Chapter 62: The Gate of Shadows
The waters ahead shimmered with an otherworldly darkness, faint trails of silver threading through the void like veins of liquid starlight. The Gate of Shadows loomed before Daniel and Mira, a massive, intricately-carved archway suspended in the water. Its surface was covered in shifting glyphs, pulsing faintly as if alive.
"This is it," Daniel said, his voice a mixture of awe and apprehension.
Mira hovered beside him, her expression guarded. "Another trial? Or something worse?"
The gate radiated an unsettling energy, its aura pulling at the edges of their senses. The shard within Daniel vibrated faintly, resonating with the gate's power.
[System Notification: Abyssal Gate Identified—"Gate of Shadows."
Status: Active. Passage Requires Synchronization with Abyssal Energy.]
"Synchronization," Mira murmured, her brows furrowed. "Does that mean the shard is the key?"