The glowing orbs now hovered in tandem over Mallory's palm, pulsing with an almost musical rhythm. They seemed to vibrate in harmony, as if communicating with one another. Mallory stared at them with a mixture of curiosity and boredom. Sure, they were magical and mysterious, but she couldn't help wishing they'd just cut to the chase.
"Are they supposed to do something?" she asked aloud, looking at Zara.
Zara frowned, observing the orbs closely. "I think they're reacting to you. They're waiting for something."
"Waiting for what?"
"Probably for you to stop treating them like glow sticks at a rave," Greg said, his patience wearing thin.
Mallory rolled her eyes and tossed the orbs into the air, catching them lazily. "If they want something, they should just say so. I'm not a mind reader."
Before anyone could respond, the orbs began to spin faster, their glow intensifying. A low hum filled the air, and a beam of light shot from the orbs to the ground, carving out a circular portal in the floor.
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
"Do we... go in?" Alex asked, her voice hesitant.
Altair grinned. "I say yes. This is the kind of adventure people dream about."
Greg crossed his arms. "This is the kind of adventure that gets people killed."
"Relax, Greg," Mallory said, stepping toward the portal. "If it's dangerous, I'll just flip the hourglass and rewind time. Easy."
Without waiting for a response, she jumped into the portal.
The sensation was like being pulled through a tube made of warm honey and static electricity. When she landed, it was with an unceremonious thud on a soft, mossy surface.
Mallory groaned, sitting up and brushing dirt off her clothes. She was in a dense, otherworldly forest bathed in twilight. The trees glowed faintly, their leaves shimmering like liquid gold.
The rest of the group appeared behind her, landing in various states of disarray.
"Where are we?" Zara asked, looking around in awe.
"Somewhere magical, obviously," Mallory said, already bored of the scenery.
Greg pointed to a massive stone structure in the distance. "I'm guessing we need to go there."
As they began walking, the forest seemed to come alive around them. Strange, glowing creatures flitted through the air, chirping melodically. The ground occasionally shifted beneath their feet, revealing hidden streams of golden liquid.
Mallory stopped to examine one of the streams, dipping her finger into it. "Huh. It's warm. Kind of like melted butter."
Altair leaned over her shoulder. "What does it taste like?"
Mallory glanced at him, then at the stream, and then back at him. Without a word, she flicked some of the liquid at his face.
Altair yelped, stumbling back. "Okay, I deserved that."
The group continued toward the stone structure, which grew larger and more imposing with every step. When they finally reached it, they found a massive door carved with intricate runes.
Mallory reached out to touch the door, but it opened on its own, revealing a long, dimly lit hallway.
"Of course," she said. "Another hallway. This place really needs a decorator."
The group entered cautiously, their footsteps echoing on the stone floor.
As they moved deeper into the structure, they began to hear faint whispers, like distant voices carried on the wind. The whispers grew louder, and soon they could make out words.
"...unworthy... turn back... danger..."
Greg's grip tightened on his weapon. "I don't like this."
"You don't like anything," Mallory said, her tone light.
"Mallory," Zara said, her voice sharp. "This might actually be serious."
Mallory sighed and flipped the hourglass, slowing time just enough to get a better sense of her surroundings. The whispers seemed to distort, their words stretching and twisting. She could see faint, ghostly figures moving along the walls, their forms indistinct but menacing.
When she flipped the hourglass back, the whispers stopped abruptly, and the hallway plunged into silence.
"Well, that was creepy," she said.
The hallway opened into a massive chamber filled with floating platforms arranged in a spiral pattern. At the center of the room was another glowing orb, larger than the previous two, suspended in midair.
"Let me guess," Mallory said. "We have to jump across the platforms to get to the orb."
Altair grinned. "Finally, something fun."
As he stepped onto the first platform, it began to shake violently, then shot upward, carrying him out of sight.
"Well, that's not ideal," Mallory said, stepping onto the next platform.
To her surprise, the platform remained stable. She took another step, and the platform began to move, gliding smoothly toward the center of the room.
"Of course mine works perfectly," she muttered.
The rest of the group followed her lead, stepping onto their own platforms. Each one behaved differently—some moved quickly, others slowly, and a few jerked unpredictably, nearly throwing their passengers off.
When they finally reached the center, Mallory reached out to grab the orb.
The moment her fingers touched it, the room shook violently, and the platforms began to collapse.
"Run!" Greg shouted, but there was nowhere to run.
Mallory flipped the hourglass, freezing the platforms in place. She turned to the group with a smirk.
"See? I've got this."
She pocketed the orb, and the hourglass's glow intensified. The platforms began to rebuild themselves, forming a bridge back to the entrance.
As they made their way out of the chamber, the whispers returned, louder and more insistent.
"...you are not ready... the balance will break..."
Mallory ignored them, her focus on the orb in her pocket. It was heavier than the others, and she could feel its power resonating with the hourglass.
When they emerged from the structure, the forest was darker, the golden light dimmed.
Zara looked uneasy. "Something's changed."
Mallory glanced around, then shrugged. "It's fine. Let's head back to the apartment."
Greg groaned. "Again with the apartment?"
"What? It's cozy."
Mallory opened a portal and stepped through, the rest of the group following reluctantly.
Back in her apartment, everything was as it always was—calm, warm, and utterly mundane. Mallory collapsed onto the couch, tossing the orb onto the coffee table.
"See? Easy," she said, stretching out.
Zara sat across from her, frowning. "Easy? Mallory, you just took something that clearly has immense power, and you don't even know what it does."
Mallory waved a hand dismissively. "Details, details."
Greg paced the room, his anxiety palpable. "We need to figure out what's going on before it's too late."
Mallory yawned. "Fine. But tomorrow. I'm tired."
As the group settled into the apartment for the night, the orbs on the coffee table began to glow faintly, their light casting strange shadows on the walls.
Mallory watched them for a moment, her usual smirk softening into something almost thoughtful.
"Guess we'll see what happens next," she murmured, closing her eyes.