The path ahead glowed faintly, a thread of silver light weaving through the crystalline expanse. Daniel and Mira followed it cautiously, their senses heightened after the encounter with the Shadow Guardians. The air around them felt heavier with each step, an unseen force pressing against their movements.
"What do you think this Sanctum is?" Mira asked, her voice low.
Daniel glanced at her, his grip firm on the trident. "If the Gate of Shadows brought us here, it's not just a sanctuary. It's a test—or a trap."
Mira's lips tightened into a thin line, her gaze sweeping their surroundings. "Then we'll be ready for whatever's waiting."
The shard within Daniel pulsed rhythmically, its energy resonating with the glowing path. As they walked, the landscape began to change. The translucent crystal beneath their feet darkened, shifting to an opaque black glass. Towering pillars of obsidian loomed on either side of the path, their surfaces etched with more of the strange, shifting glyphs.
