At last Stephan reached the summit. His boots crunched over the last jagged slope, and then the landscape shifted. The ruined stone, charred scars, and skeletal remains that littered the climb vanished as though cut away by an unseen hand.
Before him stretched an untouched plateau, a place so pristine it felt wrong in this desolation. At its heart rose a temple, carved from black stone that shimmered faintly under the gray light. Its edges were sharp, its pillars towering, but unlike the crumbled ruins below, not a single crack marred its surface. The air itself felt different here - still, heavy, and sacred.
Stephan narrowed his eyes. "Well, this is new…"
