The Ashen Caverns were a twisting maze of tunnels and ancient ruins, the remnants of a lost civilization buried beneath the land. The resistance had mapped part of it, but most of the cavern remained unexplored.
As the group moved deeper into the caverns, the air grew colder. The torchlight flickered against damp stone walls, casting shifting shadows.
Tailon suddenly stopped. "Something's wrong," he whispered.
Rey reached for his sword. "What is it?"
A distant click echoed through the tunnels.
"RUN!" Tailon shouted.
The ground beneath them trembled as the stone floor cracked apart. From the darkness, nightmare wraiths emerged—shadowy creatures with glowing red eyes.
They moved like smoke, shifting and twisting through the air, their elongated fingers reaching out with claws made of pure darkness.
Elsa drew her twin daggers. "Stay together!"
The wraiths lunged.
Rey slashed through one, but his blade passed through the creature like mist. It reformed instantly, its eyes burning with malice.
Gabriel raised his hands. "Light of the Holy Flame, purge the darkness!"
A golden aura erupted around him, forcing the wraiths back. The creatures shrieked as the light burned their forms, twisting in agony before dissipating into nothing.
But more were coming.
Tailon muttered an incantation, summoning a wall of fire to hold the creatures back. "GO! The temple isn't far!"
The group sprinted through the collapsing tunnels, the sounds of wraiths howling behind them.
They barely made it through the cavern before the entrance caved in, sealing the creatures inside.
Rey caught his breath, sweat dripping from his brow. "That was too close."
Elsa nodded, gripping her daggers tightly. "And that was only the beginning."
After another day of travel, they arrived at the entrance to the temple. It was a massive stone structure, its walls covered in ancient carvings depicting a war between light and darkness.
Jasper ran his hand over the symbols. "This place predates recorded history. If the Dreambinder is here, it's been waiting for us for centuries."
Tailon smirked. "Then let's not keep it waiting."
They stepped inside. The temple was eerily silent, the air thick with dust and forgotten magic. Stairs led downward into the dark, deeper than any of them had expected.
As they descended, torches along the walls suddenly lit themselves, as if sensing their presence.
At the heart of the temple, they found it—a Statue holding the Dreambinder, an ornate silver relic shaped like an intricate dreamcatcher.
Rey stepped forward. He could feel its energy, pulsing with an otherworldly power.
"This is it," Elsa whispered.
But before Rey could take it, a slow clap echoed through the chamber.
"Well done," a voice said. "You've made it this far."
A figure stepped from the shadows—Tailon Crowe.
But something was different. His eyes burned with a sickly green glow, and a dark mist swirled around him.
Elsa's eyes widened. "Tailon, what are you doing?"
Tailon smirked. "I never planned to help you. Seth made me a better offer."
Before anyone could react, Tailon raised his hand, the statue and the temple walls came alive with shadows.