The underbrush thickened as they descended deeper into the valley, the trees twisting and bending in strange patterns that made the path feel foreign, almost dreamlike. The air here was heavier, the magic more concentrated, as if the valley's core was pulsing just beneath the surface. Elda walked ahead of Kael and Lena, her staff glowing faintly as it illuminated the overgrown trail before them.
"This path," Kael said quietly, his eyes scanning the dense foliage, "how far does it go?"
Elda glanced back, her face shadowed with a mix of nostalgia and uncertainty. "I haven't walked this way in years," she admitted. "It leads to an ancient part of the valley—the heart, where the oldest magic resides. My ancestors used it to commune with the valley, to reinforce its connection to the land."
Lena let out a quiet grunt, her sword still drawn, ready for whatever might emerge from the darkness. "Doesn't seem like anyone's used it in a long time."
"They haven't," Elda said, her voice distant. "After the valley sealed the relic away, these paths became... forgotten. They're hidden, meant to be found only by those who know where to look."
Kael tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his gaze sharpening as they moved further into the depths of the forest. "And now the Syndicate knows."
The words lingered in the air, heavy with the realization that their enemy had not only infiltrated the valley but had also gained access to its most sacred places. Elda felt a knot tighten in her chest. If the Hollow Syndicate had learned of these forgotten paths, it meant they had studied the valley's secrets far more closely than she had thought.
As they continued, the trees around them began to twist in unnatural ways, their branches stretching across the path like jagged fingers. The magic here felt different—alive, but erratic, as though it was struggling to maintain its balance. Elda could sense it, the way the valley's energy had changed, how it was shifting in response to the corruption creeping through its core.
"It's close," Elda whispered, more to herself than to the others. She could feel the pull of the next rune, buried deeper within the valley's heart, its magic stirring uneasily beneath the earth.
They walked in silence for several more minutes, the forest growing denser, darker. The only sounds were the soft crunch of leaves beneath their feet and the occasional snap of a branch somewhere far off in the distance.
Lena slowed her pace, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the trees around them. "We're not alone," she muttered, her voice low and tense.
Kael's hand moved instinctively to his sword, his eyes flashing toward Elda. "Are you sure?"
Lena didn't answer at first, her focus locked on something just beyond the trees—a faint shadow that moved in and out of the darkness. "I heard something," she said quietly. "Like footsteps. Someone's following us."
Elda's heart skipped a beat as she turned to face the path behind them, her staff casting a dim glow over the thick underbrush. She strained to hear something, anything—but the forest was silent.
For a moment, she thought it might have been a trick of the mind. The valley's magic had been behaving erratically, after all—perhaps Lena was simply picking up on its instability.
But then, a soft crack echoed through the trees—faint, but unmistakable.
Kael's eyes hardened as he unsheathed his sword, his movements slow and deliberate. "They know we're here," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "We need to keep moving."
Elda nodded, her heart pounding as they quickened their pace. The path ahead twisted sharply, leading them into a narrow ravine where the trees grew even closer together, their branches forming a canopy that blocked out most of the sky. The shadows deepened, and the air grew colder.
As they walked, the sense of being watched intensified. Elda could feel the presence of something—or someone—tracking them, moving in the shadows just out of sight. Whoever it was, they knew the valley as well as she did. Perhaps even better.
"This doesn't feel right," Lena muttered, her voice edged with frustration. "We should confront them. If they know the valley, they're probably leading us into a trap."
Kael's expression was grim. "We can't risk a fight until we know what we're dealing with."
Elda's mind raced, trying to make sense of what was happening. The Syndicate had been one step ahead of them ever since they started this journey, and now, it felt like they were walking directly into their enemy's hands.
But as they turned another corner, the ground beneath them began to shift, and Elda suddenly recognized the path.
"We're almost there," she said, her voice urgent. "The next rune is just ahead."
The path opened up into a small clearing, and there, at the center, was a stone altar—old, weathered, and covered in thick vines. Elda felt a surge of energy ripple through the air as she stepped forward, her magic resonating with the valley's core.
But as she reached the altar, a voice echoed from the shadows, cold and familiar.
"So, you finally found your way back, Elda."
Elda froze, her breath catching in her throat as a figure stepped out from behind the altar. It was a woman, tall and cloaked in dark robes, her eyes gleaming with an eerie, unnatural light. Her face was sharp, with features that Elda recognized immediately—features she had once trusted.
"Mara," Elda whispered, her voice filled with disbelief. "It can't be..."
Mara smiled, a cold, calculating smile that sent a shiver down Elda's spine. "Oh, but it is," she said, her voice smooth and venomous. "And I've been waiting for you."