The rift shimmered as Evan and his team stepped through, the world twisting for a moment before settling into stillness.
They found themselves in the middle of a ruin that stretched as far as the eye could see.
The air was heavy, carrying the weight of a place long abandoned, with crumbling walls and faint carvings obscured by time.
"This place..." Yvette murmured, gripping her sword and shield tightly.
Ourra let out a theatrical sigh. "Definitely haunted. Hey, Ourri, want to bet how many ghosts pop out at us?"
"Can you not?" Ourri shot back, scowling. "It's bad enough this place feels wrong without you jinxing it."
Ourra smirked. "Admit it, you're scared. You always jump at—"
"Enough," Evan interrupted, his voice firm. He turned to Yvette, who had fallen into step beside him. "You sense it too, right?"
She nodded, her brow furrowed. "Yeah. This energy... it's…weird... I don't like it."
"Neither do I," Evan admitted, his hand hovering near the hilt of his sword.
Silas trailed behind them, his usual smile in place, his eyes closed as though savoring the ominous atmosphere.
Breaking the tense silence, Evan glanced over his shoulder at him. "Silas, why didn't you mention the illusion by the lake earlier? You clearly knew it was there."
The group turned their attention to Silas. Even Ourra and Ourri stopped bickering to shoot him questioning looks.
Silas opened his eyes slightly, his smile never faltering. "I only realized it when we got close. The illusion was subtle—impressive, really."
"You're sure about that?" Yvette pressed, her tone sharp.
"You're free to doubt me," Silas replied with a slight shrug. "But I'm here now, aren't I?"
Evan frowned, not entirely convinced, but he chose to focus on the task at hand.
As they moved deeper into the ruins, the air grew heavier, the energy around them dense and suffocating.
Eventually, they emerged into a massive chamber.
The sheer size of it left them stunned. The ceiling soared at least forty meters high, with towering pillars lining the walls, their surfaces marred by cracks and age.
Faded carvings hinted at its past—a prayer hall, perhaps, long forgotten by time.
"This is..." Yvette's voice trailed off, her eyes scanning the vast space. "A place of worship?"
"More like a place to make you feel small," Ourri muttered, his voice tinged with unease.
"That's the point," Silas said, stepping forward. "It's meant to overwhelm."
Evan's gaze swept over the chamber, his hand tightening on his sword hilt. "The energy felt strange here. Stay alert."
Silas stopped in the center of the chamber and turned to the group. "I think this is it."
"What do you mean by 'it'?" Yvette asked, her tone wary.
Silas ignored her and raised a hand. "May I cast a spell to dispel any lingering illusions?"
Evan hesitated, exchanging a glance with Yvette before nodding. "Go ahead."
Muttering an incantation, Silas's hands glowed faintly as he cast the spell. The air around them shimmered and rippled, like heat waves distorting their vision.
Suddenly, the chamber shifted.
A massive figure began to take shape at the center, its form hidden beneath layers of illusion. When it fully emerged, the team froze, their breath catching in their throats.
The creature was enormous—a golem of stone and ancient energy, towering twenty meters high and five meters wide. Its surface was rough and weathered, pulsating faintly with an otherworldly light.
"What... is that?" Yvette whispered, her voice barely audible.
The golem let out a deep, guttural roar that reverberated through the chamber, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
Evan shouted, "Ourra, block that sound!"
Ourra stepped forward, casting a shimmering barrier that dampened the golem's roar. "Got it! No big deal!"
Silas's expression shifted, his ever-present smile widening into something more... sinister. "So, here you are," he said, his voice tinged with excitement and anger. "Hiding all this time."
"What are you talking about?" Evan demanded, but Silas didn't answer.
Instead, he unleashed a flurry of spells—fire, lightning, and shadow magic striking the golem with relentless force.
The creature roared again, raising one massive arm to block the attacks. Its counterattack was swift—a devastating swing that sent a shockwave through the chamber, scattering the team.
"Silas, stop!" Yvette yelled as debris rained down.
Evan gritted his teeth, his mind racing. "This isn't just a corrupted monster—it's part of the rift. Everyone, fall back and look for a way out!"
The team scrambled, but every path was blocked.
"The entrance—it's gone!" Yvette shouted.
"Damn it!" Evan cursed. "It's another illusion. We have to defeat the golem to disperse the spells."
The golem advanced, its attacks growing more ferocious. Evan's frustration boiled over. "We can't just keep dodging. Everyone, prepare to fight!"
Ourri hesitated, his hands shaking. "But... it's huge!"
Ourra clapped him on the back. "Relax, it's big, but it's definitely dumber than you. We'll be fine."
"Shut up, Ourra!" Ourri snapped, though his grip on his weapon steadied.
Evan rushed back into the fray, dodging another swing of the golem's arm. Silas was already bleeding, but his smile remained, his attacks relentless.
"Silas! Fall back!" Evan shouted. "You're going to get yourself killed!"
But Silas didn't respond. He was completely focused on the golem, his eyes alight with a strange, almost maniacal energy as the battle raged on.
The battle with the golem reached its peak as Evan's team coordinated their efforts against the towering construct.
"Yvette, Ourri, keep the pressure on its legs!" Evan shouted, dodging a sweeping arm that narrowly missed him. "Ourra, hit the joints with everything you've got!"
Yvette and Ourri exchanged a nod before charging forward, their bodies glowing faintly from their enhancement skills.
"Hold your movement, you moron!" Ourra yelled from the rear. "Don't just stand there tanking it!"
"What do you think I'm doing?!" Ourri growled back, leaping out of the way of the golem's foot.
Yvette, striking another blow at the golem's knee joint, shot Ourra with an irritated glare. "How can anyone tank something this big?!"
But before anyone could stop him, Ourri sprinted forward and wrapped his arms around one of the golem's massive legs. With a ferocious war cry, he held on tightly, his muscles bulging under the strain.
"I'm here, you stupid golem!" he roared.
The golem's movements faltered for a moment, its balance thrown off by the sheer determination of the man clinging to its leg.
"Did he just...?" Evan murmured, stunned.
"Good job, bald head!" Ourra shouted, his grin widening. "Let us handle the rest!" He began casting, a sphere of crackling energy forming in his hands.
The rest of the team didn't hesitate. Yvette and Evan doubled their efforts, striking relentlessly at the joints. Silas stood back, his chanting growing louder as he prepared a powerful spell.
After several coordinated strikes, the golem's remaining leg gave way with a deafening crack, forcing the colossal construct to kneel.
Suddenly, A brilliant beam of light tore through the golem's chest, splitting the air with a deafening crack and piercing the chamber's ceiling.
Evan instinctively raised an arm to shield his eyes, squinting against the blinding radiance. Amidst the chaos, he caught a glimpse of Silas standing in the distance, his hands trembling as they glowed with residual magic. The elf's face was ashen, beads of sweat streaming down his brow.
The golem let out a low, mechanical groan as its massive frame shuddered. Then, with a thunderous crash, it collapsed to the ground, the impact shaking the chamber and sending a dense cloud of dust billowing into the air.
Evan coughed and waved his hand in front of his face, trying to clear his view. "Everyone, report! Are you safe?" he called out, scanning the area through the settling dust.
"I'm good!" Ourra called, his voice cheerful.
"Still alive," Yvette muttered, brushing debris off her armor.
"Barely," Ourri groaned, rubbing his aching arms.
Evan's relief was short-lived. He scanned the area, and shout "Silas?"
No response.
As the dust settled, an unnatural distortion rippled through the air near the passage they had entered—a turbulent rift, swirling and pulsating with raw, unstable energy.
"What is that?" Yvette asked, her voice laced with unease.
Evan didn't wait to find out. "Move! Everyone, through the rift—now!"
The team sprinted toward the rift as its swirling energy intensified, tugging at their bodies like an invisible force.
Evan slowed, his instincts screaming to glance back at the chamber. His heart sank when he saw no sign of Silas—only the crumpled remains of the massive golem and the faint hum of the collapsing battlefield.
"Silas!" he shouted, his voice echoing against the chambers walls. For a fleeting moment, he considered running back to find him.
But the rift's pull grew stronger, and the team's safety was his priority. They were his responsibility—not a stranger they had barely known.
Gritting his teeth, Evan turned and sprinted through the portal with the rest of the team, the glowing rift swallowing them whole.