The night had always been Kael's companion. It was the only time when the world's noise dulled enough for him to think, though recently, it had become a prison of nightmares. He stood at the edge of the dark forest that bordered Kaldrith, staring into the twisting shadows. The trees whispered, and in their branches, blackened shapes moved, as if beckoning him deeper.

Kael had been awake for days, haunted by the same vision every time he closed his eyes. It started the same way—his father's voice calling his name, followed by the unbearable pressure in his chest, and then the darkness. He saw the Stone of Raelith, glowing with an eerie, pulsating light, before everything was consumed by shadow. Then came the voice—a voice not of this world, promising power and death in equal measure.

Tonight was no different.

His hands trembled as he glanced down at his father's journal, the cracked leather cover barely holding together. The last entry, scribbled in haste, was the only clue his father had left him before disappearing years ago.

Beware the Stone of Raelith. It calls to our bloodline. Don't seek it. Don't let it find you.

Kael's heart pounded in his chest, a heavy, dull throb that made it hard to breathe. He had no choice. The dreams wouldn't stop, and the ominous pull was becoming unbearable. He could hear it now—a faint hum that resonated through his bones. It was out there, somewhere in the forest. Waiting for him.

"They'll think you're mad if you go any further," came a gruff voice behind him.

Kael turned, his fingers instinctively curling around the hilt of his iron sword. Tarin stood at the edge of the clearing, watching him with cautious eyes. His battle axe was slung across his back, and his leather armor bore the marks of years of hard living.

"You think I care?" Kael's voice came out harsher than he intended. He had never spoken to his old friend like that before, but the pull of the visions had changed him. It was gnawing at him, driving him closer to the edge.

Tarin's brow furrowed, and he stepped closer, lowering his voice as if speaking to a cornered animal. "It's not just me who's worried. The villagers… they're talking. You've barely slept, and they think you've been cursed."

Kael laughed bitterly. "Maybe they're right."

For a long moment, the two stood in silence. Tarin's gaze softened, though his posture remained tense. Kael knew he didn't understand. How could he? No one else felt the suffocating weight of the dark whispers. No one else saw the shifting shadows in their dreams.

"I can't stop it," Kael muttered, eyes drifting back toward the forest. "The Stone… it's calling me. It's in my blood."

Tarin's jaw clenched. He didn't believe in the supernatural, not the way Kael did. But he had seen enough to know that something was deeply wrong. "Then I'm going with you."

Kael blinked, startled. "Tarin, you don't have to—"

"You'll die out here alone," Tarin interrupted, his voice firm. "And I'm not letting that happen."

A part of Kael wanted to push him away, to tell him that this was his burden alone. But the other part—the part that still feared the darkness creeping into his soul—was grateful for Tarin's company, even if the man didn't understand.

"Fine," Kael relented, his grip tightening around his sword's hilt. "But we move now. I can feel it... it's close."

Without another word, the two plunged into the forest, the trees swallowing them whole. The night grew darker around them, the moonlight swallowed by thick clouds that blotted out the sky. The further they went, the colder it became, until their breath formed mist in the air.

An hour passed in silence, the only sound being the crunch of leaves underfoot. Kael's mind was consumed by the pull of the Stone, and each step felt heavier than the last. Tarin, ever the hunter, moved with the same caution he'd used when tracking wild game, his eyes darting to every shadow.

"Kael," Tarin whispered, stopping suddenly. "There's something out there."

Kael stopped, his body going rigid. He hadn't heard anything, but now that Tarin mentioned it, he could feel something—a presence. It was the same sensation he had in his dreams, a looming, suffocating force that seemed to crawl beneath his skin.

The air around them thickened, and from the darkness ahead, a figure emerged. Tall, slender, and cloaked in black, the stranger seemed to glide toward them. A chill crawled down Kael's spine as he recognized her. It was the woman from his vision, her icy blue eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.

"You've come at last," the woman said, her voice soft but carrying an undeniable power.

Tarin took a step forward, raising his axe defensively. "Who are you?"

The woman ignored him, her gaze locked on Kael. "You've felt it, haven't you? The pull of the Stone, the curse that runs through your blood."

Kael's throat tightened, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice trembling despite himself.

"I am Eryn Varys," she replied calmly. "And I am the only one who can show you the way."

Kael didn't trust her, but there was something in her eyes, something that told him she knew far more than he did about what was happening to him. His father's journal warned him of this—of dark forces waiting to manipulate him. But he couldn't ignore the need for answers.

Tarin, sensing Kael's hesitation, raised his axe higher. "We don't need your help."

Eryn's smile was cold, her gaze shifting briefly to Tarin. "You don't, perhaps. But he does." She stepped closer to Kael, her presence oppressive and suffocating. "The Stone is only the beginning. You are tied to something far greater than you realize, Kael Valewyn."

Kael's heart raced as her words settled into his mind. The dreams, the visions—they were leading him to something far darker than he had imagined.

"Why me?" Kael asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Because you are the key to unlocking what has long been sealed away," Eryn answered, her voice dropping to a whisper. "And if you do not find it first, there are others who will… and they will bring ruin to this world."

A cold wind swept through the forest, and Kael knew, in his bones, that his life had just crossed a threshold. There was no turning back now.

The curse had awakened.