One evening, the group in the sanctuary's main hall witnessed something most unusual-the grounds became covered with a dense mist that shrouded the sanctuary in an eerie silence. The mist seemed alive, curling around buildings and slipping through cracks and under doors, giving an unnatural, chilling sense.
Lily felt a tugging on her mind, as if something called to her within the fog. She sensed it was some sort of portal and an opening between realms.
"We have to enter," she said, her words strong but with an uneasy tone.
Clara, Marcus, and a few others volunteered to follow her, their faces serious as they stepped into the fog.
The world outside the sanctuary dissolved into a gray, ethereal landscape; they seemed to enter another dimension. Shadows flickered at the periphery of their vision, whispering secrets into ears that send shivers down their spines.
They walked slowly, close, to the center of this misty landscape. There they found a stone altar covered in ancient, mysterious symbols. The air became cold, and the mist took the shape of a huge figure shrouded in darkness.
Lily's heart was pounding as she realized what they were dealing with.
"The Harbinger," she whispered, hardly able to breathe.
The figure turned to face them, its face lost in darkness. It raised a bony hand, pointing straight at Lily. "Bearer of light," it croaked, its voice echoing like the tolling of a bell. "Your flame is a spark that threatens to burn the world".
The words of the Harbinger left her in a freeze, but she didn't move an inch back to show it. "I won't let you have this place. Its people won't let you either."
The Harbinger laughed, laughter twisting air about them. "You are strong, but each light casts a shadow. And within that shadow is where I find my home.".
Summoning a vortex of darkness, the Harbinger swept a hand in an arc across the group. Flickering shadows pressed in on them with hostility, and each one showed a fear, an insecurity. Lily tried to breathe, but the light faded from her vision as if the shadows were about to engulf her.
"Stay strong!" Clara cut through the darkness like a lifeline of hope. "Remember who we are, what we've fought for!"
She turned and closed her eyes to seek the light that had led her this far. There was a spark of warmth, a memory of her grandmother's love and Elysia's guiding hand, as well as friends standing by her side.
Holding a fierce cry, she sent that light pouring through the vortex in a brilliant radiance that shattered the shadows; it forced the Harbinger to recoil.
The mist cleared and they were back at the sanctuary, gulping for air. They all felt shaken by it. Yet because of that, their bond was strengthened. They got to see into the depths of the Harbinger - what he could do - and they knew that they had a lot to prepare for.