CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEEN - The Battle for the Soul Begins

Lucas carefully set the idol down on a flat stone that did indeed resemble an altar. As soon as it touched the surface, a strange energy seemed to fill the air. The torches around the chamber flickered, and a low hum reverberated through the stone. Ella began to read from the journal, her voice strong and clear. The words were in a language Lucas didn't recognize, but they seemed to carry power. As she spoke, the idol began to glow with an eerie light. The hum grew louder, and the ground beneath their feet started to tremble. Victoria's team backed away, fear evident on their faces. Even Victoria herself looked shaken. As Ella reached the final words of the incantation, the idol's glow became blindingly bright. Lucas instinctively shielded his eyes. There was a deafening crack, like a clap of thunder, and a shockwave of energy exploded outward from the altar. Lucas felt himself being thrown backward, and then everything went dark. When he came to, the first thing Lucas noticed was