A Shattered Star

The mountains loomed ahead, their jagged peaks shrouded in mist. At their base lay a city reduced to ruins, its once-proud towers now little more than crumbled stone.

"This is the City of Ashes," Liora said, consulting her map. "According to the texts, the third shard is hidden in a temple beneath the city."

"Sounds simple enough," Elias said sarcastically.

As they entered the ruins, the air grew heavy, the silence oppressive. Every step echoed like a drumbeat, and the shadows seemed to shift and watch.

"This place gives me the creeps," Elias muttered.

"Stay alert," Darian warned. "If the shard's here, so is danger."

They followed the map to the center of the city, where a massive stone door blocked their path. Runes etched into its surface glowed faintly, their light pulsing in rhythm with the shards in Liora's satchel.

"It's a seal," Liora said, running her fingers over the carvings. "The shards are the key."

She placed the two shards into indentations on the door. They began to glow brighter, their light spreading across the runes. The ground rumbled as the door slowly opened, revealing a dark staircase leading into the earth.

"Of course it's underground," Elias sighed.

The group descended cautiously, the air growing colder with every step. The staircase ended in a vast chamber filled with ancient statues, their faces worn and cracked. At the center stood a pedestal, the third shard resting atop it.

"That's too easy," Darian said, eyeing the room suspiciously.

As Liora approached the shard, the statues began to move, their stone limbs grinding against one another.

"Trap," Darian growled, drawing his sword.

The statues attacked with surprising speed, their stone weapons striking with precision. Liora grabbed the shard and shouted, "Run!"

Elias activated a gadget that emitted a high-pitched frequency, causing some of the statues to crumble. Darian fought off the others, his movements precise and deadly.

The group barely escaped the chamber, the third shard now in their possession.

As they emerged into the open air, Liora looked at the glowing shards in her hands and whispered, "Three down. Two to go."

Darian, wiping blood from his blade, added, "And the hard part hasn't even started yet."

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