The large golden doors of the temple closed loudly behind Adrian, their echo bouncing off the walls of the halls. He raised his sword high, its bright edge shining light on the shiny walls around him.

Runes carved into every surface glowed softly, casting a strange, almost otherwordly light over the temple. Statues of Hera stood proudly in regal poses, each one exuding an aura of dominance and grace.

Adrian's eyes darted around the grand entryway, scanning for the three Shadow Court assassins who had slipped inside with him.

The silence was deafening.

His fiery chains snapped to life with a low hiss, ready to strike at the slightest movement.

But then, to his surprise, the ninjas didn't attack.

Instead, their cloaked forms darted deeper into the temple.

"What the—?" Adrian muttered, lowering his blade slightly. The assassins seemed to ignore him entirely, their focus fixed on something farther ahead.

They're not here to stop me, he realized. They're after something else.

His mind raced as he pieced it together.

Back in the village of Brenden, the Shadow Court commander had spoken of something "powerful, ancient." At the time, Adrian didn't dismiss it as a vague threat. He knew they were on to something but didn't give it much thought and eventually forgot about it until now.

Now it was clear—they were hunting the goddesses' power.

"They're following me," he murmured, his grip tightening on his sword. "Using me to lead them to the temples." He clenched his jaw, anger bubbling beneath the surface. Took them long enough to figure that out.

Adrian shook off his frustration. There was no time to dwell on the Shadow Court's strategies. He needed to stop them before they could exploit whatever lay hidden within Hera's temple.

He dashed forward, the golden walls around him becoming a blur as he moved farther into the building. The runes along the corridor brightened with each step, their glow growing more intense as if reacting to his presence.

The hallway led to a large room, which was mostly empty except for the tall golden pillars and a shiny marble floor that mirrored the light. Adrian slowed, his fiery chains crackling softly as he surveyed the space.

"Where did they go?" he whispered, his voice bouncing off the walls as he looked around the room.

This room, like the others, was grand and imposing.

Four lion statues decorated the walls, each one with its mouth open in a fierce snarl. The lions had golden manes that gleamed in the soft light coming from glowing runes on the ceiling.

At the end of the room, there was a large door covered in detailed carvings of Hera's symbol. It shimmered faintly, a tempting promise of progress.

Adrian's instincts flared, warning him of an impending trap, but there was no other path forward.

He tightened his grip on his sword and advanced slowly toward the door. The moment he stepped into the center of the room, a deep rumble echoed through the chamber, echoing in his chest.

The glowing runes flickered, then dimmed, casting the room into eerie twilight.

Then the lion heads came to life.

From their open mouths, water began gushing forth in powerful streams, flooding the chamber with startling speed. Adrian jumped back, his fiery chains snapping defensively as the water pooled at his feet.

"Great," he muttered under his breath, glancing around the room. "Another trap."

The water rose quickly, swirling around his ankles, then his knees. He turned to retreat to the door he had come through, but it wouldn't budge.

He slammed his shoulder against it, his chains wrapping around the handle to pull it open, but it didn't move an inch.

"Figures," he growled.

Turning back, he tried the opposite door, the one ahead, but it too refused to yield.

The water was already waist-high, and the roaring from the lion statues grew louder. Adrian cursed under his breath as he scanned the room, searching for an escape.

There has to be a way out. Think, Adrian, Think.

The water reached his chest, and his fiery chains flickered weakly before extinguishing with a hiss. The room's design offered no clear exit—just the sealed doors, the statues, and the rapidly rising flood.

Realizing he was out of options, Adrian took a deep breath just as the water reached his chin. Within moments, the chamber was entirely submerged.

Adrian pushed himself underwater, his eyes darting around in the dim light. The lion heads continued pouring water relentlessly, their snarling faces seeming to mock his predicament. He swam to the far door, bracing himself against it and pushing with all his strength.

It didn't budge.

He tried the other door again, his lungs burning as he exerted himself against the unyielding barrier. It was hopeless.

I'm going to drown in here if I don't figure this out.

Panic clawed at the edges of his mind, but he shoved it down, forcing himself to think. He kicked away from the door, floating in the center of the room as he scanned every corner for something—anything—that could help him escape.

That's when he noticed it.

A faint metallic glint in the floor beneath him. A circular plate at the room's center, partially obscured by the swirling water. It looked like a grate or a sewer cover, with small openings that hinted at a potential escape route.

Adrian swam toward it, despite the growing ache in his chest. He hooked his fingers into the gaps in the cover and pulled, but it didn't move. He tried again, planting his boots firmly on the floor and yanking with all his strength.

The grate didn't budge.

He kicked off the floor, surfacing for a desperate gulp of air before diving back down. This time, he wrapped his chains around the edges of the grate, pulling with every ounce of strength he could muster.

It groaned under the strain but held fast.

Come on! Adrian's thoughts were a desperate plea as his muscles screamed in protest.

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