The entrance to the Serpent’s Maw lay hidden deep within the treacherous foothills twenty miles north of Skyhaven, far from any established Clan territory. It was a site steeped in local legend, dismissed by most serious warriors as cursed or simply too low-yield for the risk.
The dungeon entrance was unmistakable and deeply unsettling: a massive stone serpent head, its jaws agape in a perpetual, silent roar. The stone was ancient, covered in moss and eroded runes that Kai instinctively recognized as protective wards, though centuries of neglect had rendered them dormant.
The Phantom Trio—Chiron (Darius), Kai (Kael), and Jin—stood before the maw. They wore simple, functional leather armor, their weapons sheathed. The air here was strangely still and cool, even in the midday sun.
"The Gu
