The sun rose over the horizon, projecting shadows across the ravaged battlefield.
The group gathered at the temple entrance, their faces grim but resolute. Kael kept his eyes on the horizon, the unease from the day before still eating away at him.
Despite his growing doubts, he pushed the thoughts aside. For now the mission was clear: get the remaining idol pieces and live another day.
Splitting into two groups again, they spread out across the battlefield. Kael found himself with Talia again, this time with Jarek too.
The air was heavy as it usually was, the silence only broken by the occasional crunch of bones under their feet or the distant howl of the wind.
They searched for hours, moving slowly through collapsed buildings and piles of rubble. The battlefield was a cemetery of broken weapons and skeletal remains, every step a reminder of the temple's bloody past.
It was Jarek who found the first idol piece. Under a collapsed archway, it was half buried in the dirt, the surface etched with carvings.
"Got it," Jarek said, holding it up for the others to see.
Kael nodded, but his eyes were on the faint whispers that seemed to be surrounding them. He couldn't pinpoint where they were coming from, but they were getting louder, more urgent.
"Move," he said, his voice low.
The second piece was found soon after, hidden in the ruins of what looked like a watchtower. Kael picked it up, his fingers brushing against the cold surface.
As he held it, he felt a strange sensation—a faint thrumming, like a heartbeat, through the object.
"Feel that?" he asked Talia and Jarek.
"Feel what?" Talia said, her face blank.
Kael hesitated. "Nothing. Let's get moving."
By the time they got back to the temple, the sun had just begun setting. The group gathered near the monk's chamber, where the strange figure was pacing back and forth, mumbling to himself.
As before, the monk's empty eyes fixed on Kael and he beckoned him forward.
"Why's it always you?" Jarek whispered.
Kael didn't know. He walked to the altar slowly, his hand tightening around the idol pieces.
The monk was as creepy as ever, his mumbling growing louder as Kael approached. But when Kael reached the altar, the monk fell silent, his head cocked as if listening to something only he could hear.
Kael put the first piece on the broken idol. The air around him hummed as the fragment fit together with the other, the carvings glowing.
The second piece went on the next section of the idol. This time the room vibrated and Kael felt the thrumming again—stronger this time, as if the idol itself was alive.
The monk's eyes locked onto him, his mouth moving silently. Kael backed away, and rejoined the group.
"Three down," Elric said, breaking the silence. "We're making progress."
"Progress?" Hadrin countered. "We're moving too slow, we need to get this done faster...I feel the longer we stay here the more danger we'll be in."
Everyone agreed. Deciding to find more pieces as fast as possible, they went back out having a while of sun left. With the sun setting they went back into the battlefield to look for the remaining idol pieces.
The whispers started almost immediately, soft at first but growing louder as the darkness deepened.
Ghostly figures flickered at the edge of their vision, disappearing whenever they turned to look.
"Keep moving," Elric said, his voice tight. "Don't stop for anything."
Kael was on high alert. Every sound, every movement seemed amplified, as if the battlefield was watching them. He glanced at Talia, who seemed calm as usual. Her steps were smooth, her breathing even.
The first sign of danger came when they approached a ruin. A faint scratching sound came from the darkness, followed by a low, guttural growl.
"Ravagers," Jarek whispered, drawing his sword.
Two figures emerged from the shadows, their twisted bodies lit by the fading sun. They moved with deadly grace, their eyes on the group.
The fight was quick.
Kael cut the first Ravager's chest, while Elric and Talia took out the second. But the victory brought no comfort; the whispers were getting louder and the shapes in the shadows were closing in.
"I found one!" Darren said as he picked up the idol piece.
"That's enough, we need to go," Kael said, his voice tight.
The sun was almost gone.
No one argued.
The group turned back towards the temple and moved as fast as they could. The air became colder with every step and the whispers became a chorus of voices— mocking, taunting, pleading.
"Keep moving!" Elric yelled, his voice barely audible over the noise.
The temple was in sight when it happened. The ground seemed to shift and Hadrin fell behind the group.
"Get up!" Jarek yelled, reaching out to him.
But before Hadrin could stand, something emerged from the shadows—a formless mass of darkness that moved with unnatural speed. Shadowy hands wrapped around Hadrin's legs and dragged him back into the darkness.
"Help me!" Hadrin screamed, his voice full of fear.
The hands tightened and Hadrin's screams turned to pleas for mercy.
"Please, no! Don't—"
The darkness consumed him and his final words were a strangled whisper:
"Kill me... please..."
The shadows pulled back and Hadrin was gone. The battlefield was quiet again and the whispers were gone.
"We have to move," Elric said, his voice trembling.
They ran the rest of the way to the temple, the oppressive silence broken only by the sound of their ragged breathing.
Inside the temple, the group collapsed against the walls, their faces pale and drawn. No one spoke for a long time.
"Hadrin…" Talia whispered, her voice barely audible.
"He's gone," Elric said, his tone flat. "We can't do anything for him now."
Jarek punched the wall, his anger barely contained.
"We shouldn't have gone out there. We knew it wasn't safe."
"We didn't have a choice," Elric said, his voice hollow. "If we don't find the idol pieces, none of us are getting out of here."