The path leading to the Forbidden Fortress was a jagged scar carved into the earth, lined with broken stones and remnants of a once-mighty civilization now reduced to ruins. Towering trees loomed overhead, their skeletal branches casting twisted shadows across the cracked ground. A heavy mist clung to their boots, swirling with each cautious step. The air was thick, heavy with the scent of damp stone and something else—something metallic, like blood.
Ezra walked at the front of the group, his sword drawn and his eyes sharp as they scanned every inch of the path ahead. Caroline stayed close by his side, her eyes darting between the ruins and the narrow path that stretched before them. Behind them, Liam and Senua walked in uneasy silence, while Rhea and Khael brought up the rear, their gaze
