As Kael and his party moved closer to the base of the colossal tree, something strange began to emerge from beneath the thick underbrush and decaying foliage. At first, it was just fragments—stone walls half-buried in the earth, crumbling pillars overrun by vines and moss. But the further they pressed into the heart of the forest, the more these ancient ruins began to dominate the landscape.
"What… is this place?" Lireal asked, her voice low as she ran her fingers over a carved stone, its intricate designs worn down by time.
"It looks like a city," Aldric muttered, his eyes scanning the surrounding area, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, as if the remnants of the past might spring to life at any moment.
Kael felt an overwhelming sense of history, as though the very air was heavy with the weight of lives long gone. The buildings, though ruined and crumbling, had once been grand—arches and towers now shattered into pieces, but the craftsmanship still evident in the smooth lines and fading engravings. Some of the structures were so overtaken by the forest that they appeared almost to be part of it—trees growing through walls, roots wrapping around stone like they had always been there.
Then the two researchers, who had been trailing behind for most of the journey, finally caught up. They had been brought along to study the ruins in hopes of finding any traces of what might be the source of the forest's corruption. The older gentleman, Professor Neral, looked particularly excited as he hurried forward, his eyes wide with amazement.
"My gods," he muttered under his breath, his quill furiously scratching across a small leather-bound journal. "This... this is extraordinary! These ruins must be from the High Elven Empire—their peak! I never thought we'd find remnants like this so deep in the wilds. This civilization was supposed to be lost entirely!"
His younger assistant, Elandra, moved beside him, equally engrossed but more measured in her reactions. "The architecture is consistent with the descriptions from the ancient scrolls," she said, kneeling to examine a worn carving of what appeared to be an elven figure, long since faded into obscurity. "But this is much larger than anything we've seen before. This could have been one of their central cities."
Professor Neral barely heard her, his eyes shining with excitement as he muttered to himself, recounting ancient lore. "The elves… at the height of their power, they were unrivaled. Their cities were said to rival even the gods. And here… here it is. One of the lost cities of the High Elven Empire."
The party continued forward, winding through what was once a grand boulevard, though now overrun by roots and debris. Broken statues lay in disrepair, their faces unrecognizable, but their regal postures hinted at a long-forgotten past of glory and dominance.
Nyxara, usually quick with a sharp comment or some insight, remained unusually silent, her eyes tracing the ruins with a kind of reverence. "I've read about this," she finally said, her voice quieter than usual. "The elves used to hold dominion over these lands… back before the corruption. But something happened, and this entire region fell into ruin."
Kael walked beside her, listening to the whispers of mana in the air. The dense energy was almost unbearable now, a constant hum that pressed down on his mind. The further they went, the more overwhelming it became, like the magic that once powered this civilization still pulsed here, twisted and warped by the corruption that had taken root.
As they neared the base of the massive tree, the ruins became even denser. Structures rose higher out of the ground, almost entirely intact in some places. It was as if the forest had swallowed the outer edges of the city, but the center remained preserved, protected by the enormous tree.
"This must have been the heart of the city," Elandra said, her voice filled with awe. "Look at how the tree is integrated into the buildings. It's as if they built around it, or… or perhaps it grew here long after."
Professor Neral glanced at her, scribbling notes with barely contained excitement. "The tree," he muttered, "could be the key. There are legends about a World Tree—ancient elven myths. They said it was the source of their power, their connection to the magical forces of the world."
"Or it could be what's left of their undoing," Aldric added, his voice grim as he eyed the tree with suspicion.
Kael nodded, feeling the truth in Aldric's words. The tree exuded a strange, twisted aura, as though it was both the source of the city's former power and the root of its decay. The thick air made it difficult to think clearly, and Kael could feel the fog of enchantment pressing in on the edges of his mind once more.
The fruits on the tree shimmered faintly, as if calling out to them, but Kael knew better than to trust their beauty. He had already seen what this forest was capable of, and he wasn't about to let his guard down again.
"We're close to something," Kael said, gripping his staff tightly. "Whatever happened here—whatever caused this corruption—it started with that tree."
Nyxara, Lireal, and Aldric exchanged uneasy glances, while the two researchers continued to study the ruins, their excitement undiminished despite the ominous surroundings.
"We should be careful," Nyxara said finally. "Whatever magic this place holds… it's ancient and dangerous. We don't know what we're dealing with."
Kael nodded, his eyes locked on the massive tree ahead. They were on the cusp of discovering something powerful—something that had the potential to either save this forest or doom them all.
And whatever it was, it was waiting for them beneath the tree's ancient branches.