The quiet hush hovered over the clearing, but the heavy pall of darkness lingered on. Cassidy and the man continued to press deeper into the forest beyond the clearing. As if reacting to their success, the fog began to clear, the malignant energy falling away. Even in the success of their victory, however, an eerie feeling clung to Cassidy, a feeling that their fight was far from through.
They were silent again, lost in their own thoughts. He sat with furrows across his brow as his mind replayed the events of the night. Cassidy felt relieved, yet scared. Yet, as great a threat as the altar had been to them, so much still remained unknown.
As they drew near the forest's verge, the first light of morning began filtering through the branches. The new day seemed a sudden burst of radiance after the literal and figurative darkness they'd endured for so long. Cassidy felt a well of appreciation for the light, but it did little to set her mind at ease.
"We should find somewhere safe to rest," he said, weariness etched in every word. "We have had a long night, and there is still so much to talk about."
Cassidy nodded to that. "Where are we off to?
"There's a town over yonder," he responded, "quaint and a mite backwoods. We can find a room there and work out our next move."
They came into a little quainter town: cobblestone street, very much an old-world charm. The early morning light was soft and bright; it warmed the building faces and cast an almost tranquil scene upon the town-an inviting reprieve from the tumult they had endured but a few hours earlier.
They came across a rather quaint little inn and checked themselves in, as the weariness showed in every step they took. Cassidy shared a room with the man. After a slight breakfast, they sat down to discuss what was happening.
"We need to know what we're up against," he said, pulling out a tattered notebook from his pocket. "The signs carved into the altar, the evil force-it's all part of a puzzle. We need any piece of information we can get."
Cassidy sat on the edge of the bed, her mind reeling. "What do you think that woman meant when she spoke of 'the Order of Shadows'? Is more involved than just our immediate vicinity?"
He nodded. "It might be that the Order of Shadows was a group forged in the light of dark energy consumption for personal gain. Perhaps they had their own purpose, and what we have uncovered is just the surface.
A shiver ran down Cassidy's spine. "If that is the case, then there's most likely more of them out there. They will come for us, especially because we have disrupted their plans.
"We must be prepared," said the man in a very firm voice. "More has to be known about this Order and their aims. The evil we have had to confront isn't just about seeking power, but it's to do with domination and control."
The man opened his notebook and began flipping through it. Cassidy watched him, her heart filled with mixed feelings of gratitude and fear, as danger was visible far down the road from the normality of her life.
After hours of painful research, he finally lifted his head, where a look of resolve was engraved. "I have found some interesting information about the Order. The Order is old, shrouded in secrecy for centuries, and moving events and people around to their will. Their goal is to seize control of powerful artifacts and dark energies for their own purposes.
Cassidy listened intently to this, ideas flowing through her mind. "And the rituals? Anything that could give us any clue as to weakening their plans?
He nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed, there are records of the rituals conducted by the Order. Very often they use dark artifacts and particular incantations to enhance their power. If we can find out what ritual they are practicing, there might be a weak point we can exploit.
"Are there any leads on where to find these rituals and the artifacts?" Cassidy asked.
"Some few sources," he said, "old libraries, secret archives, or persons who - sometime in the past - have had contact with the Order; it is one of the questions about finding the right threads. Cassidy felt a surge of willfulness wash over him. "Then let's start by learning more about these sources. We need to be a step ahead of the Order and expose whatever their plans are."
He nodded. "I have a couple of contact persons who could help us. We shall try reaching them to see whether they can do anything to help us.
As they prepared to make calls to the contacts of the man, Cassidy's mind again wrapped itself around the images on the altar-the future she had seen: a world in chaos and her right in the middle of it-played out in her mind.
"What if this future I envisioned is not preventable?" Cassidy asked, with a slight tremble of fear. "What if we are simply not strong enough to change it? He stared hard at her, and his mouth softened at its edges. "The future isn't set in stone. Already it changes by what we do now. We can't know everything, but that doesn't mean we can't fight back and make a difference. Cassidy took a deep breath, taking great strength from those words of the man: "You're right. We must just keep going, no matter how hard it gets." The man nodded, his eyes meaningfully consenting. "Then to work we go. We have much to do, and there isn't much time. With a given scheme of events running in his mind, Cassidy and the man start the hunt for information; they call up contacts, piecing together information from every place they could get it. The path was cloudy to envision, but they were steadfast and prepared for whatever would come their way. The war against the dark hadn't been won, and they were ready to face it with all their might.