With Miloslav by your side, the Serpent of Shadows lets out a deafening roar, its eyes glowing with fury. The ground trembles beneath you as the serpent's scales start to shimmer with an otherworldly light, pulsating with dark energy. As you steel yourself for the next wave of attacks, a sudden flash of blinding light envelops the courtyard, obscuring your vision. When the light fades, you find yourselves no longer in the familiar courtyard, but standing on the edge of a vast, shadowy forest. The air is thick with foreboding whispers and twisted shadows dance among the trees, beckoning you deeper into the darkness. Before you can fully comprehend this eerie shift, a figure emerges from the shadows - a cloaked woman with piercing blue eyes that seem to see through your very soul. 'Welcome, brave warriors,' she intones, her voice both melodic and chilling. 'You have been chosen to face the ultimate trial in these cursed woods.' She gestures towards the heart of the forest, where a distant glow hints at a source of immense power waiting to be claimed. What do you choose to do?