As the group stood in the grand entrance hall, they suddenly realized that Halven was nowhere to be found. They exchanged worried glances, and Kurten took a step forward, his voice low and concerned.
"Guys, where's Halven?"
Lyra's eyes scanned the area, her brow furrowed in worry. "I thought he was right behind us."
Arin shook his head. "I haven't seen him since we entered the city."
Sophia's voice was laced with concern. "We have to find him. This city feels...off."
Just as they were about to start searching for Halven, the door behind them swung open, and Halven walked through, a nonchalant smile on his face.
Kurten's eyes narrowed. "What happened, Halven? Why were you back there?"
Halven's smile grew wider, but his eyes seemed...different. "Was just admiring the tome," he said, his voice a little too casual. "It's awesome."
Lyra's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "The tome? What do you mean?"
Halven's gaze drifted off, his eyes clouding over for a moment before he refocused. "Just...the architecture, I guess. The city's really something, isn't it?"
Arin raised an eyebrow. "Dude, you're acting weird. What's going on?"
Halven's smile faltered for a moment, and he looked...haunted. But then, his expression smoothed out, and he shrugged. "Nothing, guys. Just a little...distracted, that's all."
Sophia's eyes locked onto Halven's, her gaze piercing. "Halven, is everything okay? You're not...acting like yourself."
Halven's laughter was a little too loud, a little too forced. "I'm fine, Sophia. Really. Let's just...keep exploring, okay?"
The group exchanged uneasy glances, sensing that something was off about Halven's behavior. But they didn't press the issue, not yet. Instead, they nodded, and together, they continued their journey into the heart of the ancient city.
As they ventured deeper into the city, the group encountered a series of eerie, abandoned market stalls. The air was thick with the scent of decay and forgotten memories.
Sophia wandered ahead, her footsteps echoing off the buildings. "Guys, look at this," she called out, her voice barely above a whisper.
The group gathered around her, finding themselves in front of a massive, ancient mirror. The mirror's surface was cloudy and distorted, like a window into a different world.
Halven's eyes locked onto the mirror, and for a moment, he seemed to be transfixed. Kurten's hand instinctively went to Halven's shoulder, as if to snap him out of his trance.
But Halven didn't flinch. Instead, he raised a hand, his fingers brushing against the mirror's surface. The cloudy glass seemed to ripple and clear, revealing a vision of a dark, twisted forest.
"What is this place?" Lyra breathed, her eyes fixed on the mirror.
Halven's voice was low and hypnotic. "This is the reflection of our souls. This is what lies within."
The group exchanged uneasy glances, sensing that Halven was revealing more than he intended. But before they could ask questions, the mirror's surface began to distort and ripple once more, hiding the vision from view.
As the mirror's surface returned to its cloudy state, Halven's eyes seemed to glaze over, and he stumbled backward, as if he had been pulled away from the mirror by an unseen force.
Kurten caught him by the arm, steadying him. "Halven, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice low and concerned.
Halven's eyes refocused, and he shook his head, as if clearing cobwebs. "I...I don't know," he stammered. "I just felt...pulled...toward something."
Lyra's eyes narrowed. "Pulled toward what?" she asked, her voice sharp with concern.
Halven hesitated, his eyes darting around the group as if searching for answers. "I don't know," he repeated. "But I think it has something to do with...with Xoraxys."
The group exchanged uneasy glances. Xoraxys, the primal entity that had taken up residence within Halven's soul, was a constant threat, waiting to pounce and take control.
Sophia's voice was barely above a whisper. "Do you think Xoraxys is trying to communicate with you?"
Halven's eyes dropped, and he nodded slowly. "I think so," he said. "I think it's trying to tell me something...but I don't know what."
Arin's face was set in a determined expression. "We need to get Halven out of here," he said. "This city is messing with his head, and we can't let Xoraxys take control."
Kurten nodded in agreement. "Arin's right. We need to find a way out of this city...before it's too late."
But as they turned to leave, they found that the streets had shifted and changed around them, trapping them in a labyrinth of twisting alleys and dead-end streets. The city seemed to be playing a twisted game with them, and they were running out of time.
As they navigated the ever-changing streets, the group began to feel a sense of unease. It was as if the city itself was toying with them, leading them deeper into its heart.
Halven's eyes seemed to glaze over, and he stumbled, his feet moving as if driven by a force beyond his control.
Kurten grabbed his arm, holding him steady. "Halven, snap out of it!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the buildings.
But Halven didn't respond. His eyes remained unfocused, and his body continued to move, driven by some unseen force.
Lyra's voice was laced with concern. "Kurten, what's happening to him?"
Arin's face set in a determined expression. "I'll try to reach him," he said, grasping Halven's shoulders. "Halven, buddy, come back to us!"
Sophia's eyes locked onto Halven's, and she reached out, her hand touching his forehead. "Halven, fight it," she whispered. "Whatever is happening, you can overcome it."
For a moment, Halven's eyes flickered, and he seemed to come back to himself. But then, his gaze dropped, and he spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper.
"I...don't know...what's happening to me."
The group exchanged worried glances. What was happening to Halven? And why was he acting so strangely?
As they stood there, frozen in uncertainty, the city around them began to change once more. The buildings seemed to shift and writhe, like living things. And in the distance, a low, ominous rumble began to build, a sound that seemed to be coming from the very heart of the city itself.
Halven's eyes locked onto the group, and for a moment, they saw a glimmer of fear and desperation in his gaze. But then, his expression smoothed out, and he nodded, as if trying to reassure them.
"I'm fine," he said, his voice a little stronger now. "Let's just....continue moving, okay?"
The group hesitated, unsure of what to do. But Halven's words seemed to break the spell, and they nodded, continuing on their journey into the heart of the city.