* Claire's POV *
I blinked my eyes open, my vision blurry and my head spinning. Where was I? The last thing I remembered was the fierce battle with Lucius, his mocking words echoing in my mind. Now, I found myself in a desolate place, surrounded by the remnants of an ancient temple. The air was heavy with a musty scent, and a dim light filtered through the cracks in the crumbling walls.
As I pushed myself up, my body felt weak, as if drained of energy. I tried to recall how I ended up here, but my memories were foggy, like fragments of a dream slipping through my grasp.
As I stumbled through the ruins of the temple, a sudden realization struck me like a bolt of lightning. The crumbling stones, the ancient air that clung to my skin, and Lucius’s words before we fell into the portal... I
