The wind howled through the crumbling towers as you pressed forward, each step sinking into the untouched snow that blanketed the courtyard. The ancient fortress loomed ahead, its gates shattered, the stone walls coated in frost.

Inside, the silence was oppressive, broken only by the faint whisper of snow drifting through the gaping roof. At the heart of the hall stood a statue of a goddess, serene and resolute, her marble features softened by time.

At her feet lay the creature, its massive wings folded, its golden eyes fixed on you. "..."