Chapter 4: The Ritual Begins
The air thickened with dark energy as Dorian stood before the Hollow Tree, his hands raised high. The power of the Abyss swirled around him, dark and foreboding, and Elara could feel its pull deep within her bones. She had known that the ritual to stop the curse would be difficult, but she had never imagined that Dorian would turn against them in such a vile way.
"You've doomed us all," Elara said, stepping forward, her fists clenched. "The Abyss will consume you, too."
Dorian's laughter echoed through the clearing, a sound that seemed to carry with it the weight of madness. "No, Elara," he said, his voice tinged with arrogance. "I've transcended it. I am beyond the Abyss now."
He turned his gaze back to the Hollow Tree, and with a swift motion, he drove a dagger - its blade black as night - into the heart of the tree. The moment the blade made contact, a violent shockwave rippled through the air, knocking Elara and her companions to the ground.
The ground beneath them cracked open, and the rift that had once been sealed began to widen. The trees around them twisted and writhed as though in pain, and the air was thick with the smell of decay. The Abyss was awakening.