Trails of magic

Chapter 26: The Shadow in the Night

"I don't know," I said, trying to shake off the feeling of being watched. "I just feel like we're being watched."

The stranger's eyes narrowed. "I don't see anything," he said. "But let's get out of here anyway. We've got the artifact, and we don't want to stick around any longer than we have to."

I nodded, and we quickly made our way out of the temple. As we emerged into the bright sunlight, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. We had made it out alive, and we had the artifact.

But as we walked away from the temple, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being followed. I kept looking over my shoulder, expecting to see someone lurking in the shadows.

The stranger noticed my nervousness. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I just feel like we're being followed," I said.

The stranger's eyes scanned the surrounding area. "I don't see anything," he said. "But let's keep moving. We can't let our guard down now."

We quickened our pace, walking as fast as we could without drawing attention to ourselves. But no matter how fast we walked, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched.

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the ground, I saw a figure lurking in the distance. It was a tall, gaunt figure with eyes that glowed like embers.

I grabbed the stranger's arm, my heart racing with fear. "Look," I whispered. "It's the Shadowborn."

The stranger's eyes narrowed. "Let's get out of here," he said. "Now."

We took off running, the Shadowborn hot on our heels. We ran as fast as we could, our hearts pounding in our chests.

But no matter how fast we ran, the Shadowborn kept pace with us. I could feel its cold breath on the back of my neck, and I knew that we were running out of time.

Suddenly, the stranger ducked into a narrow alleyway, pulling me along behind him. We ran as fast as we could, our footsteps echoing off the walls.

But as we emerged from the alleyway, I saw that we were trapped. The Shadowborn had us surrounded, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly energy.

We were trapped, and I knew that we were running out of time. The Shadowborn was going to attack, and we had to be ready.

But as I looked at the stranger, I saw that he was not afraid. He was calm and collected, his eyes gleaming with a fierce determination.

"We're not going to let it defeat us," he said, his voice low and steady. "We're going to fight back, and we're going to win."

I nodded, feeling a surge of courage. We were in this together, and we were going to come out on top.

But as we prepared to face the Shadowborn, I couldn't help but wonder: what lay ahead? Would we be able to defeat the Shadowborn, or would it prove too powerful for us?

Only time would tell.