Axel didn't want to cause trouble, or start a fight he can't win. He needed to be friendly with Damon because he didn't want to make things awkward for Talia, so Axel quickly said to Damon, "Investigating the phenomenon doesn't mean actually going there. We have various ways to get information."
When Damon's shoulders relaxed, Axel continued talking to Talia, "I was reading some old documents and I found a cryptic text that points to the lake, and then I discovered this. Yasmin said that this amount of energy is not natural. There is something down there, something powerful."
"Do you think it's a portal?", Talia asked Axel with concern while looking toward the center of the lake that shimmered under the moonlight.
If there was a portal at the bottom, it was open because a non-active portal wouldn't create any disturbance. Before the portal to the realm of witches was opened, anyone would pass next to that massive rock without finding anything unusual.
