The trail leading up to the Crimson Peak wound sharply around the mountain, growing steeper with each step. Barren rock replaced the verdant forest floor, and a sense of stillness settled over them as they left the last of the trees behind.
'We're here...'
Ahead, jagged cliffs towered into the mist, their edges stained a deep, rusty red as if soaked in centuries-old blood. The air grew thinner and colder, biting into their skin as they continued their ascent.
The peak itself seemed to rise out of the fog, almost as if it were a mirage conjured by the land itself. The rocks here were angular and sharp, with strange, natural formations jutting out like the twisted bones of some ancient beast. There was an odd luminescence to the crimson stone, a faint glow that seemed to pulse beneath the surface, as if alive. It was a haunting beauty, one that drew them forward even as it stirred a sense of unease.
