The hollow echoed with silence, the air thick with tension as Dorian and Kael stared at the ancient tablet. The strange symbols glowed faintly, casting eerie shadows on the walls of the hidden hollow. The realization that someone had tampered with the heart of the Brackenwood settled over them like a suffocating weight.
"This seal…" Kael whispered, tracing the symbols with his fingers. "It wasn't supposed to be broken. Someone—no, something—has been trying to unleash the power trapped beneath this forest."
Dorian felt a shiver crawl up his spine. The sentinel that had attacked them, the shifting trees, the forest's anger—it all made sense now. But the dread in Kael's voice told him that the danger they faced was far greater than just a forest guardian.
"Unleash what?" Dorian asked, his voice shaky.
Kael's expression hardened. "The Brackenwood was once a place of immense magic. Long ago, a dark power was sealed within it, a power that could corrupt everything it touched. The sentinels were placed here to guard the seal, to make sure it was never disturbed."
Dorian swallowed hard. "And now… someone's trying to break that seal?"
Kael nodded grimly. "Yes. And if they succeed, we'll be facing something far worse than a sentinel."
The ground trembled again, the deep rumble echoing through the hollow. Above them, the sentinel's roar pierced the air, louder and more menacing than before. The forest was no longer retreating—it was preparing to strike.
"We have to move," Kael said, standing quickly. "If we don't get out of here, the sentinel will tear us apart."
Dorian's legs felt weak, his mind racing with fear. They had barely escaped the sentinel once, and now it was coming for them again, this time with even more fury. He didn't know how much more they could take.
As they scrambled up the walls of the hollow, the earth shook violently, sending loose dirt and stones cascading down around them. The roar of the sentinel grew louder, closer. Dorian's heart pounded in his chest as they clawed their way to the surface, desperate to escape.
Just as Dorian pulled himself over the edge, the trees around them exploded into motion. Vines lashed out from the ground, wrapping around his ankles and dragging him back. He cried out, struggling to free himself, but the vines were too strong. They pulled him down, inch by inch, as the ground beneath him cracked and split open.
"Dorian!" Kael shouted, reaching for him.
But before Kael could help, the sentinel emerged from the darkness. Its massive form towered over them, its eyes glowing with a sinister green light. Its body, twisted and gnarled with roots, moved with unnatural speed as it advanced, its limbs stretched out like claws ready to strike.
Dorian's breath caught in his throat. This was it. There was no escape. The sentinel was too fast, too powerful. He could feel the pull of the vines tightening around him, dragging him into the earth. His arms trembled with the effort of holding on.
Kael swung his staff, sending a burst of energy toward the sentinel, but the creature shrugged it off as if it were nothing. It roared again, the sound deafening, and raised its massive arm to strike.
Dorian braced himself, knowing there was no way out. He closed his eyes, waiting for the crushing blow that would end it all.
But then, out of nowhere, there was a rush of wind.
The air around them shifted, the oppressive weight of the forest momentarily lifting. Dorian opened his eyes just in time to see a blur of motion—a figure streaking through the sky, moving faster than anything he had ever seen. The figure slammed into the sentinel with an impact so powerful it sent shockwaves through the ground.
The sentinel staggered back, its massive form trembling as the force of the blow knocked it off balance. The vines that had ensnared Dorian loosened, and he gasped as he was suddenly freed. He scrambled back, his eyes wide as he took in the scene before him.
Hovering in the air, just above the ground, was a man—tall and imposing, his body glowing faintly with a strange energy. His presence radiated power, a force that seemed to make the very air hum around him. His face was sharp and angular, his expression calm but focused. His short, silver hair glinted in the dim light, and his piercing blue eyes locked onto the sentinel with a steely determination.
Dorian's breath caught in his throat. This man… whoever he was, he wasn't ordinary. He wasn't just a warrior or a mage. He was something else entirely—something beyond human.
Without a word, the man shot forward again, faster than Dorian's eyes could follow. He slammed into the sentinel with such force that the ground beneath them cracked. The creature let out a pained roar, its massive body crumpling under the impact. The man didn't stop. He moved with incredible speed and strength, delivering blow after blow, each one more devastating than the last.
The sentinel, once an unstoppable force, was now nothing more than a broken shell. The man grabbed hold of its twisted form, lifting it effortlessly into the air before hurling it back into the depths of the forest. The sentinel crashed through the trees, its roars fading into the distance until it was nothing more than a faint echo.
The forest fell silent.
Dorian stared in disbelief, his heart still racing from the chaos of the battle. Kael was beside him, his eyes wide with shock as he looked up at their savior.
The man descended slowly, his feet touching the ground with a gentle grace that seemed out of place for someone so powerful. He stood before them, calm and composed, as if the battle that had just taken place had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
"Who… who are you?" Dorian managed to ask, his voice barely more than a whisper.
The man turned to face them, his blue eyes gleaming in the dim light. "My name is Eryon," he said, his voice deep and steady. "I've been watching the forest for a long time, waiting for the day when the seal would be threatened."
"Eryon?" Kael repeated, his voice filled with awe. "You… you're one of the Guardians."
Eryon nodded slowly. "Yes. I've been tasked with protecting this realm from the darkness that lies beneath the Brackenwood."
Dorian's mind raced. Guardians—he had heard stories about them when he was younger. Legends of beings with immense power who watched over the world, stepping in only when the balance of magic was at risk. But he had never believed they were real. They were myths, stories told to children to give them hope.
But now, standing before him, was living proof that those legends were true.
Kael stepped forward, his expression serious. "The seal… it's been tampered with. Someone's trying to break it."
"I know," Eryon said, his gaze hardening. "I've felt the disturbances in the magic of the forest. Whoever is behind this, they are determined to release the power that has been locked away for centuries. If they succeed, the world as we know it will be consumed by darkness."
Dorian's stomach twisted at the thought. The power they were dealing with wasn't just dangerous—it was apocalyptic.
"Who could be behind this?" Dorian asked, his voice shaking. "Who would want to unleash something so terrible?"
Eryon's jaw clenched. "There are those who seek power at any cost. They believe they can control the darkness, bend it to their will. But they are mistaken. Once released, the darkness will consume everything—there will be no controlling it."
Kael nodded, his face grim. "We need to find whoever is behind this and stop them before it's too late."
Eryon's eyes narrowed as he looked toward the horizon, where the sentinel had vanished into the forest. "I will continue to watch over the forest, but I can't be everywhere at once. The seal is weakening, and the sentinels are growing more aggressive. It's only a matter of time before the next attack."
Dorian felt a surge of fear. If this was only the beginning, what else lay ahead?
Eryon turned to them, his expression softening slightly. "I can help you. But I cannot fight this battle for you. You must be prepared for what lies ahead. The forest will test you, as it did today. And the enemies you face will be far more dangerous than a single sentinel."
Dorian's heart pounded in his chest. He had barely survived this encounter, and now they were facing even greater threats. But there was no turning back now. If they didn't stop whoever was behind this, the world would be plunged into chaos.
"We'll be ready," Dorian said, his voice steady despite the fear bubbling inside him.
Eryon nodded, his blue eyes gleaming with approval. "Good. Then our fight begins now."
With that, he lifted into the air, his body moving with effortless grace as he soared above the trees. In an instant, he was gone, disappearing into the darkened sky.
The silence that followed was deafening. Dorian and Kael stood there for a long moment, trying to process everything that had just happened.
"We need to find out who's behind this," Kael said finally, his voice firm. "And we need to do it quickly."
Dorian nodded, still staring at the sky where Eryon had vanished. He had always known the journey