Chapter 3 The Guardians

Sophia's heart skipped a beat as she gazed upon the guardians. They were unlike anything she had ever seen before. Tall, imposing figures with skin like dark marble and eyes that glowed like embers. "What are they?" Sophia whispered to Marcus. "They're the guardians of the lost city," Marcus replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "They've been charged with protecting the city's secrets for centuries." As they watched, the guardians began to move towards them, their movements fluid and menacing. "We need to get out of here," Sophia said, tugging on Marcus's arm. But Marcus didn't move.

He seemed transfixed by the guardians. "Marcus, come on!" Sophia urged. But he didn't respond. It was then that Sophia realized that Marcus was under some sort of spell. The guardians were controlling him. Without hesitation, Sophia grabbed Marcus's arm and pulled him towards the entrance of the chamber. As they stumbled out into the bright sunlight, Sophia could feel the guardians' eyes upon them, boring into their skin. They didn't stop running until they were back in the safety of their camp. Breathless and shaken, Sophia turned to Marcus. "What just happened?" she demanded. Marcus's eyes were still glazed over, but he seemed to be coming back to himself. "I...I don't know," he stammered. Sophia's eyes narrowed. "You knew about the guardians, didn't you?" she accused. Marcus hesitated before nodding. "I knew they existed," he admitted. "But I didn't know they would be so...powerful." Sophia's mind was racing. She had so many questions. But before she could ask any of them, Marcus spoke up. "We need to get out of here," he said. "Now." Sophia's eyes locked onto his. "Why?" she demanded. Marcus's face was grim. "Because the guardians will not stop until they have claimed us," he said. Sophia's heart skipped a beat. "We need to get back to civilization," she agreed. But as they packed up their camp and began to make their way back through the jungle, Sophia couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. And she knew that the guardians would not give up easily.