Thick and heavy, the jungle air had the feeling of a brewing storm in silent build-up.
Every breath Micheal took felt dense, charged with something unseen. Leading them through the overgrown path, his Veralune Staff pulsed faintly with each step, casting shifting glows along the roots and vines that clawed at their boots.
The light was soft, but it pushed back the creeping shadows just enough.
As they moved deeper, the jungle grew unnaturally quiet. No birds sang, no leaves rustled, and even the insects had fallen silent. The stillness pressed in around them, heavy and unsettling.
Selene walked to his left, her daggers spinning lightly between her fingers. Her sharp gaze flicked from one shadow to another, constantly scanning for movement.
"This doesn't feel right I guess. The jungle's too quiet."
Kai followed behind, his sword resting on his shoulder, his expression less wary but no less tense. "Yeah, it's giving me the creeps. I'd rather hear something—even if it's a monster growling."
Micheal didn't answer immediately. His mind was elsewhere, caught in the strange, tingling sensation that had followed them since they left the Grove. It wasn't just silence—it was something deeper. The jungle felt... anxious. As if it knew what was coming.
Then, that feeling sharpened into certainty. "They're close," Micheal finally said, his voice low.
Selene's muscles tensed, her grip on her daggers tightening. "Who? The Shadow Lords?"
Micheal nodded. "They know we're here. And they know we have the Heart."
Kai let out a slow breath, rolling his shoulders. "Well, they're not gonna like what we've got planned for them."
As if reacting to his words, the air changed. Shadows started creeping along the ground like spilled ink. The trees groaned, and their leaves trembled, though no wind touched them.
"Did anyone else see that?" Kai whispered, his grip on his sword tightening.
Micheal stopped, raising the Veralune Staff higher. Its glow pushed back the creeping darkness, but the shadows clung to the edges, swirling and whispering.
Selene's voice was tight. "They're watching us. Waiting for the right moment."
A cold breeze cut through the jungle, carrying with it a whisper—not from one voice, but many, overlapping in disorganized echoes. The words were faint, stretched by unseen forces, but Micheal caught the meaning beneath the distortion.
"The Heart is not yours."
A form came out of nowhere, from the dark.
It was big— towering with a body just of shadows. Its glowing eyes of red glinted malignly and hungrily at Micheal. Dark energies rippled around the air of where it stood.
Selene shifted her stance, daggers ready. "We've met worse."
Kai grinned, nodding at the creature's empty hands. "This one doesn't even have weapons."
But Micheal wasn't fooled. His grip on the Veralune Staff tightened.
"Don't underestimate it. The Shadow Lords aren't like the beasts we've fought before. They are born from pure darkness."
The creature cocked its head, seemingly enjoying their conversation. Its voice was a hoarse echo of many voices on each other. "The jungle is ours. You cannot stop what has already begun."
Then it attacked.
A blur of shadows lunged forward, faster than a blink.
Kai reacted first, swinging his sword in a perfect arc. The blade cut through the creature's form—but instead of falling, the shadow reformed instantly.
"Well, that's annoying," Kai muttered, stepping back.
Selene locked in next, her daggers slicing through the writhing tendrils reaching for them. Each strike sent bits of shadow dissipating into the air, but the creature remained whole.
"Micheal, any ideas?" Selene called, dodging a sudden slash of darkness.
Micheal's grip on the staff tightened as he focused. He could feel the pulse of magic in the jungle, guiding him. This creature—this Shadow Lord wasn't invincible. It had a weakness.
Then he saw it.
"There!" Micheal pointed. "Inside its chest! That's the location of its core!"
Kai exhaled. "Finally, some good news."
With a battle cry, Kai charged. His sword pierced through the creature's chest and into the glowing core. The creature let out a distorted scream before shattering into wisps of shadow.
The jungle exhaled.
The oppressive weight loosened, the unnatural silence breaking. Slowly, the sounds of the jungle returned—a distant bird call, the rustle of leaves, the faint hum of insects.
Kai wiped sweat from his brow. "One down. How many more to go?"
Selene sheathed her daggers. "It won't be the last. They'll keep coming."
Micheal nodded, his gaze lingering on the still-distant shadows. "We have disturbed their hold on the jungle. They won't stop until they reclaim the Heart."
Kai groaned. "Great. Just what I wanted… more shadow monsters."
Selene smirked. "You'd be bored otherwise."
"True," Kai admitted. "But still, I'd prefer some peace and quiet."
Micheal didn't laugh. His mind was already turning to what lay ahead.
The jungle wasn't done testing them.
And neither were the Shadow Lords.
He turned back to the path, gripping his staff. "We need to keep moving. There's a temple ahead. I saw it in a vision."
Selene raised an eyebrow. "A temple?"
Micheal nodded. "It holds something we need. Something that can help us fight back."
Kai grinned. "An ancient temple? Now things are getting interesting."
They continued onward. The further they trekked into the jungle, the more the winds picked up, carrying on their breath that eerie whisper they had heard earlier.
Selene frowned. "It's back."
Micheal froze, listening intently. It was not just a whisper. There was a meaning hidden beneath it.
"The jungle is trying to tell us something," Micheal whispered.
Kai gave him a sideways glance. "I don't know about that, but if it starts telling us bedtime stories, I'm out."
Selene chuckled. "Let's just hope it's on our side."
Micheal met her gaze. "It is. The jungle chose us. But we need to prove ourselves worthy."
"Oh Wow!" Selene screamed.
With those words, they pressed onward, the glowing Veralune Staff lighting the way through the encroaching darkness.
The fight was far from over.
It had just begun.