Jack stepped cautiously into the cavern, his breath visible in the dim glow of torches mounted on the icy walls. The chamber was vast, its ceiling lost in darkness. In the center, an ancient woman sat cross-legged upon a raised platform of carved stone, her silver hair cascading over fur-lined robes. The seer's eyes, clouded yet piercing, locked onto Jack as he approached.
"You have traveled far," she rasped, her voice echoing through the chamber. "And you seek answers that only time can reveal."
Jack swallowed hard. "I need to know if I can return home. If there is a way back."
The seer motioned for him to kneel before her. She reached out, her wrinkled fingers grazing his forehead. Jack felt a sudden rush—visions flashed before his eyes. He saw himself standing before a swirling portal, a great storm raging around him. Then, a shadow loomed—a monstrous, indistinct figure emerging from the darkness. The vision shifted; he was back in his own time, but something was wrong. The city was in ruins, ice creeping over skyscrapers.
Gasping, Jack pulled away. "What was that?" he demanded, his voice shaking.
The seer exhaled slowly. "Your fate is not yet written. The portal exists, but your return will not be simple. Something ancient stirs, a force threatening to change the past and future. If you leave without setting things right, the world you know will cease to exist."
Jack's heart pounded. "What must I do?"
The seer closed her eyes. "There is an artifact hidden deep within the glacier—a relic of the old world. It holds the key to stabilizing time itself. But beware, others seek it as well. If it falls into the wrong hands, all will be lost."
Jack turned to Sigurd, who had been listening intently. The warrior nodded grimly. "Then we must find it before they do."
The seer lifted her hand, revealing a small, carved amulet. "This will guide you. When the time comes, it will show you the way. But be warned—your path is fraught with danger. The storm has already begun."
Jack took the amulet, its surface warm despite the freezing air. A sense of urgency gripped him. If he had any hope of returning home, he had to act fast.
As they left the cavern, the winds outside howled like spirits in mourning. The journey was far from over—it had only just begun.