Me!!
"Are you guys joking?" Dan asked, his voice laced with disbelief as he looked at the others' faces.
"I mean, I can go in first, sure... but, actually, why not the middle? You all saw the portal trial we just went through.
I was the weakest one there, and now you're suggesting I go into a danger zone first?
Seriously? Serena, weren't you the one who said this place screams danger zone?!"
He turned to Lyra, gesturing animatedly. "If anyone should go first, it should be you, Lyra. You survived that portal trial alone...easily, might I add.
That thing was at least twice as deadly as whatever this temple has to offer."
Lyra shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel. "I wonder what the Gods were thinking when they decided to leave you with us."
Dan smirked. "I wasn't 'left' with you, Madam Perfect. We're just traveling in the same direction.
Maybe the Gods found that intriguing, so they joined us together."
Before Lyra could retort, Elias, who had been silent through the bickering, stepped forward. Without a word, he entered the temple.
Dan blinked. "Well, there you go. A real man has stepped up. Guess I'm safe now.
He looks strong enough to handle whatever's inside."
Serena rolled her eyes but followed Elias cautiously, with Lyra close behind.
Dan, unsurprisingly, positioned himself squarely between Lyra and Serena, muttering something about "strategy."
The moment all four of them entered, the bridge of light they had crossed vanished in an instant..whoosh....as if it had never existed.
The temple's interior erupted with a sudden crimson glow, casting eerie shadows that danced along the walls.
"Look over there," Dan whispered, pointing ahead.
Something faintly glimmered in the distance, suspended in midair, faint pulses of light radiating from it.
"What's that?" Serena asked.
"Let's check it out," Elias suggested, his voice calm but firm.
They moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing ominously in the vast space.
The air felt heavy, like the temple was watching them. When they reached the source of the glow, they found a single, floating gem, radiating a mesmerizing crimson hue.
"It's... beautiful," Dan said, awestruck.
"Maybe this is it.
Maybe this is the temple's secret, and we don't have to fight anything."
He turned to the others with a hopeful grin.
"What do you think?"
Lyra frowned. "It can't be that easy. You know better than that, Dan."
"Yeah," Elias agreed. "If something looks too good to be true..."
Dan waved dismissively. "You guys are always so stiff. Not everything ends in a fight, you know.
Maybe this time, we just take the gem and leave."
He stepped forward, ignoring Lyra's sharp intake of breath.
"Dan, don't touch it!" Serena snapped. "We don't know what it is or why it's floating there.
There's something else powering this temple...I can feel it. That gem isn't the source."
"You don't control me," Dan shot back, stretching out his hand. "I'll prove there's nothing to worry about."
His fingers wrapped around the gem, and for a moment, nothing happened. The air was still.
Dan turned to face them, grinning triumphantly. "See? I told you guys….."
WHAM!
Something struck him from behind with incredible force, sending him flying across the room like a rag doll. He slammed into the temple wall with a bone-jarring thud, the gem clattering to the ground.
"Dan!" Serena yelled, rushing toward him. "Can you hear me?"
Dan raised a shaky hand and gave a weak thumbs-up, unable to speak.
Dan, still sprawled on the floor, let out a weak laugh. "You guys... got this. I'll just... supervise."
"Useless as always," Lyra muttered.
Elias, Lyra, and Serena drew their weapons, forming a protective triangle around Dan.
"What was that?" Lyra demanded, scanning the room.
"There!" Elias barked.
A stone-like tendril lashed out from the darkness
WHOOSH!
CRACK!....barely missing Serena, who stumbled and fell.
The tendril slammed into the ground with enough force to leave a dent, sending tiny shards of stone flying.
The walls of the temple began to groan and shift, the sound like grinding gears.
Slowly, the stone rearranged itself, forming massive figures that loomed over them.
"Figures. It had to be golems," Lyra muttered under her breath, gripping her weapon tightly.
The stone figures, shaped like beasts and humanoid warriors, stood motionless for a moment, their glowing eyes fixed on the intruders.
"They're not moving," Elias said cautiously, his eyes darting between the towering figures. "Maybe they're just guardians…..statues meant to scare us."
"Stay alert," Lyra warned. "The last time someone said that, they got blasted across the room."
Before she could finish, the dragon-shaped golem to their right rumbled to life. Its massive maw opened, spewing fire with a deafening roar…
WHOOSH!
"Down!" Lyra shouted, sweeping her leg out and knocking Serena and Elias to the ground just in time.
The flames passed mere inches above them, the heat licking at their skin.
The three lay still for a moment, catching their breath.
"You could've called out instead of sweeping us like that," Serena grumbled, rubbing her elbow as she got up.
"You wouldn't have reacted in time," Lyra shot back, standing and keeping her eyes on the dragon golem. "That was the only way to keep you alive."
"Well, thanks for the bruises," Elias muttered, brushing dirt off his shirt. "But I'll take those over being roasted alive."
"Dan was lucky," Serena added, glancing at him.
He was still slumped against the wall, the fire having missed him entirely because he hadn't managed to stand up yet. "If he was on his feet, he'd be extra crispy by now."
He caused all this though.
Dan groaned weakly. "Don't blame me... How do we even know this is my fault? This could just be the temple's trial!"
"It's your fault because you didn't listen," Lyra snapped. "Everything was fine until you grabbed that gem!"
Before Dan could respond, the humanoid golems surrounding the room came to life.
One of them raised its arm, and sharp-edged stones shot toward them at blinding speed…
swish! swish! swish!
Elias reacted instantly, activating a skill. "Instinctive Dodge!"
He sidestepped the first projectile, deflecting it with his sword, which rang out with a metallic clang!
The second stone was knocked away with a clean parry, while the third grazed his arm.
"They're fast," Elias growled, wincing. "Stay sharp!"
The others moved into position, fending off the projectiles as best they could.
Lyra's blade moved in precise arcs, slicing through the stones before they could reach her.
Serena summons her dagger, its shimmering light deflecting several shards in quick succession…
ping! ping! ping!
"Keep moving!" Lyra yelled. "If we stay still, we're dead!"
The barrage continued, relentless and unyielding.
The sound of stones shattering against their weapons and Serena's dagger filled the air.
Despite their best efforts, the group was slowly being pushed back.
Dan, still recovering on the ground, let out a weak yelp as a stray shard nicked his arm.
"Could someone help me already?!" he shouted, his voice cracking.
"Stop whining and stay down!" Lyra barked. "You'll just get in the way!"
As suddenly as it began, the barrage stopped.
The golems stood still once more, their glowing eyes dimming slightly.
"Everyone okay?" Elias asked, breathing heavily.
"Define 'okay,'" Serena muttered, lowering her dagger. "That was insane."