The Shadow’s Trial

Cruzer hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady himself after the intense battle. The portal's swirling light cast an eerie glow across the chamber, but it also radiated a strange sense of calm, as if beckoning him toward the next phase of his journey.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Cruzer cautiously approached the portal. The necrotic gem in his pocket, now inert, was a silent reminder of the challenges he had just overcome. He knew that whatever lay ahead would likely be even more dangerous, but there was no turning back now. With a determined resolve, Cruzer stepped into the portal.

The world around him blurred and twisted as he was pulled through the portal, the sensation disorienting yet strangely familiar. A moment later, he was deposited in a new location—a vast, cavernous hall that seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions.