---
The rumble beneath their feet grew louder, the stone door groaning as if it were coming to life. Kaelen's heart raced, the storm inside him stirring restlessly. He could feel the energy, the same dark power that had been pulling at him since they first set foot in the temple, thrumming through the very air. It was closer now, closer than ever before, and he could almost taste it.
"Hold tight," Garak muttered, gripping his sword tightly. His eyes flicked from the door to Kaelen. "Whatever's behind that door, I'm guessing it's not going to be friendly."
Kaelen didn't respond. Instead, he stared at the door, his senses sharp. The runes glowed brighter now, their ominous light casting strange, flickering shadows that seemed to move on their own. The storm inside Kaelen flared, his skin tingling with the power that surged beneath his feet.
Lira stepped closer, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "This place... it feels wrong. I've seen magic like this before—dark, twisted. Whoever built this temple knew things that no one should know."
Kaelen turned to her, his expression grim. "I think we're about to find out exactly what those things are."
Before anyone could respond, the door let out a loud crack, followed by a massive shift of stone. The runes on its surface burned bright, casting an almost blinding light across the room. And then, with a final screech of grinding stone, the door slid open, revealing a dark, cavernous space beyond.
The air was thick with the smell of decay, and a strange, oppressive silence settled over them. It was as if the entire world was holding its breath, waiting for something—waiting for them.
"Let's go," Kaelen said, his voice low and determined. He took the first step into the darkness, the others following closely behind.
The chamber they entered was vast, far larger than any of the rooms they had passed through in the temple. Massive stone columns rose from the floor like ancient sentinels, their surfaces carved with symbols that seemed to shift as they moved, as if they were alive. At the center of the room was a pedestal, and upon it rested a strange, dark orb, pulsating with an unsettling energy.
Kaelen's pulse quickened. He could feel it—this was the source. The storm within him surged in response, a low, rumbling growl echoing from deep within his chest.
"That's it," Kaelen murmured, his voice barely a whisper. "That's what we've been looking for."
Lira's eyes widened as she took in the orb. "What is it? It looks... ancient."
"It's power," Kaelen said, a twisted smile tugging at his lips. "Unfathomable power. The kind of power that can change everything."
Garak narrowed his eyes. "And what happens if we touch it?"
Kaelen stepped forward, drawn to the orb as if by some unseen force. "We take it," he said, his voice barely above a growl. "We control it."
Lira grabbed his arm, pulling him back before he could reach the pedestal. "Kaelen, wait!" Her grip was strong, but there was fear in her eyes. "You don't know what that thing is. It's dangerous. You felt it, didn't you? That power—it's not something you can control."
Kaelen shook his head, brushing her hand away. "You're wrong. I *can* control it." His eyes glinted with a madness that none of them had seen before. "This is what I've been waiting for. This is what I've been *seeking*."
Dorian, who had been silent up until this point, spoke up. "This doesn't feel right, Kaelen. You've got that look in your eyes, the one you had when we first walked into this place. Are you sure you want to do this?"
Kaelen paused, the storm within him roaring louder, urging him forward. His breath quickened as the temptation gnawed at him. The orb was calling to him, its energy pulsating in rhythm with his heartbeat. He could feel it, feel how it would complete him, how it would give him everything he'd ever wanted.
"I've waited long enough," Kaelen said, his voice low and filled with resolve. "I'm going to take what's mine."
Before anyone could stop him, Kaelen reached forward, his hand hovering over the orb. The moment his fingers brushed against it, the room seemed to explode with energy.
A violent shockwave of raw power surged outward, pushing them all back. Kaelen's body jerked as the orb's energy flooded into him, overwhelming his senses. The storm within him flared, merging with the orb's dark energy, and for a brief moment, he felt as if he were becoming one with it.
But then, something snapped.
The energy within Kaelen twisted, changing form. It was no longer a storm—it was something else, something darker. His vision blurred, and his thoughts became clouded. He could feel the storm slipping away, replaced by an overpowering force, a presence inside him that felt foreign, yet all too familiar.
"No!" Kaelen shouted, struggling to regain control. "This is mine!"
But the power wasn't listening. It was consuming him, seizing his mind, his body, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
The orb's energy began to spread throughout the room, filling every corner, every crack in the stone, until it seemed as though the very walls were alive with it. The air grew thick, charged with a suffocating presence.
Lira, Garak, and Dorian were still reeling from the shockwave, but now they were all on their feet, moving toward Kaelen.
"Kaelen, snap out of it!" Lira cried, her voice filled with panic.
Garak drew his sword. "We need to stop him before it's too late!"
But it was already too late. The storm had taken hold of Kaelen. The orb's power had fused with the rage, the anger, the storm that had always been a part of him—and now, it was unstoppable.
Kaelen's eyes glowed with an unnatural light as the power surged through him, his body trembling with the sheer force of it.
And then, in an instant, everything went dark.
---