The jungle opened before them endless, dense, and vast, with massive trees and crooked vines intertwined in a puzzle.
And with every step, another problem was waiting at the end yet Micheal, Selene, and Kai all pushed forward under the faint glow cast by the Veralune Staff. The ruins were far behind now, but the darkness of the wraith's threat lingered over Micheal.
The jungle was alive. Trees whispered secrets to one another, and the earth pulsed faintly beneath their feet, as if the land itself were breathing. Every rustle of leaves or distant animal cry seemed to vibrate with an eldritch magic, and none of them shook off the feeling of being watched.
Kai broke the silence with a groan. "Tell me we're close to the next temple. My legs are killing me."
Selene rolled her eyes. "You complain more than anyone I've ever met. We've barely walked an hour."
"An hour through enchanted jungle terrain!" Kai shot back. "It's like the trees are trying to trip me."
Micheal glanced back at them, a small smile tugging at his lips. Despite the tension of their journey, their bickering always managed to lighten the mood. "We're getting closer," he said. "I can feel it."
The air changed as they deepened into the jungle, growing wet with heavy humidity and a sense of foreboding. The colors that once seemed so vibrant about the jungle depressed themselves, as though some shadow crept across the land.
Selene slowed, her sharp eyes scanning the trees. "Something's wrong."
Micheal let go of his now fiercely gripped staff. "What do you mean?"
"It's too quiet," she said. "No birds, no bugs. Like anything is in hiding."
Kai clasped his hand on the handle of his sword, his voice sincere for once. "You think it's some kind of wraith?" he asked.
Micheal shook his head. "I don't know, but we gotta prepare for anything out there."
They stepped warily, muffled steps shrouded in the deep, thick moss covering the earth. Coming around a bend to a small clearing, they found it. This massive tree with bark all cracked and twisted into grotesque limbs, and bony branches like fingers reaching out for hands.
"That don't look right," Kai murmured.
"It's not," Micheal said, approaching the tree cautiously. The Veralune Staff, now loose in his grasp, pulsed feebly as he sensed dark energies emanating from the tree.
Selene pointed at the ground around the tree. "Look."
The earth was cracked and arid, grass around it withered, grayish in color, as if everything living around the tree were being squeezed by it of all life.
"This should be the cause of the shadow around this neighborhood," Micheal said.
Kai lifted an eyebrow. "So what are we, chopping it down?"
Selene shot him a glare. "It's not that simple. This tree is saturated in dark magic. Destroying it might unleash something worse."
Micheal nodded. "She's right. We need to purify it, not destroy it.".
Micheal stepped forward, raising the Veralune Staff. Light became golden and bright, filling the clearing with warm glow. He could feel magic responding from the jungle, as if a wave would flow toward him.
"Selene, Kai," he said calmly. "I'll need your help. Watch my back while I do the purification."
Selene nodded and drew her daggers. Kai unsheathed his sword and positioned himself at the edge of the clearing.
Michale closed his eyes and focused on the Heart of Lumora. He felt the energy flowing into him, a pulse that seemed to resonate with the beat of the jungle.
He began to chant. The words were smooth on his lips as if he had always known them. The light from the staff brightened up, and the golden tendrils of energy crept out from it, surrounding the tree.
The tree shuddered, and a deep, guttural sound echoed through the clearing. Micheal's eyes snapped open.
"It's resisting," he said, tightening his grip on the staff.
"Of course it is," Kai muttered. "Nothing's ever easy."
The ground shook and trembled. From the tree's roots, shadowy figures began to come out. These were smaller than the Shadow Beasts they had battled before but no less threatening. Their red eyes shone with malice, and their twisted forms seemed to writhe and shift like smoke.
"Here we go again," Kai said, stepping forward to meet the first wave.
She moved like a shadow herself, the flash of her daggers lighting the dim room as she took down the creatures with a precision born of long practice.
"Micheal, keep going!" she shouted over her shoulder.
Micheal gritted his teeth and kept his mind on the ritual. The light from the staff pressed against the darkness, but it was like trying to hold back a tide.
Creatures by the hundred streamed in and for each one of these Selene and Kai disposed of, it seemed that two others came to its place.
"To your left, Kai!" Selene screamed.
Kai whirled, cutting down a shadow creature that leaped at him. "I've got this one. But we can't do this forever."
Michèl's voice rose, his chant flaring the gold light brighter, the tree letting out a low, sad groan and the sound of cracking coming from its bark.
"Just about there," he whispered. "A little further along.".
He launched a final, Thunderous blast of energy as he drove the Veralune Staff into the ground. A burst of golden light shuddered forward out of the staff to wash across the clearing and down upon the tree.
The dark creatures let out ear-piercing shrieks, then simply ceased to be there. The tree shuddered again, and this time began changing. The darkened bark became vibrant green again, and its twisted branches lengthened and lost their twist.
The clearing transformed with the fading of the light. Grass regained its color, now luscious green, the air is filled with the songs of birds and insects.
Micheal backed off, his breath heavy. Selene grabbed him by the arm to keep him steady.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"I am fine," he said, though his voice was weak. "The jungle. it feels lighter now. We did it.".
Kai sheathed his sword, wiping sweat from his brow. "I'll admit, that was impressive. But if every tree we purify is going to be this much trouble, we've got a long road ahead."
Micheal managed a small smile. "We'll face it together. One step at a time."
As they prepared to leave the clearing, Micheal felt a faint tug on his mind,a whisper, soft and distant.
"The light grows stronger, but so does the shadow. Beware, bearer of the Veralune Staff. Your greatest trial is yet to come."
He glanced back at the purified tree, unease settling in his chest. The jungle was healing, but the darkness was far from defeated.
Selene placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get through this, Micheal. No matter what it takes."
He nodded. The words strengthened him. They turned and continued to move forward as the light from the Veralune Staff lit the way for them.