Mallory groaned as she landed on sothing soft—Greg.
"AHH! Get off! Why do I always break your fall?!" Greg’s muffled voice whined from beneath her.
She rolled off him with a laugh, ignoring his pained grumbles. Around them, the others were checking themselves for injuries. The fall had been rough, but nothing seed broken.
Alex rubbed his head. "Anyone else getting really tired of surprise pits?"
Quinn dusted herself off. "At least we didn’t land in spikes."
Greg shot her a glare. "That is not comforting."
The room they had fallen into was vast and dimly lit, ancient carvings covering the walls. Torches flickered to life as they stood, revealing a long passage leading deeper underground.
Mallory took a deep breath. "Well, no way but forward."
Greg sighed dramatically. "Of course. Because the creepy dark tunnel is always the best option."
Alex smirked. "Would you rather climb back up?"
Greg looked up at the sheer drop they had fallen from. "...I vote tunnel."
And so, they moved forward.
---
A Puzzle... and Greg Being Greg
The passage led them to a circular chamber with a massive stone door blocking their way. Strange symbols glowed faintly on its surface, shifting like liquid fire.
Quinn studied it. "Looks like a puzzle."
Greg groaned. "Oh no. I suck at these."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "You suck at thinking in general."
Greg gasped. "That is slander!"
Elara ignored their antics and stepped closer to the wall. "It seems like we need to touch the symbols in the right order."
Mallory examined the carvings. They looked familiar—almost like constellations. Her eyes flickered to a faded mural on the side of the room, depicting a night sky.
"I think it’s a star map," she said.
Greg blinked. "So... astronomy howork?"
Quinn sighed. "Yes, Greg. Ancient, deadly astronomy howork."
Mallory began pressing the symbols in the order they appeared on the mural. The door rumbled, stone shifting.
Greg pumped his fist. "YES! We’re geniuses!"
Then the ceiling above them began to shake violently.
Greg paled. "We’re dead geniuses."
Elara shoved him forward. "RUN!"
They sprinted as the ceiling started collapsing, just barely making it through the doorway before a massive slab of rock sealed it shut behind them.
Greg panted, hands on his knees. "So... we lived?"
Alex smirked. "For now."
Greg groaned. "That’s not helping, man."
---
Trouble in the Depths
The next corridor was unsettlingly quiet. The only sound was their footsteps echoing off the walls.
Quinn’s eyes darted around. "Sothing feels off."
She was right. Shadows seed to shift unnaturally, watching them. Mallory gripped her sword tighter.
Then, a whisper. Faint. Unintelligible.
Greg’s eyes widened. "Tell you all heard that."
Alex nodded grimly. "We’re not alone."
Mallory barely had ti to react before sothing moved—fast. A dark blur shot from the shadows, knocking Quinn off her feet.
A humanoid figure, wrapped in tattered cloth, its face hidden behind a cracked mask. Its fingers were elongated, claw-like.
It hissed. Then more erged from the darkness.
Greg yelped. "NOPE! I HATE THIS!"
Alex drew his sword. "We don’t have a choice—fight!"
The creatures lunged.
Mallory ducked beneath a clawed swipe and countered, slicing through her attacker’s arm. The creature shrieked, black mist spilling from the wound instead of blood.
Elara chanted sothing under her breath, and a burst of light erupted from her hands, forcing the creatures to recoil.
Greg swung wildly with his dagger, yelling, "STAY BACK, NIGHTMARE FUEL!"
Alex fought with precision, cutting down two before they could react. Quinn, now on her feet, delivered a brutal kick to one’s chest, sending it flying into a pillar.
Then, as suddenly as they had attacked, the creatures screeched and retreated into the walls, vanishing.
Greg was still holding his dagger out, panting. "Okay. WHAT was that?!"
Elara frowned. "Wraiths. Ancient guardians, perhaps. But they shouldn’t have disappeared so easily."
Mallory exhaled, scanning the room. "Sothing scared them off."
The silence that followed was far worse than the fight.
---
The Heart of the Temple
The final chamber was unlike anything they had seen. Massive stone statues lined the walls, depicting unknown figures. In the center, an altar. Resting atop it—a small, glowing orb.
Mallory stepped forward cautiously. The mont her fingers brushed the orb, the room trembled.
A voice bood. "WHO DARES TAKE THE HEART OF THE STARS?"
Greg jumped back. "WHY IS IT ALWAYS GIANT VOICES?!"
The statues’ eyes glowed. Stone cracked as they began to move.
Mallory grabbed the orb. "RUN!"
The temple shook violently as they dashed for the exit. The statues moved with terrifying speed, their massive stone arms smashing into the ground behind them.
Alex barely dodged a falling pillar. "We are NEVER going in a temple again!"
Greg tripped but was yanked up by Quinn before he could be crushed. "I REGRET EVERYTHING!"
They burst out of the ruins just as the entire structure collapsed behind them, dust and debris filling the air.
For a long mont, none of them spoke.
Then Greg collapsed onto his back, staring at the sky. "I’m retiring. I’m opening a bakery."
Mallory laughed, holding up the glowing orb. "We got what we ca for."
Elara examined it. "But what exactly did we take?"
Mallory frowned. She wasn’t sure.
But sothing told her they were about to find out.
______________________________________
Greg was still lying on his back, staring at the sky like he had just gone through a life crisis.
"I an it," he muttered. "I’m retiring. No more temples. No more creepy wraiths. No more statues trying to smash into Greg-flavored pancakes."
Alex scoffed. "You’d last five minutes in a bakery before burning the place down."
Greg rolled over dramatically. "Then I’ll open a sandwich shop."
Mallory ignored their usual banter and focused on the orb in her hands. It pulsed with a soft, rhythmic glow, like a beating heart.
Quinn peered over her shoulder. "Are we sure this thing isn’t cursed?"
Elara crossed her arms. "Probably is."
Greg shot up. "WHAT?! And you let Mallory just grab it like it was a free sample?!"
Mallory sighed. "Would you rather the temple crushed us before we figured out what it does?"
Greg opened his mouth, paused, then pointed a finger. "Fair point. I hate it, but fair point."
The group gathered around as Elara placed her hands over the orb, closing her eyes in concentration. A faint golden light shimred around her fingers.
Then she gasped, stumbling back. "It’s... alive."
Silence.
Greg blinked. "Excuse ?"
Mallory tightened her grip on the orb. "What do you an ’alive’?"
Elara shook her head, a hint of unease in her expression. "There’s sothing inside. Not a person, but... a presence. It’s powerful."
Alex narrowed his eyes. "And probably not friendly."
The orb suddenly pulsed brighter, and a whisper echoed through the air.
"Release ..."
Greg shot up like a startled cat. "NOPE. NOPE. THAT’S A POSSESSION WAITING TO HAPPEN."
The orb vibrated in Mallory’s hands, and before anyone could react, a blinding light engulfed them.
---
The Unexpected Passenger
When the light faded, they were no longer in the ruins.
Instead, they stood in a vast, star-filled void. Celestial bodies floated in the distance, and streaks of light swirled around them like living constellations.
Greg’s eye twitched. "Are we dead? Because this looks like ’dead’."
A soft chuckle echoed around them. "Not quite."
A figure materialized before them—a woman with long flowing hair made of shimring stardust. Her eyes were galaxies, shifting and spinning with cosmic energy.
She gazed at them with amusent. "You mortals are amusing."
Mallory tightened her grip on her sword. "Who are you?"
The woman smiled. "I am a fragnt of the celestial being you now carry."
Greg groaned. "GREAT. We stole a GOD."
Quinn exhaled. "That explains why the temple was so eager to kill us."
The celestial woman chuckled again. "Not a god. But a being of great knowledge and power, imprisoned long ago. Now, thanks to you, I am awake."
Alex crossed his arms. "And what do you want?"
Her gaze turned sharp. "To be freed."
Mallory exchanged a glance with the others. "And what happens if we do that?"
The woman smiled mysteriously. "That depends on you."
Greg threw his hands up. "That is NOT an answer!"
Before they could get another word in, the vision shattered, and they were back outside the ruins. The orb still glowed faintly, but now it felt... heavier.
Mallory sighed. "So. We may have just unleashed sothing dangerous."
Alex smirked. "Wouldn’t be the first ti."
Greg groaned. "I hate adventuring. I HATE IT."
---
An Unwanted Guest
The group made camp for the night, but sleep didn’t co easily. The orb remained beside Mallory, pulsing softly like a sleeping heartbeat.
Greg sat by the fire, grumbling to himself. "I’m telling you. This is how horror stories start. Next thing you know, the orb will start whispering in our heads."
Quinn smirked. "You an like it already did?"
Greg paled. "...I need a new career."
As they settled in, a sudden gust of wind made the flas flicker. A voice echoed in Mallory’s mind.
"You are stronger than you realize."
Mallory stiffened. "Did anyone else hear that?"
The group exchanged glances.
Greg shook his head. "Nope. But if it’s telling you to murder us in our sleep, please ignore it."
Mallory sighed, rubbing her temples. "This is going to be a long night."
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