The morning was still, Vardy and his group stood at the edge of the forest, staring at the ruins ahead.
The ancient structure loomed over them, its once-great towers now shattered.
Vardy tightened his grip on his staff.
"This is it," Selene muttered, stepping forward. "The heart of the Altanas."
Ferah let out a low breath. "Doesn't feel like much of a heart anymore."
Tracy crouched beside a broken pillar, running her fingers along the cracks. "There's something still alive here," she murmured. "Not alive in the way we understand, but… awake."
Luthor exhaled sharply. "That doesn't sound comforting."
Selene smirked, but it didn't reach her eyes. "It shouldn't be."
Vardy studied the entrance, an archway, once grand, now barely standing. A labyrinth.
They were walking into a trap set by time itself.
Vardy turned to the others. "Stay close. We go in fast, we stay quiet, and we don't touch anything we don't need to."
Selene nodded. "Agreed."
