Magic academy

**Chapter 5: The Dark Prophecy**

As they left the library, Max and Elara couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being watched. They glanced around nervously, but there was no one in sight.

"I don't like this," Elara whispered, her eyes darting back and forth. "Something feels off."

Max nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. I've been feeling it all day. Like something is waiting for us to make a move."

Elara's eyes narrowed. "I think we should be careful. We don't know what's going on, or what kind of magic is at play."

But it was too late. As they turned a corner, they stumbled upon a dark and foreboding portal. It seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy, and Max and Elara could feel its power calling to them.

"What is this?" Max breathed, his eyes wide with wonder.

Elara's voice was barely above a whisper. "I think it's a portal to another realm. One that's connected to the ancient magic we've been studying."

Without hesitation, Max stepped forward, his hand reaching out to touch the portal. As he did, the energy surrounding it seemed to surge, and he felt himself being pulled towards it.

"No, Max!" Elara cried out, grabbing his arm and holding him back.

But it was too late. Max was sucked through the portal, leaving Elara behind.

As she stood there, frozen in shock and fear, she felt a strange sensation wash over her. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she found herself standing in a dark and foreboding forest.

The trees loomed above her, their branches like skeletal fingers reaching out to snatch her. The air was thick with the scent of decay and death, and Elara knew that she was in grave danger.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was a woman with long, flowing hair and eyes that seemed to burn with an inner fire.

"Welcome, Elara," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "I have been waiting for you. You have a crucial role to play in the prophecy that is unfolding."

Elara's eyes widened in fear as she realized that she was trapped in a dark and twisted world of magic and mystery. And that she was about to become a pawn in a game that would determine the fate of the entire realm...

As the woman began to chant in a language that Elara couldn't understand, she felt herself being pulled towards the heart of the forest. And she knew that she was running out of time to escape the dark forces that surrounded her...