A new Quest alert popped up for everyone in the guild, directing them towards the northern edge of Outland. They quickly agreed to head out immediately, eager to uncover the secrets of Sylvanas' past.
Upon arriving at the location marked on the quest map, they noticed that there were several ruined structures dotting the landscape nearby. One of them looked particularly intriguing; it appeared to be an old temple dedicated to Sylvanas.
Several other members of the guild joined them near the structure, curious to know what lay inside. While some of them remained cautious and kept watch, others stepped boldly forth towards the entrance.
"I'll check it out," said Doug. "You guys wait here."
With a nod of agreement, the rest of the team dispersed around the building. They watched intently as she approached the doorway and pushed it open gently with her foot.
Inside, the space was surprisingly spacious. Wide hallways ran off in multiple directions, lined with columns and statues. Some of them depicted strange beasts or humanoid figures carved from stone, while others portrayed images of heroes wielding weapons and shields in combat. At the far end of the chamber was an altar covered in runes and symbols, surrounded by four pillars holding up the roof.
There was no sign of anyone nearby. Perhaps they hadn't seen him approach.
Doug started walking forwards cautiously, glancing left and right. Suddenly, he froze, spotting movement coming from somewhere ahead. A lone figure wearing robes emerged from the shadows, approaching slowly with hands clasped behind its back. Its skin was pale and smooth, almost translucent. Even in the dim lighting of the room, he could tell it was female.
It stopped directly in front of him, gazing deeply into his eyes. Their gazes locked for several seconds, neither speaking. Finally, the stranger bowed her head slightly and spoke in a voice that sounded strangely familiar.
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"Hello warrior," she said quietly. "Have you come to join our cause?"
Doug nodded silently, unable to speak. All of his fears came rushing back to him at once, his paranoia was in full swing. This wasn't some harmless mystic woman; it was a demon! She must have somehow gotten into his subconscious and planted this idea within him without his realizing. That was the only explanation possible.
He glanced around nervously, trying to spot any signs of danger. Everything about this encounter felt wrong. Something was terribly amiss.
The demon smiled knowingly at him, stepping closer until their faces were mere inches apart. Still, Doug maintained his silence, afraid to say or do anything that might give away his position. The creature reached out with one hand, touching his cheek tenderly.
Suddenly, the air around them crackled loudly as electricity surged through it. The sound of thunder boomed overhead as lightning flashed brightly across the sky, illuminating the entire area. The demon recoiled sharply, raising its arms defensively as if preparing for imminent attack.
Then something else struck him. Despite the fact that the demon's appearance was completely unfamiliar, its words were clearly those of someone he recognized. Someone very close to him.
His mind raced furiously as he struggled to piece things together. Was this a dream? Had he slipped into unconsciousness after the raiders attacked and fallen asleep in his chair? Maybe this was a vision sent to him by some higher power, showing him what would happen if he failed to take action.
No, none of this added up. None of it made sense. Why should this be happening now? If this really was meant to serve as a warning, shouldn't it have happened much earlier? Shouldn't he have seen this coming years ago? Or perhaps this was nothing more than another hallucination brought on by sleep deprivation.
Whatever the case, he needed to get some rest. Once morning arrived, he'd think this whole thing over carefully and try to put things in order. Right now, however, his body was begging for some shut eye.
Doug reluctantly logged out of the game and headed straight back to bed. With luck, tomorrow would bring clearer thoughts, better ideas, and hopefully a solution to his current problems.
After all, as he told himself repeatedly as he drifted off to sleep, he wasn't going anywhere. Not unless he wanted to.
He checked the security cameras one last time and then closed his eyes. Within minutes, his consciousness faded away into darkness, taking his troubles with it.
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