At dawn, the group ascended to the sanctuary’s entrance. The air was eerily still, the usual mountain winds absent as if the ruins themselves held their breath. The runes etched into the stone glowed faintly, pulsing in time with the hum of the ley lines.

Kael led the way, his sword drawn and his expression grim. Elara followed close behind, the crystal clutched tightly in her hand. Lyria stayed at her side, her face pale but resolute.

The entrance opened into a massive chamber, its walls lined with towering pillars carved with intricate symbols. The air was thick with the scent of ancient stone and something faintly metallic, like blood.

“This place…” Elara murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. “It feels alive.”

“It is,” Kael replied, his voice echoing in the cavernous space. “The ley lines are strongest here. Be wary—this much power can twist even the purest of intentions.”

As they moved deeper, the chamber opened into a vast hall where an altar stood at its centre. The altar was surrounded by shards of crystal, each glowing with an eerie, sickly light. Elara felt her magic surge in response, a chaotic mixture of attraction and repulsion.

Kael approached the altar cautiously, his sword ready. “This is it. The corruption’s source.”

Elara stepped closer, the crystal in her hand reacting to the shards around the altar. Images flickered in her mind—flashes of the ley lines, untainted and vibrant, then blackened and twisted by an unseen force.

“What do we do?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“Destroy it,” Kael said. “But it won’t be easy. The corruption will fight back.”

As if in response to his words, the air around the altar began to shimmer, the sickly light growing brighter. Shadows coalesced, forming into figures that radiated malice. The guards raised their weapons, their faces set with determination.

“Elara,” Kael said, his voice steady. “Stay behind me. Use your magic to weaken the corruption. I’ll handle the rest.”

“No,” she said, surprising herself with the firmness in her voice. “This is my fight too.”

Kael hesitated, then nodded. “Then stand with me.”

The battle began with a deafening roar as the shadowy figures surged forward. Kael moved like a tempest, his sword cutting through the darkness with blinding precision. Elara focused on the altar, her magic flaring as she channelled the ley lines’ energy through the crystal.

The shadows shrieked as her light pierced them, their forms dissolving into mist. But the altar resisted, its glow growing darker, more menacing.

“Elara, focus!” Kael shouted, blocking a shadow that lunged toward her.

“I’m trying!” she cried, sweat streaming down her face as she poured every ounce of her strength into the crystal.

Finally, with a blinding flash of light, the altar shattered. The shadows let out a final, agonized wail before dissolving entirely, leaving the chamber in stunned silence.

Elara collapsed to her knees, her breathing ragged. Kael was beside her in an instant, his hand steadying her. “You did it,” he said softly, a hint of pride in his voice.

She looked up at him, her vision blurred with exhaustion. “We did it.”

But even as relief washed over her, a single thought lingered in her mind: this was only the beginning. The corruption might be weakened, but its true source still lay hidden, waiting in the shadows.