The temple quieted for half a second, saved for the sound of shifting rubble under the massive worm's body. The creature had settled at the center of the temple like a crowned tyrant of the desert underground, its carapace gleaming under the pale moonlight.
Auri didn't need a system alert to recognize the shift. The creature was posing. He swore he could visualize an ominous glowing HP bar above its head—maybe even a title like 'Sand Maw of Forgotten Kings' or something equally dramatic.
"Stay alert," Darius reminded him. "That thing looks like it's done running around."
"Got it. We're about to enter phase two of a nightmare boss encounter."
"You don't sound scared."
"Me? Scared? Ha!" Auri stepped up, just behind Darius, not quite side by side—but closer. "I am. My heart's pounding like crazy."
Darius' lips twitched, barely a smirk. "Could've fooled me."
"But I'm also... excited," Auri admitted. "I've always dreamed of something like this."
"What? Fighting sandworms?"
