Chapter 239: The Heart of Darkness

The gates of the fortress loomed above them, their jagged edges carved from some unholy material that seemed to drink in the light. The massive stone slabs were covered in dark, pulsing runes, their surfaces flickering with a sickly green glow that sent shivers down Naya’s spine. She stared up at the towering entrance, dread pooling in her stomach as the reality of what they were about to do sank in.

“We’re really doing this,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Kael nodded, his jaw clenched, his gaze fixed on the fortress doors. “We are. Whatever Nerron’s hiding in there, it’s the key to his power. We find it, we stop him.”

“But how do we know what we’re looking for?” Lyra asked quietly, her eyes darting around the twisted architecture. The walls seemed to ripple and shift in the dim light, as if the fortress itself were alive, breathing in time with the dark energy that suffused the air. “This place… it’s not just corrupted. It’s warped. Like the whole realm is… feeding on itse