The return was like a triumphal march, yet for Sarah, at the back of her mind lurked the foggy shadows of doubt that would not dissipate. They had succeeded in finding the Heartstone, but visions haunted her of darkness of what this lay in store for Eldoria and how she could prevent it.
As they made their way back through the woods, the atmosphere shifted once again. The air grew thick, and unnatural cold seeped through the trees. The light began to pull from the sky, and a knot of anxiety was starting to firm up in Sarah's belly.
"Do you feel that?" Sarah asked her friend, looking over at her.
Elara nodded, her face serious. "We should be alert. Something feels off.".
The group went on, careful and sensing all that surrounded them, as they plunged deeper into the woods. Then the wind howled, its chilling sound nipping at the center of Sarah's spine.
"What was that?" whispered one of the boys, now fear clutched into his voice.
"I don't know," said Elara, scanning the shadows around. "But we have to keep moving.".
They hastened their pace, the howls were growing louder, and echoed in the trees as a haunting melody. And Sarah's heart was racing as she stepped into the clearing of the twilight. There were twisted branches held over her like an ominous canopy because of the tall trees that were looming above.
A dark figure stood in the center of the clearing shrouded by shadows, its eyes shining brightly with a hostile, menacing light, and an overwhelming sense of dread covered her.
"Welcome, children," it said, its voice smooth and velvety. "I have been waiting for you."
"What do you want?" Elara demanded, stepping protectively in front of Sarah.
"I seek the Heartstone," the figure replied, its face spreading into a wicked grin. "And you've brought it to me."
"We won't let you have it!" Sarah shouted, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Foolish girl," the figure sneered. "You have no idea what you're up against. The power of the Heartstone belongs to me, and soon, Eldoria will be mine."
With a wave of the wrist, shadows lunged forward, coiling and twisting, as though living things. Panic shot through Sarah as shadows lunged at her, threatening to drag her inside.
"Stand strong!" she cried to her friends, tapping on the power of Heartstone inside of herself. "We can fight this!"
She and her friends stood together in a circle, hands grasped tightly as they consolidated their thoughts into the warmth that emanated from Sarah. The shadows shied away from the warmth wrapping them.
"Think your little light will stop me?" the figure laughed, its voice carrying across the clearing. "You underestimate the power of darkness."
Just as the shadows pushed forward once more, Sarah could feel the power of the Heartstone growing within her. "We can't let it win!" she screamed, determination drenching her voice.
With a spurt of braveness, she released the light, letting the wave of warmth cascade through the clearing. The shadows recoiled, hissing in anger as they were pressed back.
Let's go!" Elara cried out, her voice rising as she and Sarah clutched to balance the light.
The others did the same, sending their energy into the brightening illumination. As a whole, they made a wall of light that shoved itself forward against the darkness nipping at their heels.
"No!" the figure bellowed, its form flashing in the bright illumination. "This isn't done!
In a final surge of energy, Sarah and the others released the light, illuminating the clearing. The shadows screamed as they broke up into the darkness of the forest.
The light began to dissipate, taking the figure with it, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. The children slumped over on the ground, gasping for air, their chests heaving.
"Did we… did we win?" Sarah asked, trying to catch her breath.
"For now," she said, her voice wobbly with resolve. "But that darkness we're seeing won't be the last we hear of it."
"What do we do now?" one of the boys asked, worry etched on his face.
We need to know about the figure and the darkness that was being spoke of," she said. "This figure wants the Heartstone; for what reason, we have to find. We have to protect it; we need to know what our enemy is.
The group nodded in agreement, their resolve growing stronger. They had surmounted the first significant test of their will to do so, though they knew their journey was only going to be more treacherous ahead.
"They say they are related to a man named Brennan," one of them goes on. "He is an old warrior, but his enemies will tell you that he has gone mad from his years spent warring against the realm's darkness."
"Let's go back to the village," Elara said, "so we can gather more allies and find out all we can about the darkness threatening Eldoria.
Feeling an urgent call, they began their journey toward the village, readying themselves for what lay ahead. As they journeyed on, Sarah felt a sense of oneness among her friends. She came to realize that in this journey they were more than companions to one another; they formed a family fused together through fire and courage.
She could not easily leave the dark clearing, but even as they walked away from it, she couldn't help but feel the shadows returning, stronger and more intense. She had found her reason to fight, but the battle of Eldoria was only just beginning.