A cloudy morning enveloped Eldoria as Lucas, Finn, Evelyn, and Kael gathered at a quiet corner of the city, far from the crowds. A cool breeze blew gently, carrying a damp air that made everything feel a little gloomier."We have to move now, before anyone notices us," said Kael, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "The entrance to the hidden temple is under the old storage building near the market. That place is often used to move their dark goods.""The sooner we get there, the better," said Lucas, gripping his sword tighter. "Are there any guards around the storage building?""There are, but they're not very vigilant in the morning. Most of them are on guard more closely at night," replied Kael, his voice steady."Sounds like our best chance," said Evelyn. "What about our plan if something doesn't go as planned?""We'll use the Smoke Bomb to obscure their vision and retreat immediately. We'll save the Barrier Stone for emergencies," replied Finn, his eyes shining with enthusiasm.Lucas nodded in agreement. "Alright, let's move."They began walking towards the old storage building, following Kael who led the way. The narrow alleys behind the market became increasingly deserted, with only a few people in sight, mostly workers who didn't pay attention to them."Stay calm, don't attract attention," whispered Kael as they approached the old building with its dull, mossy stone walls.They saw two black-robed guards standing in front of the entrance to the storage building, seemingly chatting casually while occasionally glancing around. Finn signaled to the others to stop."We can either attack them silently or try to distract them," whispered Finn. "What do you think?""Better to take them out quickly and quietly. If we attract attention, they might call for reinforcements," replied Evelyn, holding her magic staff tightly."I can handle one guard, Finn can handle the other. Evelyn and Kael stay behind, keep watch," said Lucas.Finn nodded, ready with his knife. "Okay, let's do this."With silent movements, Lucas and Finn approached the two guards from behind. Lucas waited until the closer guard turned around, then quickly muffled the guard with his hand and pressed his sword to his neck. Finn, on the other hand, threw his throwing knife right into the throat of the second guard before he could make a sound. Both guards fell silently."Good, we made it," whispered Lucas, looking around."Quickly go inside before anyone sees," urged Kael. They all quickly entered the dark and damp storage building.The room inside was filled with large wooden crates and piles of dusty sacks. The light from a small window above the door provided dim illumination. Lucas signaled to stay quiet, then led them deeper into the room."There's a ladder down at the back, there's where we can enter the temple," said Kael, pointing to the dark corner of the room.They moved quickly and cautiously, avoiding making any noise that could attract attention. Finn took the lead, checking every corner before signaling it was safe to continue. As they approached the old wooden ladder leading underground, the air became colder and the damp smell grew stronger."We have to go down one by one. The ladder looks fragile," whispered Evelyn. She produced a small light magic from the palm of her hand to illuminate the way."Okay, I'll go first," said Lucas. He stepped down slowly, making sure each step was strong enough to support his weight.One by one, they carefully descended the ladder, maintaining a distance so as not to overload the ladder at once. Below, they found a narrow stone corridor stretching forward, lit by a few torches attached to the wall. The sound of their footsteps echoed, making the atmosphere even more tense."This temple is built underground, so we might encounter more guards inside," said Kael, his voice low but clear."The deeper we go, the more careful we have to be," Lucas suggested. "Keep formation, and don't get separated."They walked along the winding corridor, passing cold and damp stone walls. The air grew thicker, as if signaling that something bad was waiting ahead. After a few minutes, they heard faint voices in the distance."Wait," whispered Evelyn. "Did you hear that?""Sounds like singing... or chanting?" asked Finn, his face serious."Yes, it's the sound of a ritual," Kael nodded. "They're doing something. We have to hurry."They quickened their pace, but remained vigilant. When they approached the open room at the end of the corridor, the sound of chanting became clearer. A strange purple light emitted from the room, vibrating along the corridor walls.Lucas slowed down and signaled the others to stop. "I'll take a peek first," he whispered. He crept to the edge of the large stone door that was half open and peered inside."What do you see?" asked Finn softly, his body pressed against the wall."They're in there. About twelve people, surrounding a ritual circle. It seems their leader is in the middle, leading the ceremony," replied Lucas, his eyes fixed on the scene."How about the guards?" asked Evelyn."There are four armed guards around the room. They look alert," replied Lucas."We can use the Smoke Bomb to confuse them and attack their leader quickly," suggested Kael. "If we can stop the leader, the others might panic.""Agreed. We have to attack quickly and mercilessly," replied Lucas. "Evelyn, prepare an offensive spell for the first attack. Finn, use the Smoke Bomb as soon as we enter."They all nodded in agreement, taking their positions. Finn reached into his pocket and took out the Smoke Bomb, while Evelyn prepared her spell at the end of her staff. Kael drew his sword, his face full of determination."Now!" shouted Lucas.Finn threw the Smoke Bomb into the middle of the room. Thick smoke immediately filled the air, causing the guards and cult members to cough and lose sight. Evelyn swung her staff."Lightning Spear!" shouted Evelyn. A lightning bolt shot towards one of the guards, knocking him down and rendering him motionless.Lucas and Kael ran forward, directing their attacks at the cult leader in the center of the circle. The leader, a man in a purple robe with a strange symbol on his forehead, responded quickly."You dare disturb our sacred ceremony!" shouted the cult leader, his face filled with rage. He raised his ritual staff high and chanted a spell."Cover me!" shouted Lucas as he approached the ritual circle. Finn and Kael immediately engaged the remaining guards, while Lucas targeted the cult leader."Frost Nova!" shouted Evelyn, causing ice to explode from beneath the guards' feet, freezing them in place.The cult leader managed to complete his spell. A blast of dark energy shot from his staff, targeting Lucas. With a quick reflex, Lucas raised the Celestial Shield (Tier A) in his hand.The blue glow from the shield deflected the dark energy, sending it back to the cult leader. The man was thrown backwards, hit by his own attack. The ritual circle was disrupted, and the purple light around it began to flicker and fade."Now! Destroy the circle!" shouted Lucas.Evelyn, Finn, and Kael ran towards the ritual circle, attacking with full force. Lucas slashed at the symbols drawn on the floor with his sword, while the others disrupted the circle with magic attacks and weapons.Panicked screams came from the remaining cult members as they watched their ritual circle being destroyed. They tried to escape, but some of the guards who were still conscious tried to fight back."Finish them!" shouted Kael, running towards one of the guards and fighting with furious determination.Finn and Lucas joined him, and together they managed to subdue the remaining guards. When the smoke began to clear, they stood in the middle of the room filled with the bodies of the defeated guards and cult members."We managed to stop their ritual," said Evelyn, although her voice was filled with exhaustion. "But they must have other plans.""That's right. This is just one of their places," said Kael, taking a deep breath. "We have to find more clues here."Lucas looked at the unconscious cult leader. "Let's take him with us. He might have answers to all of this."They tied up the unconscious cult leader and began searching for more clues in the temple. They knew that this was just the beginning, and a bigger battle against the dark forces that threatened Eldoria awaited them.