"Let's get out of here before something else tries to stop us," Kaelen said, his voice low but urgent.
They turned to head back, but after only a few steps, the ground shook violently. Stones began to fall from above, crashing to the floor and blocking their path. Dust filled the air as the walls seemed to close in around them.
"It's like the temple doesn't want us to leave," Seraphina muttered, her eyes darting around the shadowy space.
Elysia pointed to a narrow side passage. "Over there! Maybe that path can take us around the rocks."
Without a moment's hesitation, they darted into the corridor, which forced them to walk single file. Kaelen held the sword ahead to light the way, but the path was narrow and dark, and the shadows seemed to grow thicker with each step. Ancient carvings covered the walls, showing warriors locked in battle with dark, twisted shapes. Their faces looked terrified, frozen in time.
"What happened to them?" Elysia whispered, shivering as they passed.
"Let's not stick around to find out," Kaelen replied, holding the sword tighter.
Suddenly, a strange, cold wind blew down the corridor, and an eerie hum filled the air. Shadows started to slither across the walls, forming dark figures that seemed to stretch and reach out towards them.
"Keep moving!" Seraphina shouted, quickening her pace.
They tried to press forward, but the shadows weren't letting go. One of the shadowy figures lunged at Kaelen, its hollow eyes filled with malice. Kaelen swung the sword, its light slicing through the dark form, which vanished with a shrill, ghostly scream. But for every shadow that disappeared, two more seemed to take its place.
"Run!" Kaelen yelled, slashing at the creatures to keep them at bay.
They sprinted down the passage, with shadows clawing at their heels. But before they could escape, the ground opened up in front of them, revealing a deep, dark pit. Kaelen managed to leap across, barely catching his balance on the other side. Seraphina skidded to a stop at the edge, her face pale.
"Jump!" Kaelen reached out his hand.
Seraphina took a deep breath, then leaped. Kaelen grabbed her arm, pulling her to safety just as a shadow reached out to grab her. Elysia, too, prepared to jump, but just as she sprang forward, a shadowy hand snatched her ankle, yanking her back.
"Elysia!" Seraphina screamed, throwing a dagger into the dark figure, which released its hold just in time for Elysia to make the jump. She stumbled forward, gasping, as they all backed away from the pit.
They continued down the corridor, each step bringing them closer to freedom—or so they hoped. But as they turned a corner, they came to a dead end. In front of them was a massive stone door covered in symbols they couldn't read.
"This wasn't here before," Elysia muttered, frustration showing in her eyes.
Kaelen stepped forward, examining the door. Just then, the symbols began to glow, forming words they could read: Prove your worth or be claimed by the temple.
"It's another test," Seraphina said, her voice barely a whisper.
Kaelen took a deep breath and raised the Sword of Aeloria. "Stay back," he told the others, pressing the tip of the blade against the door.
The sword pulsed with light, and slowly, the door began to grind open, revealing another pitch-black passageway. They stepped through, but before they could take a breath, the door slammed shut behind them, trapping them in a small, empty chamber. In the center stood a single pedestal with a crumbling map fragment.
Kaelen picked up the map, the worn markings barely visible. "This…this might show us a way out," he murmured, hope flickering in his eyes.
But as he spoke, the floor started to tremble, and the walls began to move, closing in around them.
"It's a trap!" Elysia shouted, frantically searching for a way out.
Kaelen plunged the sword into the ground. A brilliant light burst from the blade, slowing the walls just long enough for them to spot a narrow opening in the ceiling. Without wasting a second, Kaelen boosted Seraphina up through the gap. She climbed through, reaching down to pull Elysia up next. Kaelen was the last to climb, pulling himself through just as the walls nearly crushed the space they'd been standing in.
They emerged into a long, dark corridor, breathing heavily. Kaelen unfolded the map fragment, noticing faint lines pointing toward what looked like an exit.
"This map… It's leading us somewhere close by," he said, glancing down the corridor. "If we follow it, we might just find our way out—and maybe even get a lead on Thorne."
Together, they pressed on, each step taking them closer to their goal. Shadows lurked on the edges of their vision, but they kept moving, guided by the faint glow of the sword and the hope that freedom was close.
Sunlight filtered weakly through the narrow cracks above, casting faint beams over Kaelen, Seraphina, and Elysia as they moved deeper into the twisting stone corridors. The air grew colder with every step, and the damp, earthy scent around them thickened, making the walls feel as though they were closing in.
Kaelen gripped the Sword of Aeloria tightly, its glow barely piercing the thick shadows. The silence pressed down on them, each sound they made—footsteps, the scrape of metal, the rustle of their cloaks—echoing back like whispers. Seraphina glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes narrowing.
"Kaelen, are you sure this is the way out?" she asked in a low voice, casting a wary look at the walls, which were marked with strange, ancient symbols that seemed to shift and pulse in the dim light.
"It has to be," Kaelen replied, his voice steady, though his grip tightened on the sword. "We don't have another choice."
Just then, the ground beneath them shivered a subtle but unmistakable tremor. Dust drifted down from the ceiling, settling over their hair and shoulders. Elysia's eyes widened as the stones around them began to grind and shift, pressing inward.
"The temple," she whispered, barely breathing. "It's trying to trap us."
Without another word, they broke into a run, racing down the narrow corridor. The walls seemed to close in faster, each step making the passage tighter. The ancient whispers that had once been a faint hum now filled the air, chilling and accusing.
Kaelen's mind raced, each turn revealing another stretch of the endless, unyielding stone. He glanced down at the sword, its light flickering, and felt a strange warmth spread through his hand. Almost as if the blade was guiding him.
"Left!" he called out, turning sharply down another corridor. The others followed, matching his pace as they wove through the temple's labyrinthine passages.
Suddenly, they skidded to a halt. Ahead of them, a massive pit yawned wide, the jagged edges glistening with sharp spikes. The floor beneath them trembled again, a warning that the ground could crumble at any moment.
Kaelen studied the pit, his mind working frantically. "There's a narrow ledge. We can make it across, one at a time. I'll go first."
Seraphina's face was set, her jaw tight as she nodded. They didn't speak, each of them acutely aware of the consequences if they failed. Kaelen took a deep breath, edging onto the narrow ledge. His back was pressed against the cold stone, and his feet moved cautiously, inch by inch. The pit loomed below, a gaping void ready to swallow him whole.
Reaching the other side, he extended a hand to Elysia, who was next. She took his hand, her face pale but determined, and together they braced Seraphina as she followed. When they were all safely across, they shared a look of relief—but only for a second. The whispering had grown louder, echoing angrily around them.
They didn't pause. The sound of their footsteps pounded against the stone as they continued through the temple. They reached a large chamber with a towering statue in the center, its expression fierce, a broken sword clutched in its hand.
The statue's stone eyes flickered to life, glowing with a deep, menacing red. Without warning, it moved, lifting the shattered blade high above its head.
"Get ready!" Kaelen shouted, raising the Sword of Aeloria. His stance was firm, but even he could feel the weight of the stone warrior's gaze.
The statue swung its blade with a deafening crash, each strike hitting the ground with an impact that sent shockwaves through their bodies. Kaelen barely managed to block the blows, the Sword of Aeloria sparking with each clash. His arms ached, but he held his ground, waiting for an opening.
"Kaelen, look!" Seraphina called, pointing to a crack along the statue's back, faint but visible.
Without hesitation, Kaelen lunged forward, his sword slashing through the air. As he drove the Sword of Aeloria into the crack, the statue shuddered, its red eyes dimming. The stone began to crumble, pieces falling away like sand until it collapsed in a heap on the ground.
But before they could catch their breath, the chamber shuddered violently. The walls began to close in around them, stone grinding against stone.
"We have to move!" Elysia shouted, grabbing Seraphina's hand as they ran toward an opening that appeared on the far side of the chamber. They sprinted, their hearts pounding, racing through narrow, winding passageways as the walls seemed to press in, angry and relentless.
As they turned a final corner, a faint light glimmered ahead. It was an exit—freedom. They sprinted toward it, but just as they reached the edge, a chasm split open before them, as if the temple itself was giving one final attempt to keep them trapped.
Kaelen held his breath, his eyes meeting Seraphina's and Elysia's. With determination hardening his gaze, he took a running leap, soaring over the chasm. He landed on the other side, stumbling but steady, and quickly reached back to help the others across.
Finally, with one last pull, they emerged from the temple, their bodies drenched in sweat, hearts racing. They stood there, gasping, the Sword of Aeloria's light fading as they stepped out into the fresh air.
Kaelen looked at his companions, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "We did it," he breathed, though his voice held a weight, an awareness of the battles still to come.
Elysia glanced back at the temple, her expression unreadable. "This sword… it's only the beginning."
Seraphina's eyes narrowed, a fierce determination setting in. "Thorne is out there, and he doesn't know what's coming for him."