The group continued their trek in silence, the only sounds now the soft crunch of boots on moss and the occasional whisper of wind slipping through the trees.
The glowing trails of mana, visible only to Kael, had begun to swell.
Thicker now, brighter.
They drifted along the forest floor like luminous ribbons, weaving toward a single, undeniable destination.
Kael narrowed his eyes. 'Something's close.'
The trees began to thin as the path narrowed between two steep ridges overgrown with glowing, ethereal vines.
The soft forest floor slowly gave way to solid, ancient stone, carved into broad slabs that vibrated faintly with a palpable power.
Then they saw it.
At the end of the clearing, nestled between two massive blackroot trees, stood a towering archway.
Twenty feet high and carved from polished obsidian, the structure was laced with cracked golden sigils and deep runes that hummed softly like a heartbeat.
It wasn't a door, not exactly. More like a shimmering barrier, a ripple in space that flickered faintly, like a mirage on a hot day.
Kael stepped forward slightly. 'I guess this is it.'
Everyone came to a stop.
For a moment, no one said anything.
They simply stared at the gate, eyes narrowed, senses alert, as if expecting some monster to lurch out at any second.
"So what now?" Niko's voice broke the silence, precise and almost annoyed.
"We found the gate. Time to slay the guardian."
Surprisingly, it was Seraphina who spoke this time, her voice sharp, calm, her hand already halfway unsheathing her sword.
"We need a plan of attack," Niko countered, a hint of annoyance in his tone. "We can't just rush in without knowing what we're up against."
Seraphina turned to him slowly, her single violet eye flat, devoid of emotion. "We? When did I say I needed anyone's help?" Without another word, she took a step towards the gate.
Kael exchanged a quick look with Theo, then sighed. Loudly.
"Wait!"
Seraphina paused mid-step, then turned back with a faint glare.
"Niko's right," Kael said, holding her gaze. "We need a strategy. They're evaluating us on team synergy, not just brute force. Unless you want to fail this test, I suggest we do this together."
There was a pause, heavy with unspoken challenge. Then Seraphina, ever silent, sheathed her sword with a metallic snap and crossed her arms. "…Fine. So? What's the plan, then?"
Kael rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know…"
"Let's start with battle roles," Theo said, finally speaking up.
Kael shot him a glare that screamed, 'Took you long enough, you heartless bastard.'
Seraphina was the first to answer. "Offense."
"I can provide long-range support. Earth-based constructs, mostly," Niko added with a nod.
"Heheh, sorry, guys," Rylen said with a grin that hadn't faded since they entered the forest. "Combat's not really my thing. I'll sit this one out."
'Not sure if that's good or bad news,' Kael thought, eyeing Rylen warily.
"I can handle healing and enhancement spells from the back," Liri offered softly, her voice still timid.
"Same here," Theo added, his gaze flicking between the team members.
Kael took a deep breath and glanced at everyone.
"Alright. Seraphina and I will take point. Niko supports from range. Theo and Liri handle defense and buffs from the rear. And Rylen…" He paused, looking at the perpetually smiling boy. "…Just remain still. And try not to get in the way."
"Sounds good to me," Seraphina said, already reaching for her sword again, her impatience barely contained.
"Let's get this over with," Kael muttered, more to himself than anyone. 'I need sleep.'
Together, the six of them stepped toward the shimmering boundary.
[Gate 1 Activated – Guardian Awakening]
The runes along the arch flared to life, burning with intense golden light.
A low groan echoed as the gate creaked open, revealing a massive stone chamber vaulted, ancient, and eerily silent.
The inside looked like the hollow heart of a lost pyramid, with steep walls lined in vertical glyphs that glowed faintly gold. The air was heavy, thick with the scent of dust, iron, and something faintly burnt.
Jagged statues lined the walls, grim warriors frozen in mid-battle poses, as if time had stolen their souls.
They stepped inside cautiously, one by one.
Then…
Boom!
The doors slammed shut behind them, sealing them in total darkness, then silence.
The stone beneath their feet shuddered violently.
A low rumble echoed from the far end of the chamber. Stone began to crack, dust pouring down from the ceiling.
Heavy, dragging footsteps approached.
Something massive was coming.
Kael reached for his weapon, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs.
Seraphina stepped forward, blade already gleaming, her presence sharp as newly forged steel.
She glanced back at him, and for the first time, a faint, almost predatory smirk touched her lips.
"Don't slow me down," she murmured.
Then she turned, facing the sound, her single violet eye narrowed.
The chamber trembled again, this time stronger.
From the far end of the room, a jagged crack split across the stone floor.
Dust poured down from the ceiling.
Then a roar rolled through the chamber, low and guttural, like something breathing through broken glass. It echoed off the walls like a curse, and with it came a sudden, bone-chilling drop in temperature.
From the deepest shadows, the creature emerged.
It crawled out of the darkness on four massive limbs, skeletal and wet with something black and thick.
A long, open mouth split its face from ear to ear, a gaping void. No eyes. No nose.
Just a hungry abyss that inhaled and exhaled with a starving hiss.
Its body was tall and wiry, like bone wrapped in tight sinew.
One arm ended in a jagged, flail-like appendage that dragged across the ground, scraping sparks from the stone.
The other limbs were sharp, bladed, twisting unnaturally with every slow, deliberate step it took.
And worst of all... it whispered.
A constant, guttural hiss.
Words not in any known language.
Words Kael didn't want to understand.
'What in the world?' He took an instinctive step back, his hand tightening on his sword.
That's when he noticed her.
Seraphina.
Frozen.
Her sword still at her side, her lips pale, unmoving.
She wasn't even blinking.
"Seraphina?" Kael called out, his voice sharp with alarm.
No answer. She was not moving.
Then Kael saw it, her hands were shaking, trembling almost imperceptibly.
The ironclad knight, the one who barely spoke, who had taunted him before the gate opened, who was ready to charge headfirst into battle… looked utterly, completely afraid.
The Guardian let out another chilling howl, its void-mouth stretching wider, and Kael felt it.
A wave of suffocating dread.
Behind him, Liri whimpered softly.
Kael's eyes swept the room.
Seraphina: frozen.
Rylen: weirdly still, but watching.
Theo: calculating.
Liri: terrified.
Niko: posturing.
And him?
Sigh
'What have i gotten myself into.'