"Are you alright?" Vardy asked, rushing to Elyra as she stumbled slightly, her breath coming in ragged gasps.Elyra clutched her chest, shaking her head weakly. "I... I'm losing breath due to the chains I was locked in," she sobbed, her shoulders trembling as though the mere memory of captivity was enough to drain her strength.Vardy’s expression softened. He reached out, steadying her with a firm grip. "Don't worry, you'll be fine," he assured her, his voice gentle.Elyra nodded, sniffing dramatically, leaning into his support just enough to make her seem fragile but not weak. "Thank you," she murmured. "You don’t know what this means to me."Ferah, standing nearby, watched with narrowed eyes, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her fingers tapped against the hilt of her blade, suspicion clear in her gaze.Selene, leaning against a rock, scoffed. "I don't trust her."Elyra looked up, eyes glassy with unshed tears. "Why would I lie? I barely escaped with my life. Do you think this."

Everyone was gathered, their eyes darting between Luthor, who stood rigid with anger, and Elyra, who sat, her leg crossed."I saw her," Luthor spat, his voice tight with rage. He pointed a trembling finger at Elyra, his eyes burning with conviction. "She’s a traitor."A heavy silence followed his words.Elyra blinked, her expression unreadable. "What?" she whispered, her voice small, delicate.Luthor turned to the others. "She sneaks out at night. She’s been meeting with Dean’s men! I heard her say it! She’s spellbound Vardy, and she’s leading us into a trap!"Ferah stiffened, her grip tightening around her blade. Selene raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. Tracy glanced toward Vardy, her expression unreadable.Elyra, however, let out a soft, heartbroken laugh. "That’s ridiculous," she said, shaking her head. "Luthor, do you even hear yourself? You think I’m working with Dean? After what he did to me?"Luthor’s fists clenched. "I know what I heard."Vardy exhaled, stepping between th

"My father should be in there," Elyra said, pointing toward the dark mouth of the stone cave.The entrance yawned open before them, its depths swallowing the light of the torches they held.Vardy took a step forward, his grip tightening around his sword. His expression was unreadable, his gaze locked onto the cave."I’ll go in first," Luthor said suddenly.The others turned toward him, startled.Elyra’s fingers curled at her sides. This wasn’t part of the plan.Vardy frowned. "No, I’ll….""I should check if it’s safe," Luthor interrupted, his tone firm. "You’re the strongest among us. If something happens, we’ll need you out here, ready to fight."Selene and Ferah exchanged quick glances. They had planned for this moment, to stall, to keep Vardy from walking into whatever trap Elyra was leading him into.Elyra, however, stiffened. She forced herself to keep her expression neutral, though her mind raced. If they delayed any longer, things could spiral out of control.Vardy hesitated."

Vardy sat at the farthest corner of the cave, his back pressed against the stone wall. His staff lay beside him, untouched, his fingers loosely curled against his knees.The cave was dimly lit and his body was still tense from the battle, his mind swirling with everything that had transpired.Elyra’s betrayal. His own foolishness.How close he had been to losing everything.He exhaled slowly, staring at the ground."I don’t know what to do again right now," he admitted, his voice hollow.A soft shuffling of boots approached.Ferah knelt beside him first, resting her arms on her knees as she studied his expression. Tracy stood close behind, arms crossed, concern evident in her eyes."You shouldn’t blame yourself," Ferah said.Vardy let out a sharp breath, shaking his head. "That’s easy for you to say."Tracy sighed, sitting down beside him. "You were under a spell, Vardy. She manipulated you, twisted your thoughts. That’s not your fault.""But I still let it happen," Vardy muttered, hi

"Run to safety!" Vardy’s voice thundered over the sound of crumbling stone.The ruins groaned, massive cracks splitting through the ancient walls, debris raining down in suffocating clouds of dust. Everything was falling apart.Ferah stumbled but kept pushing forward, her body still aching from the burns. Luthor grabbed her arm, pulling her up just as a large chunk of the ceiling collapsed behind them, barely missing her."Keep moving!" he shouted.Vardy sprinted ahead, dodging falling debris, his heart hammering in his chest. His undead rushed alongside him, their hollow eyes glowing dimly even in the chaos. But the flames, the collapsing ruins?It was too much.One by one, they fell.The spectral sentinels, once frozen at the door, vanished in a burst of light. Vardy could feel the connection to his undead snapping, like strings being cut one by one.His jaw clenched. Damn it.But there was no time to mourn.A deafening crack split through the chamber, the ground tilting beneath t