Second Act-Playground

Aria crossed her arms. "Fine, I'll do it. But I'm only agreeing because I want to see how this plays out."

She paused, shooting me a sidelong glance. "And don't think this means you own me."

I grinned, flashing her a mischievous smile. "Relax, I wouldn't dream of it... yet."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the hint of a smirk tugging at her lips. "You're insufferable."

"True, but I'm also pretty powerful. Trust me, you'll see soon enough," I replied, unsummoning my sword. 

Just as I was about to suggest a quick exploration of this place, the ground beneath us began to tremble again.

The vibrations intensified, and we both took a step back, ready for anything.

A deep, loud rumble filled the air, like the sound of old machines creaking back to life after being silent for hundreds of years.

Suddenly, a huge stone pillar burst out of the ground, rising quickly until it hit the ceiling with a loud, booming thud.