Chapter 19 The Gate's Awakening

Alex and his buddies trudged onward through the sweaty woods at night. The air felt thick, weighted with the type of energy that clung to your skin like an omen. They walked through every step at a time for eternity because now the trees were very high; they were like giant watchers who would warn something. THE DEEPER THEY GO, THE MORE Alex felt the pulse of the Abyss, throbbing, thumping. The gate was closed. Mara stepped closer to him, her hand near the hilt of her daggers. Her presence was a constant reminder of what they were fighting for. She was his beacon, his lifeline when the darkness had once threatened to swallow him whole. Whenever he felt himself flailing, Mara would pull him in. He couldn't let her down.