Echoes Of The Hidden Gate

The wind howled through the shifting landscapes of Natuka as Kieran, Rebel, and Andrea pressed forward toward the Forgotten Temple. Shadows stretched unnaturally across the land, and the once-thriving flora now trembled as if in fear. Something was wrong—deeply wrong.

The Keeper of the Echoes had warned them that Natuka was unraveling, but the extent of the damage was becoming more apparent with every step.

"We need to hurry," Kieran said, his voice tense. "If the Veil is breaking, we don't have much time to find Elara before everything collapses."

Rebel rolled his shoulders. "Let's just hope we're not walking into something worse."

Andrea frowned. "I don't like how quiet it is. The vines, the creatures… it's as if they're hiding."

Then, the air shifted.

A deep, unnatural silence fell over them.

Then came the whisper.

*"One by one… unraveling… unraveling… unraveling…"*

Kieran whipped around. "Did you hear that?"

Rebel and Andrea nodded, their hands instinctively reaching for weapons.

Then, without warning—

Andrea vanished.

One second, she was there—her golden hair catching the dim light. The next, she was gone, as if the air had swallowed her whole.

Kieran's heart pounded. "ANDREA!"

Rebel spun, searching the surroundings. "What the hell just happened?! Where did she go?"

Kieran's breath hitched. He had seen something—a faint shimmer, like the fabric of reality itself bending.

"She was taken," he whispered.

Rebel gritted his teeth. "By *what*?"

Kieran clenched his fists. "I don't know, but we're not leaving her behind."

They pressed forward, more cautious now, every step feeling heavier. The ground beneath them seemed unstable, shifting in ways that defied logic. The further they walked, the more distorted the world around them became.

And then—

Rebel disappeared.

Kieran barely had time to react before the space where Rebel stood twisted unnaturally, swallowing him whole.

"No! REBEL!" Kieran shouted, rushing toward the spot where his friend had stood. He reached out, but there was nothing. Only the eerie silence of Natuka.

Now alone, Kieran's breathing grew ragged.

He was the only one left.

And then, in the distance—

*"Kieran..."*

Elara's voice.

His pulse quickened. Was it a trick? A test? Or was she really reaching out to him?

His only choice now was to move forward—before he disappeared too.