Liora could still feel the weight of Selene's presence long after the strange figure had disappeared back into the shadows of the forest. Her words lingered, each syllable like a phantom tugging at her mind.
*Ascend to heights your father never dreamed of.*
Liora shook her head, trying to rid herself of the thoughts. She didn't trust Selene, but the offer had stirred something inside her—a restless energy that she couldn't fully suppress.
She rejoined Kael and Irinya by the campfire, her expression unreadable as her mind churned with doubt and suspicion. Kael glanced up, his dark eyes narrowing slightly.
"Everything all right?" he asked, his tone measured.
Liora nodded, though it was far from the truth. "I needed some air."
Irinya snorted, raising an eyebrow. "Air? Or answers?"
Liora ignored the question, knowing full well that Irinya could sense the turmoil within her. Irinya's arcane abilities were unparalleled, and the two had grown close during their travels. But even with that bond, Liora knew she couldn't confide in anyone—not yet.
"We need to keep moving," she said instead, her voice firm.
Kael's hand tightened on the hilt of his sword. "Agreed. I scouted ahead. There's a pass through the mountains that should lead us out of this forest by tomorrow evening. But we have to move quickly—whoever ambushed us earlier might have reinforcements."
"Reinforcements… or worse," Irinya added cryptically, her gaze lingering on Liora as if
searching for something unsaid.
---
The trio set out at dawn, the first rays of sunlight filtering through the dense canopy
above them. The forest stretched out endlessly in all directions, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and ancient trees. It was as if the world had forgotten this place—a stretch of wilderness untouched by time.
The narrow mountain pass Kael had mentioned was rugged and perilous, the path
barely wide enough for them to travel single file. Sharp cliffs loomed on either side, jagged rocks reaching toward the sky like the broken teeth of some long-dead beast.
Liora led the way, her senses on high alert. Every step felt heavy, her mind replaying
the encounter with Selene over and over again. She tried to push it away, focusing instead on the rhythmic sound of her boots crunching against the gravel.
"I don't like this," Irinya said, her voice barely above a whisper. She trailed behind Liora, her silver hair gleaming in the morning light. "This pass feels… unnatural."
Kael, who brought up the rear, grunted in agreement. "There's something wrong about this place. The air is too still."
Liora had noticed it too. There were no birds, no signs of wildlife. The forest was eerily silent, the kind of silence that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
Suddenly, a distant rumble echoed through the valley, the sound reverberating off the cliffs. Liora froze, her heart skipping a beat as the ground beneath her feet trembled.
"An earthquake?" Kael asked, his voice sharp with concern.
"No," Liora said, her eyes scanning the horizon. "That wasn't natural."
The rumble grew louder, the very earth quaking beneath them now. And then, out of
the corner of her eye, she saw it—a shadow moving in the distance. Something massive, too fast and too large to be anything from this realm.
"Move!" Liora shouted, sprinting down the narrow path as the rumble transformed into a
deafening roar.
---
The
ground beneath them gave way as a colossal creature erupted from the earth, its body made of twisted stone and molten lava. It towered over them, easily thirty feet tall, with eyes that glowed like fiery embers. Its maw opened in a snarl, releasing a sound that was somewhere between a roar and the cracking of the earth itself.
"What in the hells is that?!" Irinya yelled, her hands already alight with arcane energy.
"A guardian!" Kael shouted back, unsheathing his sword. "It must be protecting the pass!"
Liora's mind raced as she dodged a massive swipe from the creature's stone-clad arm. *A
guardian?* She had heard of such things—ancient beings bound to protect sacred or forgotten places, often from the time when gods and demons walked the earth. But why here? Why now?
"We can't fight that thing!" Irinya shouted, unleashing a barrage of arcane bolts that barely scratched the creature's rocky hide.
"Then we go through!" Kael yelled, slashing at the creature's leg to distract it.
Liora's heart pounded in her chest as she darted forward, her mind working through their options. The pass was too narrow to fight properly, and the creature was far too powerful to defeat in open combat. They had to outrun it, but its massive form blocked the way ahead.
"We need to split up!" Liora called to her companions. "Kael, lead it toward the cliffs.
Irinya, get ready to collapse part of the pass behind us!"
Kael gave a curt nod and charged at the beast, his sword flashing in the sunlight. Irinya, already understanding Liora's plan, began weaving a spell, her hands glowing with violet light.
The creature roared in fury as Kael slashed at its legs, drawing its attention away from Liora and Irinya. With a speed that belied its size, the guardian lunged at Kael, its massive arm crashing down where he had stood just moments before.
"Now!" Liora shouted as she sprinted toward the opening ahead.
Irinya unleashed her spell, and the earth trembled once more as part of the cliff face
crumbled, sending a cascade of rocks tumbling down to block the path behind them. The beast roared in frustration, its glowing eyes burning with fury as it found itself cut off from its prey.
Liora, Kael, and Irinya didn't stop running until they were far beyond the reach of the guardian, the sounds of its rage fading into the distance.
---
Hours passed as they continued their journey, their pace slower now, but no less urgent. The narrow pass eventually opened up into a valley, the air cooler and the land more desolate.
"Where are we?" Irinya asked, glancing around at the barren landscape. "This place feels… wrong."
Liora didn't answer right away. She could feel it too—the same oppressive energy she
had felt when Selene had spoken to her. Something was drawing her forward, pulling her deeper into the unknown.
"There," Kael said, pointing ahead.
In the distance, half-hidden by the mists that clung to the valley floor, stood a structure—a massive temple of dark stone, its spires reaching toward the sky like skeletal fingers. It was ancient, far older than anything Liora had ever seen, and yet it felt oddly familiar.
"We're not supposed to be here," Irinya muttered, her voice tinged with unease. "This
place is wrong. It feels… cursed."
Liora stepped forward, her gaze fixed on the temple. "No. This is where we're meant to be."
She didn't know how she knew, but the pull was undeniable. This temple—this forgotten place—was tied to her destiny. She could feel it in her very bones.
"We should turn back," Kael said, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "This place reeks of dark magic."
But Liora was already moving toward the temple, her steps purposeful and unyielding.
"We're not turning back."
---
The entrance to the temple was massive, its towering stone doors etched with ancient runes that glowed faintly in the dim light. Liora could feel the power radiating from them, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Irinya hesitated at the threshold, her eyes wide with apprehension. "Liora… I don't think we should go inside."
Liora placed a hand on the stone door, feeling the energy surge through her. It was dark, yes, but it wasn't malevolent. It was raw power—pure, unshaped, and waiting to be claimed.
"This is it," Liora said softly, her voice filled with certainty. "This is what I've been searching for."
With a deep breath, she pushed the door open, the ancient stone creaking as it swung
inward.
Beyond the doorway lay a vast chamber, its walls lined with intricate carvings of long-forgotten gods and demons. At the center of the chamber, bathed in an eerie, ethereal light, stood a massive altar, upon which rested a single, gleaming artifact—a black crystal, pulsing with dark energy.
Liora's heart raced as she approached the altar. This was it. The power Selene had spoken of. The key to reclaiming everything she had lost—and more.
She reached out, her hand trembling as her fingers brushed against the cold surface of the crystal.
The moment she touched it, the chamber exploded with light, and Liora was engulfed
in a torrent of energy unlike anything she had ever felt before.
The power surged through her, filling every fiber of her being, and in that moment, she
understood.
This was only the beginning.