A final hurdle
The heavy gray clouds suffocating the sky tore open as a light thunder rumbled across them. Feathery white snow fell from above, sliding off the slanting needles of the pine trees and slowly piling on the ground.
The temperature continued dropping as a foggy darkness choked the trail ahead. Feeling the biting chill in the air, Leena and Master Arwin wrapped their jackets tightly around them and put on their gloves.
Xander zipped up his jacket but didn't stop to warm his hands. Instead, he pushed through the foggy veil, using his flashlight to cut a path through the blinding haze. Abigail followed right behind, accompanied by the others.
In his head, Xander could hear the words of the dead cultist echoing on a loop. The crescent moon was already up in the sky, and the Old King, referring to Mount Orion was slowly getting covered in snow. This was the perfect time to perform the dark ritual to unseal the Noctis Umbrae and unravel its twisted secrets.