The trio stumbled into the temple, their breaths ragged, hearts pounding like war drums against their chests. The storm outside raged with unrelenting fury, its howling winds tearing through the forest, uprooting trees, and sending debris flying. The ground quaked beneath their feet, and the relentless rain poured in torrents, filling the air with the smell of wet earth and despair.
As they crossed the threshold of the ancient structure, the oppressive atmosphere thickened. The inside of the temple was a grotesque tableau of death and decay. Massive, jagged columns stretched toward the ceiling like skeletal fingers, and the walls were covered in grotesque carvings depicting scenes of violence and suffering. The air was thick with the stench of rot, and the faint glow of phosphorescent moss cast an eerie green light over the chamber.
But what made their blood run cold were the creatures waiting for them.
The beings guarding the temple were abominations, far more horrifying than the beasts they had encountered outside. They stood at least eight feet tall, their hunched forms twisted and monstrous. Their bodies were a patchwork of raw, glistening flesh and jagged, bone-like protrusions that jutted out at odd angles. Each creature's face was a ghastly mask of terror, with hollow eyes that burned like molten lava and mouths filled with rows of serrated teeth dripping with viscous black saliva.
Their limbs were unnaturally long and spindly, ending in clawed hands capable of rending flesh from bone with a single swipe. Their movements were jerky and unnatural, as if they were marionettes controlled by some unseen, malevolent force. As the trio entered, the creatures turned their glowing eyes toward them, their guttural growls reverberating through the chamber like a death knell.
The storm outside seemed to echo their rage, the winds screaming in unison with the creatures' guttural roars.
"We can't stay here!" Alex shouted, his voice barely audible over the storm and the creatures' growls. "Run deeper into the temple!"
But their path was blocked as the creatures lunged forward. Bella's scream echoed through the chamber as one of the monstrosities swiped at her, missing her by inches. Her eyes fell on a rusted sword lying among the rubble, and she grabbed it with trembling hands.
"I'm not dying here!" Bella declared, her voice laced with defiance.
Alex and Ethan exchanged a look before spotting two more swords discarded nearby. They snatched them up, their grip unsteady but determined.
The first creature lunged at Alex, its talons aiming for his throat. With a desperate swing, Alex deflected the blow, the impact vibrating up his arm. Ethan, meanwhile, drove his sword into the side of another creature, but it barely flinched, pulling itself free with a sickening squelch.
"They're too strong!" Ethan yelled, parrying a strike from a second beast.
"They can be killed!" Bella shouted, her blade slicing through the arm of one creature. Dark, tar-like blood sprayed across the floor as the beast howled in agony.
In the chaos, Ethan's eyes were drawn to an ancient inscription carved into the temple wall, illuminated by the flickering green light. The words were in a language he didn't fully understand, but a strange force compelled him to read it. The words burned into his mind like a brand:
"To end the game, the temple must fall. Only fire cleanses the curse."
"Ethan, what are you doing?!" Alex screamed as he narrowly avoided a swipe from another creature.
"I've figured it out!" Ethan yelled, dodging a blow and stumbling toward Alex and Bella. "We have to destroy the temple. It's the only way to end this!"
"Destroy the temple?!" Alex spat, his voice tinged with disbelief. "How are we supposed to do that with these things trying to kill us?"
"We'll figure it out!" Bella shouted, slashing at another beast and driving it back.
The creatures closed in, their numbers overwhelming. Ten monstrous forms surrounded them, their snarls echoing through the chamber. Alex swung his blade wildly, barely keeping one of the beasts at bay. Bella fought with a ferocity born of desperation, her strikes calculated and precise despite her fear. Ethan, though less skilled, fought with unrelenting determination, his blade slicing through the thick air as he fended off another creature.
One beast lunged at Bella, its claws raking across her arm. She cried out in pain but retaliated with a savage swing of her sword, severing its head in one clean strike. Dark blood splattered across her face, but she didn't flinch, her resolve unshaken.
Another creature leapt at Ethan, pinning him to the ground. Its gaping maw descended toward his throat, but Alex intervened, driving his blade through the creature's back. It let out a deafening screech before collapsing in a lifeless heap.
"We can't keep this up!" Bella shouted, panting heavily. "We need a plan!"
Ethan's mind raced as he dodged another attack. His eyes fell on the temple's crumbling pillars, their bases cracked and weak. An idea formed—a desperate, insane idea, but it was all they had.
"The pillars!" Ethan yelled. "If we bring them down, the whole place will collapse!"
"Are you insane?!" Alex snapped, his sword clashing against a beast's claws. "We'll be buried alive!"
"It's the only way!" Ethan insisted. "Bella, help me!"
Without waiting for Alex's approval, Bella joined Ethan at one of the pillars. Together, they hacked at the cracked stone, their swords striking sparks as chunks of rubble fell away. The creatures, sensing their intent, grew more frenzied, their attacks becoming more vicious.
Alex, despite his doubts, turned his attention to another pillar, his strikes fueled by a mix of fear and determination.
As the trio hacked at the pillars, the temple began to tremble. Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling, and the creatures faltered, their movements growing sluggish. With a final, powerful strike, Bella and Ethan brought their pillar down. The structure groaned in protest before collapsing in a deafening roar.
"Move! Now!" Alex shouted as the ground beneath them began to shake violently.
The trio sprinted toward the temple's entrance, the remaining creatures in disarray as the structure crumbled around them. Stones fell from above, narrowly missing them as they raced against the collapse.
Finally, they burst out into the storm, the temple collapsing behind them in a cloud of dust and rubble. The creatures' guttural roars were silenced as they were buried beneath the debris, and the storm began to abate, its unnatural fury dissipating.
The trio collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, their bodies bruised and battered but alive. The storm had passed, leaving the forest eerily silent. The ancient book lay beside Alex, its pages fluttering in the wind.
"We did it," Bella whispered, her voice trembling. "It's over."
Ethan nodded, though his expression was grim. "Something tells me it's not over."
*****
The storm had passed, leaving the forest eerily silent, but a heavy sense of unease still lingered in the air. Alex, Ethan, and Bella lay on the wet ground, gasping for breath as the weight of their escape settled over them. The ruined temple behind them was a pile of rubble, its monstrous inhabitants buried beneath stone and dust.
"It's over," Bella whispered shakily, her voice barely audible.
Ethan nodded, but his expression was far from relieved. His gaze shifted to the ancient book lying beside Alex, its pages fluttering unnaturally in the breeze. Something felt wrong—terribly wrong.
Alex picked up the book, frowning. "Why... why aren't we back? We destroyed the temple. We survived. We should be back in the real world."
Ethan froze, his heart pounding in his chest. He scanned the surroundings, his pulse quickening as realization struck. "This isn't right. We're not supposed to still be here."
Suddenly, Bella groaned, clutching her stomach. Her face twisted in agony as she doubled over, her breaths coming out in ragged gasps.
"Bella?!" Ethan rushed to her side. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
She didn't respond. Instead, she began retching violently, a horrifying sound that made Alex's blood run cold. Dark blood spilled from her mouth, thick and viscous, pooling on the ground. Maggots squirmed within the crimson liquid, writhing as though alive.
"Bella!" Alex shouted, trying to hold her steady. But her body twitched uncontrollably, her screams turning into guttural sobs.
"I don't want to die!" she cried, her voice breaking with desperation. "I want to survive!"
Her pleas were cut short as her body convulsed violently, her limbs bending at unnatural angles. The sound of cracking bones echoed through the clearing. Her skin grew pale and stretched taut, her eyes bulging and darkening until they were black pits. Her jaw unhinged grotesquely, rows of sharp, jagged teeth replacing her human ones.
"She's... changing," Alex whispered, his voice trembling. "Oh my god, the creatures' bite—it's a curse. If they bite you, you're finished."
Ethan stumbled backward, his eyes wide with horror. "Bella... no. No, this can't be happening!"
The transformation completed in a sickening instant. Bella—or what was once Bella—let out a blood-curdling screech, her monstrous form lunging toward them with terrifying speed.
"Run!" Alex yelled, grabbing Ethan's arm and pulling him away.
They sprinted through the dense forest, the creature that was Bella chasing them relentlessly. Her guttural snarls echoed through the trees, joined by the shrieking cries of other monstrosities roused by her transformation. The ground quaked as a gigantic creature emerged from the ruins, its grotesque body swarming with smaller abominations.
"They've found us!" Ethan shouted, his voice filled with panic.
Alex tightened his grip on Ethan's hand, his resolve hardening. "There!" he pointed toward a structure silhouetted against the dark sky—a crumbling building with a glowing portal at its peak.
"That's our way out!" Alex shouted.
The two raced toward the building, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. The shrieking creatures closed in, their clawed hands reaching for the two humans like predators hungry for prey.
As they reached the base of the building, Alex felt a searing pain shoot through his leg. He stumbled, glancing down to see a creature's teeth sinking into his exposed flesh. Blood poured from the wound as the beast tore into him, its claws raking against his skin.
"Alex!" Ethan screamed, his voice breaking with fear. He grabbed Alex's arm, trying to pull him away from the creatures swarming him. "Don't you dare give up on me!"
Alex gritted his teeth against the pain, forcing himself to stand. But the creatures were relentless, clawing and biting at him. "Ethan... go. Get to the portal."
"I'm not leaving you!" Ethan shouted, his eyes filled with tears. He swung his blade wildly, slashing at the creatures with a ferocity born of desperation. One creature let out a high-pitched screech as Ethan drove the blade through its skull, momentarily dispersing the horde.
Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, Alex staggered forward, leaning heavily on Ethan. The portal was only a few feet away, its swirling light offering the promise of salvation.
But Alex's strength gave out. He collapsed to the ground, his body weakened by the blood loss and the infection spreading through him. "I can't... go on," he gasped, his voice barely a whisper.
"Yes, you can!" Ethan yelled, tears streaming down his face. He crouched beside Alex, lifting him onto his shoulders. "You're not dying here. Not like this."
With a final burst of energy, Ethan carried Alex toward the portal. The creatures surged forward, their roars deafening as they closed in. One lunged at Ethan, its claws grazing his arm, but he swung his blade with precision, felling it in a single strike.
The portal's light engulfed them as Ethan leapt through, dragging Alex with him. The creatures' furious howls faded as the world around them shifted, the oppressive darkness giving way to blinding light.