Location: Depths Beyond the Whispering Dungeon
The air shifted as Kael and his companions stepped through the shimmering portal.Gone was the oppressive gloom of the dungeon — in its place, an eerie beauty unfolded before them.
They stood in a vast garden bathed in twilight, where countless black lotus flowers floated across crystalline ponds.Ancient, gnarled trees with silver leaves stretched toward a starless sky.The atmosphere buzzed with both life and danger.
At the center of the garden stood a solitary figure — a woman clad in flowing black and violet robes, her long hair a cascade of midnight silk.
Her eyes — pure gold — watched them with an unreadable smile.
The Mysterious Woman
"Welcome, travelers," she spoke, her voice like a melody laced with poison."You seek Rayna, the Divine Maiden imprisoned beyond time itself."
Kael narrowed his gaze.
"You are the Black Lotus?"
She tilted her head, amused.
"I am known by many names… but yes, that will suffice for now."
Around her, the lotus flowers began to pulse, releasing faint mist.
Warning bells rang in Kael's mind.
This place is enchanted. One wrong move, and the garden will become a grave.
Terms of the Black Lotus
The Black Lotus walked barefoot across the water without leaving a ripple.
"To reach Rayna, you must prove yourselves worthy."
She raised a single delicate hand.
Suddenly, five black lotuses rose from the pond and floated toward Kael's group — each blossoming into a humanoid form.
A knight clad in obsidian armor.
A mage shrouded in flowing dark robes.
A rogue with twin daggers glinting like stars.
A priestess with bleeding eyes.
A beast-tamer riding a spectral wolf.
Each radiated ancient power.
"Defeat my champions," the Black Lotus said sweetly, "or become nourishment for my garden."
Kael smirked.
"Very well. We accept."
The Battle: Dance of Black Petals
Without hesitation, the black champions attacked.
Kael led the charge, sword flashing like a comet.
Velcia struck down the rogue with her blazing war axe.
Zara tangled with the knight, matching him blow for blow with her relentless spearwork.
Mira clashed with the mage, using her dark shadows to counter spells.
Selene and Ishira combined magic and illusions to outwit the beast-tamer.
Evelyne dueled the priestess, their light and darkness colliding violently.
The battlefield turned into a storm of shattered petals and unleashed power.
Kael moved like a tempest among them, his instincts honed to perfection.
At a critical moment, he unleashed a partial divine flare — a flash of ancient golden light around him that weakened the champions.
One by one, the black lotuses fell, their bodies dissolving into shimmering mist.
Victory and an Invitation
The garden grew silent once more.
The Black Lotus clapped softly, a small smile playing on her lips.
"You are… fascinating, Kael."
She floated closer, her golden eyes gleaming with curiosity and something deeper.
"Perhaps... you are the one I've been waiting for."
She extended a pale hand.
"Come, let us speak. There is much you do not know — about Rayna... about the gods... and about your true enemies."
Kael hesitated.
Around him, his companions tensed, ready for anything.
The Temptation
The Black Lotus whispered so only Kael could hear:
"The gods you once called kin are moving again.Betrayal stirs in the heavens.And only you can stop it… if you dare claim your destiny once more."
Kael's heart thundered in his chest.
The past I thought buried... is rising again.
He took her hand — cautiously — and the world shifted.