The first rays of dawn painted the horizon in hues of gold and pink as the Guardians broke camp. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of dew and wildflowers, but the atmosphere among the group was heavy with the weight of their shared dreams.

Amaya tightened the straps of her pack and cast a glance toward the looming volcano. Its shadow stretched across the rolling foothills, and at its base, a jagged gorge marked the entrance to the valley of Kali’dar.

Reya adjusted the hood of her cloak and murmured, “It doesn’t feel like it wants us here.”

Kai gave a wry chuckle, his bow slung over his shoulder. “I’m not sure mountains have opinions, but I agree—it’s foreboding.”

“Foreboding or not,” Lina said, her voice steady, “we’re here for a reason. Let’s keep moving.”

The path into the valley was treacherous. Loose stones slid beneath their boots, and the edges of the cliffs fell away into shadowy depths. The air grew cooler the further they descended, the sunlight fading behind the steep walls of the gorge.

Amaya led the way, her hand brushing against the hilt of her blade. Though she didn’t draw it, the weight of the sword at her side was a comfort. The dreams from the night before clung to her like a second skin, and she found herself glancing over her shoulder more than once, half-expecting to see the angry woman from her vision.

“Careful here,” Lina called, pointing to a narrow ledge ahead. The path had crumbled away, leaving only a precarious strip of rock to traverse.

Kai tested the ledge first, his nimble steps confident despite the drop below. “It’s stable enough,” he said, glancing back. “Just don’t look down.”

One by one, they crossed. Reya hesitated, her gaze flicking to the depths below, but Amaya placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You’ve got this.”

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Once they were safely across, the path widened into a small plateau. From there, the valley stretched out before them, veiled in mist. Crumbling stone structures jutted from the earth like broken teeth, their outlines barely visible in the haze.

“This is it,” Lina whispered, her voice tinged with awe.

The city of Kali’dar lay in ruins, its once-mighty walls reduced to rubble. Vines and moss clung to the remnants of towers, and the faint sound of water echoed through the valley—perhaps from a hidden stream or a distant waterfall.

“Looks like no one’s been here in centuries,” Reya said, stepping forward cautiously.

“Not no one,” Kai murmured, pointing to a faint trail of footprints in the dirt.

The group froze, their eyes following the tracks. They were human-sized but irregular, as if whoever made them had been dragging one foot. The prints disappeared into the mist, leading toward the heart of the city.

“Great,” Amaya muttered. “Nothing like a little mystery to start the day.”

They moved forward, their senses on high alert. The air grew heavier as they approached the ruins, a strange pressure settling over them. It wasn’t just the decay of time—they could feel it. The weight of history. The echoes of what had been.

The central plaza of the city came into view, a wide open space dominated by a massive stone obelisk. Symbols and runes, faintly glowing with a pale blue light, covered its surface. Four paths branched off from the plaza, each leading toward a different temple at the cardinal points of the city.

“North, south, east, and west,” Lina said, her fingers brushing against the carved runes on the obelisk. “Each path leads to a temple. The map showed this layout.”

Amaya pulled out the parchment they had found at the sanctuary. The ink was faded, but the markings matched the ruins. The volcano loomed to the north, where the path to the Fire Temple began.

“This is where we start,” she said, her voice firm.

Kai looked at her, his expression uncertain. “Before we split up, we need to figure out what we’re up against. Those dreams… they’re connected to this place. I know it.”

“And the footprints,” Reya added, glancing nervously into the mist. “We’re not alone here.”

Lina nodded. “We’ll move carefully. Let’s head for the Fire Temple first—if there are answers, they might be there.”

As they set off toward the northern path, the mist seemed to thicken, swallowing the ruins behind them. The silence of the valley was oppressive, broken only by the faint crunch of their boots on the gravel.

Ahead, the path led to a crumbling archway, its once-grand pillars now leaning precariously. Beyond it, the shadows deepened, and the faint glow of molten rock from the distant volcano painted the horizon in shades of red and orange.

The Fire Temple awaited.