Arriving at the forest entrance, Elijah could see his father with others of his family, the three instructors from the Royal Academy and...
"Little Brother, look out!"
He only felt something hitting him as he fell on the ground. Still feeling a bit dizzy, he look up and saw who had hit him
"Layla?" And he fainted.
Elijah's POV:
Opening my eyes, I saw my father looking at me. Thinking about how I fainted, and that a few hours must have passed.
Afraid that the treasure hunt was over, I ask.
"Father, the treasure hunt already begins?"
"No, there still a few minutes. Also, we decided that only when you make fourteen years we will announce your engagement with Layla, but until there you two are not engaged and if she or you falls in love with someone else, then the agreement will be annulled. If you are better now, then get up and go to the entrance."
My eyes turned to my father, while I still felt a bit hesitant about all of this, I knew dad must have done his best to give him a few years. Sighing to myself, I get up, go down the stairs as I head to the forest.
...
Elijah was with a few children from his family.
When his grandfather announced.
"As everyone knows, today is our family competition, we do every year, in the forest we had some potions and artifacts. The one who more find the most treasures or find the more expensive treasures will win.
Just remember not not go deep in the forest, and you all have three hours, now go!"
All the children started to run into the forest.
In two hours, Elijah only found a pouch of gold coins, a mirror and dagger and decided to go deeper when he suddenly heard a shout.
"AHH!"
Feeling something was wrong, he activate the second level Void Steps.
[Void Steps] is divided in three levels, the first is speed, the second is silence, and the third is void.
After activating the second level, he could run without making noise. Approaching where the shout came from he saw Chloe running away from seven wolves.
Remembering the scroll that his father had given him. He took out the Spatial Scroll, opened it and the scroll send purple light rays locking the wolves.
Seeing his plan had worked, he took her hand and used his Void Steps, leaving the wolves behind.
On top of a tree, Elijah was holding onto Chloe, who was short of breath as he asked.
"Chloe, are you alright? What happened with you?"
"I saw you were exploring this side and i come after you, I didn't think wolves would attack me."
Elijah looked around, but he could not see anything familiar in this part of the forest. The Branches forest was little, but it was connected to the great wilderness and there lived numerous tribes and magical creatures.
He closed his eyes and tried to contact Shadow. 'Master, can you hear me? Master?' Want, I can't contact Master, there must be something interfering with our connection.
"Chloe, I think we're lost, let's get down from the tree and try to find our way back."
He jumped from the tree carrying Chloe and they walked in the forest searching the way back.
Five hours later at the forest entrance.
The treasure hunt ended, and nearly all the kids have returned carrying a few items in their hands. Some of the younger ones had were wiping the tears on their tiny faces when remembering how howls of wolves they heard from afar. However, among the many children, there were two that were nowhere to be seen. There are a few people waiting at the entrance with worried faces.
Catherine looked into her husband's eyes and asked while crying. "Dear, it's already dark and i don't see our child, you don't think that he..."
Henry stroked her hair saying. "Don't think about this, our son is strong, I know he's fine."
After they found a safe area in the forest. Elijah looked around and said. "This place is safe, let's camp here."
It was already dark, so they need to camp. Elijah gathers the wood and set up a bonfire, while Chloe was searching for water and something they could eat.
"Ell! Come here!" Hearing Chloe's voice calling him as he walked towards her, he saw an ancient entrance with several runes inscribed on the wall
"It seems to be the entrance of an ancient crypt!" Elijah said.
'How this is possible, we already passed here, and there was nothing before.'
"Let's go have a look," Chloe suggested as she strode towards that entrance. Although she liked to be with Elijah and she always considered him as a brother, but this time it she couldn't stop feeling nervous and every time she thought of this her heart will beat wildly so she's trying to divert her thoughts.
Elijah followed behind her feeling she was acting a bit strange.
"Ell, look this place must have been a street!" Chloe pointed at the ground and said. She couldn't make out the size of the street since it has already collapsed and covered by earth and grass.
"Chloe, you don't think this is strange? Like how no one in our family noticed this before?" Elijah feels something suspicious on this place.
Then entering the crypt, the first thing they saw was a huge stone tablet and two passages behind.
Elijah brushed off the dust on the surface, and he infused his void energy on his eyes, making them shine with a silver light illuminating everything around like a torch, and making the words on stone visible.
"Wow! I never knew you could do that." Chloe was amazed to see that his eyes were like lamps.
"We do not have time now, I cannot understand these inscriptions, do you?"
Chloe eyes lit up as she remembered something. "I remember seeing those on a book before, wait." She searched on her things and took out a book."Now let's see."
[While my body is rotting and my soul is extinguished, I swore that one day the heavens would fall before my feet! The stars will shatter before my eyes! All creation will tremble at the sound of my voice as I create time! And maybe then will the cycle be complete.]