Chapter 152: The Rise Beneath
The earth trembled beneath their feet.
At first, it was subtle—just a low, groaning hum that rippled through the air. But within moments, it deepened into a roar that sent birds screaming from the trees and cracks racing across the ground.
Lucien dropped to one knee, his palm pressed against the trembling soil. "It's not just the magic," he muttered. "Something old is moving—something buried."
Celeste spun in place, her eyes wild as she scanned the forest edge. "Is it them?" she whispered. "The Old Ones?"
"They're not just coming," Zarian said darkly, unsheathing his twin blades. "They're waking up."
A crimson light pulsed faintly in the distance, seeping from the ruins of the ancient temple like blood from an open wound. The trees surrounding it had already begun to decay—leaves turning black, bark peeling in wet chunks, the air around it reeking of sulfur and burning flowers.
