Rex stayed low behind a thick tree trunk, watching the Protectors drag their prisoners deeper into the forest. His armor kept making noise every time he moved, which was just perfect for trying to be stealthy.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered. "A divine warrior sneaking around like some common thief." He stepped on a branch that cracked loud enough to wake the dead. "And why the hell do they have to walk so far? Are we going to the next damn continent? My legs weren't made for fucking hiking."
The group kept moving, and Rex's patience was wearing thin. These Protectors were paranoid as hell, constantly looking over their shoulders while their captives stumbled along looking half-dead from exhaustion. "Jesus Christ, just pick a spot already," he whispered to himself.
After what felt like hours, they finally stopped in front of some kind of ancient house. But it wasn't the house that made Rex's skin crawl - it was the gate. The thing was massive, covered in demonic writing that seemed to move and twist when he looked at it. The symbols pulsed with this sick energy that made his stomach turn. Just being near it felt wrong, like the air itself was trying to push him away.
The Protectors walked up to the gate and it just opened on its own, creaking like something out of a nightmare. They filed inside with their prisoners, and the gate slammed shut behind them with a sound that echoed through the trees.
Rex felt it immediately - some kind of magical barrier pressing against him, trying to make him leave. "Well, this is just great," he said, walking up to the gate. He put his hands on it and tried to push. Nothing. "Of course it doesn't budge. Why would anything be easy?"
He ran his hands all over the frame, looking for some kind of hidden switch or lever. Nothing there either. Getting frustrated, he actually knocked on the damn thing. "Hello? Room service!" he called out quietly, then immediately felt like an idiot. "Yeah, Rex, because that's gonna work. Maybe I should try asking nicely next."
Finally, he just put his palm against the gate and said, "Come on, just open up already."
That's when his armor started glowing. Light flowed out of his hand and into those twisted symbols like water running through cracks. The demonic writing lit up and started dissolving as his divine energy ate through whatever dark magic was holding the gate shut.
"What the hell?" Rex stared at his hand. "I was just leaning against it! Since when does touching things solve problems?"
He realized the glow might give him away to whoever was inside, so he slapped his other hand on the gate and tried to contain the light. It worked - the energy stayed hidden while the gate slowly creaked open.
"Well shit, that actually worked," he whispered. "Maybe I should try touching more mysterious objects."
Rex slipped inside and immediately felt like he was walking into a tomb. The air was thick and heavy, and even the moonlight seemed to struggle to get past the nasty-looking clouds overhead. Everything was too quiet, like the darkness was eating up all the sound.
The house in front of him looked old as hell - weathered stone with vines growing all over it like something was trying to pull it back into the earth. No windows, just blank walls. The door was cracked open just enough to show nothing but black inside.
Every step toward it felt like walking through mud. The place didn't want him there - he could feel it pushing back against him, making the air thicker with each step. Something was definitely wrong about this whole setup.
He got to the door and stopped, listening. He could hear voices inside, muffled but definitely there. Rex took a deep breath and pushed the door open as quietly as he could. The hinges creaked anyway, sounding way too loud in the dead silence.
He looked back at the forest one more time, then stepped inside to see what the hell these Protectors were really up to.