The air inside the shrine was heavy, thick with the scent of damp stone and something else — a sickly, phosphorescent odor that made Arifa's skin crawl. The flickering torchlight cast shifting shadows across carved pillars and shadowed alcoves, but none of that prepared her for the horrors that awaited.
"Stay alert," she whispered to her team, voice steady but low. "This place reeks of danger."
They moved cautiously, their weapons drawn, eyes scanning every corner. Gurudumu Keire led the way, eyes sharp beneath his veil, while Tiger Beetle and the others followed close behind. They reached the entrance of the inner sanctum, a dark wooden door with ancient runes carved into its surface.
Suddenly, the silence shattered.
It was as if the shrine itself came alive. Dozens of ghostly beings materialized from the shadows, ethereal figures with blurred outlines, their eyes glowing an unnatural sickly green. They surged forward in a silent, relentless wave.
