We stopped just short of the entrance. The massive stone archway was cracked and crumbling, and vines crawled over every inch of the structure, swallowing it in shadows.

"Luna, are you sure about this?" one of the warriors, Jaxon, asked as he stepped closer. His brow furrowed with worry. "This place... it's dangerous."

"I know," I said softly, staring at the gaping mouth of the ruins ahead. "But we don't have a choice."

Yelena had followed us, her sharp eyes scanning the entrance, her face set in a grim frown. "We go in together," she instructed, her voice steady. "Stay close. If something happens, we retreat immediately."

I nodded in...