Late at night, the four quietly arrived at the abandoned monastery marked on the map. This monastery was located in a wilderness area on the outskirts of Naples, surrounded by overgrown weeds. The dilapidated stone walls appeared particularly eerie under the moonlight. The wind howled through the collapsed arches, emitting sounds akin to wailing ghosts, sending chills down one's spine.
"It looks like this place was abandoned hundreds of years ago," Sophia whispered, her voice trembling slightly as she swept her flashlight over the mottled walls. "But according to our information, it was once a venue for secret rituals."
Isabella clutched Sophia's arm tightly, a hint of fear in her eyes. "I have a strange feeling about this atmosphere... Do you hear any weird sounds?"
Giovanni held his breath and listened carefully. Besides the wind, there seemed to be faint chanting coming from afar. The sound was low and eerie, as if it came from another dimension.
Alette appeared from the ring, her emerald eyes flashing with vigilance. She held a golden short sword, its blade quivering slightly, seemingly sensing the danger as well. "Master, be careful. There is an ancient magical fluctuation in the air here; there might be traps."
To ensure safety, the four decided to first inspect the exterior of the monastery. As soon as they entered the gate, a large wild cat suddenly darted out from the shadows. This cat's eyes flashed with an eerie red light, its fur disheveled, looking extremely fierce. Isabella screamed and almost fell, but Giovanni quickly caught her.
"Don't be afraid, it's just a cat," Giovanni reassured her, though his own heartbeat involuntarily quickened.
Alette stepped forward, trying to calm the wild cat with magic, but the cat remained unfazed and instead growled ferociously. Just as everyone was at a standstill, the cat suddenly turned and disappeared into the darkness.
"This place seems even stranger than we imagined," Sophia said, frowning.
They continued deeper inside when suddenly a rotten wooden plank on the floor collapsed. Giovanni acted quickly, pulling Isabella back just before she fell. "Everyone be careful; this floor isn't sturdy," he warned.
After passing through the main hall, the four arrived in front of a dusty altar. In the center of the altar was carved a complex rune pattern, similar to what Giovanni had seen in Pompeii, but with some subtle differences.
"These symbols represent time and reincarnation, but there are some unusual aspects," Sophia observed carefully and remarked, "I feel that the way to trigger the mechanism here might be different from what we encountered before."
Isabella curiously leaned in, about to touch the runes, but Alette quickly stopped her. "Don't rush, let's figure it out first."
At that moment, the surrounding temperature dropped sharply, and everyone's breath turned into white mist. Faint shadows began to appear on the walls, resembling ancient monks conducting some mysterious ritual.
"What... what's going on?" Isabella asked, her voice trembling.
Giovanni clenched his fists. "Whatever it is, we must be cautious."
Alette concentrated, attempting to dispel the shadows with magic, but the shadows became increasingly clear. Suddenly, one of the shadows lunged at them. Giovanni instinctively raised his arm to block it, only to find that the shadow passed right through his body, bringing a chilling sensation.
"These shadows seem to lack physical form, yet they can affect our perception," Alette analyzed. "We need to find a way to break this."
Everyone began searching for clues. Sophia found an old book next to the altar, containing some historical information about the monastery. She quickly flipped through it and finally found records about these shadows.
"It says here that these shadows are evil souls sealed here long ago, and only pure power can drive them away," Sophia explained.
Giovanni thought of his bronze ring; perhaps this was the moment to test himself. He focused, harnessing the power of the ring, and a golden light emanated from his hand. When the light shone on the shadows, they emitted painful howls and gradually dissipated.
As the last shadow disappeared, the surrounding temperature returned to normal, and the runes on the walls no longer flickered. However, before they could catch their breath, the ground suddenly shook violently, and a hidden door slowly opened, revealing a staircase leading underground.
"It seems this is only the beginning," Alette whispered. "Who knows what awaits us below."
The four exchanged glances, determination reflected in their eyes. They slowly descended the stairs, stepping into the unknown darkness.