The Cromwell Chronicles · Shadow of the Ancients Run 014

Before the crumbling stone tower, the Whispering Woods loom like skeletal fingers, their twisted branches clawing at a grey sky. The air hangs heavy with damp chill, and torches flicker across mossy stone, revealing a tattered map that seems to whisper its own secrets.

Jeane, her crimson eyes narrowed, traces rune‑covered gate symbols with meticulous care, while Halie, silver cross aloft, calls upon ancient lore to interpret the arcane script. Merrin’s quick hands search for hidden mechanisms, and Varrika’s rough fingers probe the stone’s edges for weaknesses. Seraphine moves cautiously, her holy symbol glowing faintly as she maps the gate’s latent power.