GUARDIAN OF THE FIFTH REALM

CHAPTER 13

The air was thick with the scent of burning stone and ash as Jace and Aila stumbled into a narrow chamber, panting from their latest battle. The monstrous sentries guarding the temple’s inner sanctum had proven fiercer than expected, leaving both of them battered and weary. Jace wiped the sweat from his brow, his sword dangling loosely at his side, while Aila leaned heavily on her staff, her chest rising and falling with labored breaths.

The dim torchlight flickered off the intricate carvings on the walls, casting eerie shadows. Jace collapsed onto a nearby stone bench, his body aching from the countless scrapes and bruises he’d accumulated. Aila sank down beside him, still clutching her staff.

"That was... something else," Jace muttered, his voice rough.

Aila managed a faint chuckle. "You’re lucky you’re still alive. Charging in like that… Do you ever think before you act?"

"Not really," Jace admitted with a half-smile. "But it worked, didn’t it?"

Aila sighed, shaking her head. "Bare