Elara and Kael continued on their way, the events of the last fight still fresh in their thoughts. The air was cool, and the forest around them seemed denser and darker than before. An eerie silence lay over the path they were walking.
"What do you think he meant?" Kael finally asked and broke the silence. "The true guardian of balance..."
Elara sighed and tightened her cloak. "I don't know exactly. But I feel that we haven't understood everything yet. It feels like a piece of the puzzle is still missing."
Kael nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe we should go back and talk to the guardian. He could tell us more."
"No," Elara replied firmly. "I believe that our answers are not behind us, but in front of us. We have to move on."
They went on in silence, each absorbed in his own thoughts. The trees seemed to close above them, and the path became narrower and narrower. Suddenly, Elara stopped and raised her hand.
"Do you hear that?" She whispered.
Kael listened, but could not perceive anything unusual. "What do you mean?"
"There's something... a presence." Elara closed her eyes and concentrated. She felt a familiar energy, something she had felt before. "It's coming from there." She pointed to a barely visible path that branched off from the main path.
Without hesitation, she followed the narrow path, and Kael hurried after it. The path led them deeper into the forest, until they finally came across a small clearing. In the middle stood an old, dilapidated temple, overgrown with ivy and moss.
"What kind of place is this?" Kael asked softly.
Elara stepped closer and looked at the faded symbols on the walls. "This is a temple of the Old Order of the Guardians. I've read about it, but never seen one."
They carefully entered the temple. It was dark inside, and the smell of moisture was in the air. On the walls hung faded tapestries showing scenes of fights between light and darkness.
"Look at this," Kael said, pointing to an altar at the end of the room. On it was an old book, whose cover was decorated with strange symbols.
Elara stepped closer and carefully opened the book. The pages were yellowed, but the writing was still readable. "This is a diary," she muttered as she read the first few lines.
"What does it say?" Kael asked curiously.
"It belongs to a former guardian," Elara replied. "He writes about his doubts and fears. He speaks of a prophecy..."
Kael frowned. "What prophecy?"
Elara continued to leaf through and read aloud, "When the balance is disturbed and the powers of light and darkness are united in one soul, a new guardian will awaken. But this guardian is faced with a choice: to save the world or to plunge it into ruin.'"
She looked up at Kael, her eyes full of worry. "That could be referring to me."
Kael put a hand on her shoulder. "We don't know for sure. But no matter what happens, we'll get through it together."
Elara nodded gratefully. "Let's move on. Maybe we can find more clues."
They continued to search the temple and finally discovered a hidden door behind one of the tapestries. Behind it, a steep staircase led into the depths.
"Are you reat?" Kael asked.
Elara took a deep breath. "Yes. Let's find out what's down there."
They went down the stairs, and with each step the darkness became denser, but Elara felt that they were on the right track. Somewhere down there, the answers they were looking for were waiting.