Kael and Erya stumbled out of the temple, their breath coming in short gasps as the weight of the ancient magic clung to them. The air felt thick, charged, and the sky had darkened, casting an eerie pall over the landscape. The winds had grown colder, carrying an unnatural chill, and the ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble with every step. It was as though the very earth had sensed the disturbance and was reacting to the force they had unleashed.
Kael's mind raced, struggling to make sense of the chaos they had just set into motion. The map had vanished the moment it touched the altar, its runes disappearing into nothingness. But the temple's power, that ancient, untamed magic— it was still alive, pulsing like a heartbeat in the air around them. He could feel it, a presence moving just beyond his senses, as if something or someone was following them.
Erya's voice broke through his thoughts, steady and calm, though there was a sharpness to her words. "We need shelter. If the magic's been awakened, the land will start to change. We can't stay out here."
Kael glanced at her, still uncertain, but he couldn't argue. He had no idea what they had triggered, only that the consequences were already beginning to unfold. They had opened a door, and it wasn't closing.
The path ahead of them grew even more foreboding, thick with mist that seemed to press in on all sides. The trees bent and swayed, their shapes growing darker, their branches like claws reaching for them. The ground beneath them felt less solid, shifting with an unsettling movement. Kael felt a strange weight in the air, an invisible pull that made his skin crawl.
Then he felt it—a presence. Something out there in the fog, watching them.
Erya's grip on her sword tightened. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Keep moving. Don't look back."
They hurried through the woods, their footsteps echoing in the oppressive silence. The air grew colder, heavier, as if the storm they had heard was somehow alive, following them, growing stronger. The wind picked up, whispering strange, unintelligible words, like voices carried on the breeze.
A sudden rustle ahead stopped them in their tracks. Kael froze, his hand going instinctively to the dagger at his side. Erya, her instincts sharp as ever, shifted slightly, preparing for whatever was coming. A figure emerged from the mist—a hooded traveler, moving with unnerving speed and silence, as though they were part of the very shadows.
Kael's heart raced. The figure's face remained hidden, but the presence around them was overwhelming. It felt suffocating, like the air itself had thickened with danger.
The figure stopped just a few paces from them, and Kael instinctively stepped back, his breath shallow. The figure's voice was low, deep, and sent a chill through his spine. "You've disturbed something," it said, the words echoing in the air like a dark promise. "And now, you will face the consequences."
Kael's mind spun with the weight of those words. What had they unleashed? And who was this figure? The forest seemed to hold its breath, and for a moment, Kael wasn't sure if they were safe or if this was just the beginning of something far worse.
Kael and Erya spoke of how they had stumbled upon the ancient temple, guided by the mysterious map that had led them through dangers and puzzles. They shared how they had uncovered the hidden secrets of the temple, and how the magic within it had begun to awaken, culminating in the moment when Kael had triggered the ancient power, forever altering their path. As they spoke, it became clear that their fates were tied to the magic of the dragons, a power neither fully understood but one they could no longer escape.