Kael's, the cavern seemed to collapse in on itself. The very air vibrated with an energy that felt ancient, like the earth itself was waking from a long slumber. Kael's grip on his sword tightened, and Morgana's hand reached for the amulet hanging around her neck, her fingers tracing its edges as she prepared herself for what was to come.
The figure, cloaked in shadows, let out another deep laugh—this one filled with an eerie sense of triumph. "You do not understand, do you?" it intoned, its voice low and resonant, each syllable making the stone beneath their feet hum with unnatural power. "You have no idea of the forces you are meddling with. This mountain is not merely rock and earth. It is a prison, a ward, holding back what should never be freed."
