The tremors had subsided by the time Elena and Aidan reached the edge of the forest, but the air was still thick with tension. The trees behind them loomed like silent sentinels, and Elena could feel the weight of the First Realm pressing down on her, as if it was watching their every move. She stopped for a moment, catching her breath, her mind still spinning with the revelation Aidan had just dropped on her.She hadn't spoken to him since they escaped the forest. The words were trapped in her throat, tangled in a mix of anger, confusion, and hurt. Aidan's betrayal — his secret — felt like a dark cloud hovering over them, threatening to suffocate her if she let it. She could barely meet his gaze, even now as he stood a few steps ahead, scanning their surroundings for danger."We need to keep moving," Aidan said, his voice strained but calm. He looked back at her, his silver eyes clouded with regret.Elena nodded, though she wasn't sure she could find the strength to keep going. The trust she had placed in him had been shattered, and every step forward felt heavier than the last.But there was no other choice. The First Realm wouldn't allow them to rest, not when they were so close to uncovering its secrets."We'll talk about this later," she said, her voice colder than she intended.Aidan's jaw tightened, and he looked away, clearly understanding that this wasn't the time for apologies or explanations. They were both on edge, and the danger of the realm hung thick in the air, like a predator waiting to strike.As they continued walking, Elena couldn't help but feel the energy around them shift. The forest, though no longer shaking, was still alive with something she couldn't quite name. It was as if the shadows themselves were watching, moving just out of the corner of her eye. Every now and then, she could have sworn she saw something flicker in the darkness, but when she turned to look, there was nothing there."This place… it's different from the other realms," Aidan said quietly as they made their way down a narrow path. His voice held an edge of caution.Elena swallowed hard. "Different how?"Aidan hesitated before answering. "It feeds off us. Off our emotions. Fear, anger, love—it thrives on it. That's how the First Realm survives."Elena shuddered. So that was it. The First Realm wasn't just a place—they were walking through a living, breathing entity that fed on their every thought, their every feeling.And it terrified her."What do we do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.Aidan glanced at her, his face set in a grim expression. "We keep moving. Don't let it pull you in. The shadows… they're not real. Not in the way you think."Elena's heart pounded in her chest. The shadows. She had been seeing them—feeling them—since they entered the forest, and now the thought of them being alive, of them feeding off her emotions, made her skin crawl.They pressed on in silence, the path growing narrower and more twisted as they ventured deeper into the heart of the realm. The trees closed in around them, and the sky above was nearly blotted out by their thick, tangled branches. The air grew colder, and the shadows… they were closer now, more pronounced.And then, without warning, they stopped.The path ahead of them opened up into a large clearing, but there was something unsettling about it. In the center stood a towering stone monument, covered in ancient runes that glowed faintly in the dim light. The ground around it was littered with fallen leaves, their edges curling as though they had been scorched. The air was thick with an unnatural stillness.Aidan tensed beside her, his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his sword. "This is it," he muttered, more to himself than to Elena. "The heart of the First Realm."Elena's eyes were drawn to the monument. There was something about it—something familiar, yet terrifying. It seemed to pulse with a dark energy, like the very air around it was alive."What is this place?" she asked, her voice trembling.Aidan's gaze remained fixed on the monument. "It's a gateway," he said softly. "A portal to the other realms. But it's also a prison."Elena frowned. "A prison for what?"Aidan's eyes darkened. "For the shadows. For the things that live in the dark, waiting for a chance to break free."Elena's blood ran cold. She had known this place was dangerous, but the idea of it being a prison for the very shadows that had been stalking them made her skin crawl. She took a step back, her heart pounding in her chest."We shouldn't be here," she whispered.But before Aidan could respond, the ground beneath them began to tremble again. The monument pulsed with light, and the air around them crackled with energy. Elena felt a surge of fear wash over her, but she forced herself to stay calm.And then, the shadows came to life.They rose from the ground, twisting and writhing like dark tendrils of smoke. They moved with unnatural speed, swirling around the monument, their forms shifting and flickering as though they were made of nothing but darkness.Aidan drew his sword, his silver eyes blazing with determination. "Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice steady despite the chaos around them.But Elena couldn't move. The shadows… they were everywhere. Surrounding them, pressing in on them. And then, out of the darkness, a figure emerged.It was tall, its form cloaked in shadow, but its eyes—its eyes glowed with a malevolent light. They locked onto Elena, and in that moment, she felt a cold terror grip her heart."Who are you?" Elena whispered, her voice barely audible over the roaring wind that seemed to have come from nowhere.The figure stepped closer, its movements slow and deliberate. When it spoke, its voice was like the rustle of dead leaves, dry and hollow."I am the one who has been waiting," it said. "The one you were meant to find."Elena's heart raced. "What do you want?"The figure tilted its head, its glowing eyes narrowing. "To remind you of who you are. To make you remember."Elena felt a sharp pain in her chest, as though something inside her was trying to break free. She gasped, clutching the pendant around her neck, but the pain only intensified. The shadows around her seemed to close in, their whispers filling her mind, drowning out everything else."Elena!" Aidan shouted, but his voice sounded distant, like it was coming from another world.The figure's glowing eyes bore into hers, and in that moment, Elena knew the truth.The shadows weren't just alive.They were a part of her.Everything went black.