The mountain air was crisp and biting as Eric, Seraphina, and Aric made their way down from the temple plateau. Behind them, the ancient structure groaned and collapsed in on itself, sending up clouds of dust and debris that blotted out the sun. Eric glanced back only once, watching as the dark magic finally dissipated into the wind.
They had survived—for now.
The path ahead led through the forest, a dense and dark canopy that seemed untouched by the chaos they had just left behind. The towering trees whispered in the wind, casting long shadows over the group as they walked in silence.
Aric was the first to break the quiet. "That was close." His tone was grim, but there was a hint of relief. "We almost didn't make it out of there."
Seraphina, still keeping her arm around Eric for support, nodded. "The power in that place… it was overwhelming. Eric, you shouldn't have taken that risk."
Eric didn't respond immediately, his mind still spinning from what had happened inside the temple. The crystal's power had nearly consumed him. It felt like he had touched the edge of something vast and incomprehensible—something older than the world itself. The feeling lingered, a cold shadow at the back of his mind.
"I didn't have a choice," he finally said, his voice quiet. "The convergence is still coming. We're running out of time."
Seraphina stopped walking and turned to face him, her eyes filled with concern. "You keep saying that, but we don't even know what the convergence really is. We don't know how to stop it."
Eric met her gaze, the weight of responsibility pressing down on him. "I know it's coming. I've felt it. That crystal… it was just a piece of the puzzle. There are more out there, and we have to find them before it's too late."
Aric's brow furrowed as he considered Eric's words. "And what happens if we can't find them? Or worse—what if we can't control them like you did back there?"
Eric clenched his fists, the memory of the hooded man's twisted smile still fresh in his mind. "We don't have a choice. If we don't act, the abyss will consume everything."
Seraphina sighed, her hand resting gently on Eric's arm. "We'll figure this out. But you can't keep carrying all of this on your own. You're pushing yourself too hard."
Eric appreciated her concern, but the gnawing fear in his gut wouldn't let him rest. The world was hanging by a thread, and he was the only one who seemed to understand just how fragile that thread was.
He shrugged off her hand gently. "We need to keep moving. We'll find answers, but we have to keep going."
The group continued in silence, the tension palpable between them. Each step they took away from the temple felt like they were moving deeper into uncharted territory, both physically and emotionally.
As the trees grew thicker and the path more treacherous, Eric's thoughts wandered back to the moment when he had wielded the crystal's power. The voices, the dark energy—there was something familiar about it, something he couldn't quite place. It was as if he had encountered it before, in some distant memory or dream.
[No… not a dream.]
The thought struck him suddenly, causing him to stumble. Seraphina caught him, her brow furrowing in worry.
"Eric, are you alright?"
He nodded quickly, shaking off the strange sensation. "Yeah, just tired."
But it wasn't fatigue that had caused his stumble. It was something else—something from his past.
He tried to push the thought away, but the harder he tried, the clearer the memory became. A faint image flickered at the edges of his mind: a shadowy figure, cloaked in darkness, standing over him as a child. A voice, cold and distant, whispering promises of power.
Eric shook his head, trying to dispel the memory, but it lingered like a dark cloud.
"Eric?" Seraphina's voice brought him back to the present, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder. "You're not telling us everything, are you?"
He hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. He had been careful to keep his past hidden from them—his childhood, the secrets he had buried deep. But now, with the convergence looming and the shadows of his past creeping back into his mind, he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it all locked away.
"I…" He struggled to find the right words. "There are things I haven't told you. Things I thought I'd left behind a long time ago."
Aric stopped walking and turned to face him, crossing his arms. "If we're going to fight whatever's coming, we need to trust each other. No more secrets."
Eric met Aric's gaze, then glanced at Seraphina, who was watching him with quiet understanding. He took a deep breath and nodded.
"You're right. There's something you need to know."
He sat down on a fallen log at the edge of the path, the weight of his past finally catching up to him. Seraphina and Aric joined him, both of them waiting in silence as he gathered his thoughts.
"When I was a child," Eric began slowly, "I lived in a small village near the southern mountains. My parents were farmers—ordinary, hardworking people. But I was… different."
Seraphina tilted her head, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Different how?"
Eric hesitated, the memories still raw. "I could see things. Feel things. Dark things. Shadows that no one else could see. At first, I thought I was just imagining it, but then the dreams started."
He clenched his fists, the old fear rising in his chest. "In the dreams, I saw a man—a figure cloaked in darkness. He spoke to me, promised me power beyond anything I could imagine. At first, I was terrified, but as I grew older, I started to believe him."
Aric frowned. "So, what happened?"
Eric's voice grew quieter, haunted by the memory. "One night, the figure came to me in my dreams and told me that I could have the power to protect my village. All I had to do was open myself to the shadows. And I did."
Seraphina gasped softly, her hand covering her mouth. "You… you made a pact with the shadows?"
Eric nodded, his expression grim. "I thought I was doing the right thing. But the moment I accepted the shadows, everything changed. The village was attacked not long after—by bandits, monsters, I'm not even sure. But whatever they were, they slaughtered everyone."
He paused, the weight of his confession hanging in the air. "I survived, but only because of the shadows. They consumed me, gave me the strength to fight back, but by the time it was over, there was nothing left of the village. Nothing but me."
Seraphina's eyes were wide with shock, her voice barely a whisper. "Why didn't you tell us?"
Eric looked away, unable to meet her gaze. "Because I've been running from it ever since. I've been trying to forget the shadows, trying to live a normal life. But now, with the convergence and everything we've seen… I think it's all connected."
Aric's jaw tightened as he processed the story. "So, what? You think the abyss, the shadows, and this convergence are all tied to your past?"
Eric nodded slowly. "I don't know how or why, but the figure in my dreams—the one who promised me power—I think he's part of the abyss. And I think the convergence is his way of finishing what he started."
Seraphina's voice was gentle, but firm. "We're in this together now, Eric. Whatever happens, we'll face it as a team."
Eric glanced at her, gratitude and guilt warring within him. He wasn't sure he deserved their loyalty, but he knew one thing for certain: the shadows of his past were no longer just his burden to bear.
And as the convergence drew closer, they would all have to face it—together.