The dense fog clung to the trees like a ghost, muffling every sound in the forest. A faint breeze whispered through the underbrush, carrying with it the smell of damp earth and decay. Somewhere in the distance, a lone wolf howled, its call echoing through the empty night.
Haru crouched low, his body perfectly still, hidden in the shadows. His black robes blended seamlessly into the darkness, the only sound was the soft, steady rhythm of his breathing. He had learned to wait patiently, to strike only when the moment was right. But tonight, something felt different. The air was heavy, and oppressive, as if the very world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.
His eyes, sharp and calculating, scanned the clearing ahead. There was no sign of movement, no indication that anything was out of the ordinary. Yet, the knot of unease in his chest refused to loosen. The whisper had come to him again, pulling at the edges of his mind like a distant echo. Kharith. The name haunted him, dredging up memories he had long since buried.
He had tried to ignore it at first, pushing the voice aside as a mere phantom of his past. But the whisper had grown louder, more insistent until it was impossible to ignore. It had been three nights ago when he finally made the decision to leave the safety of his secluded life and seek out the source of the call. Now, here he was, standing on the precipice of something far greater than he had anticipated.
The ruins of Kharith were said to be a cursed place, a city once filled with the greatest magicians and scholars, now reduced to little more than a tomb for the foolish and the damned. It had been centuries since anyone dared to enter its boundaries, and those who did were never seen again. The darkness that slept beneath its stones was ancient, older than the gods themselves if the legends were to be believed.
Haru wasn't a man for legends. He believed in what he could see, what he could touch. But the whisper was real, and it had led him here for a reason. He just didn't know what that reason was yet.
Suddenly, a rustle in the trees snapped him out of his thoughts. His hand instinctively went to the hilt of his katana, his senses heightened as he melted further into the shadows. His heart pounded in his chest, but his breathing remained calm and controlled. He waited.
A figure emerged from the trees, moving with a grace that only years of training could bring. Haru's eyes narrowed as the man approached, his movements fluid but cautious. Whoever he was, he was skilled. But was he a friend or foe?
The figure stopped at the edge of the clearing, his back to Haru. He was dressed in simple travelling clothes, but there was a hardness to his stance, a tension that spoke of a man ready for battle at any moment. Haru didn't move. He didn't need to. He could wait as long as necessary.
The man stood there for what felt like an eternity, surveying the clearing as if searching for something. Then, with a sudden burst of movement, he turned on his heel and started back into the trees, disappearing into the fog as quickly as he had appeared.
Haru didn't follow. Not yet. Instead, he stayed crouched in the shadows, his mind racing. The man was heading toward Kharith of that, he was certain. But what did he know of the ruins? What had drawn him there?
Haru had a choice to make. He could continue his journey alone, as he had always done, or he could follow the stranger, risk revealing himself, and find out if they shared the same goal. The thought of working with someone else, of trusting another with his mission, made his skin crawl. But the whisper had been clear. There were others. Five, to be exact.
Five souls would be drawn together, not by fate but by the paths they had chosen. Haru had no use for prophecy, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this man, whoever he was, might be one of the five. And if that was the case, Haru couldn't afford to ignore him.
With a silent sigh, Haru rose from his crouch, his body moving as fluidly as water. He slipped through the trees, following the faint trail the man had left behind. His footfalls were as light as air, his presence a mere shadow in the night.
The forest grew thicker as he moved deeper into its heart, the fog swirling around him like a living thing. The scent of decay grew stronger, and the air felt colder as if the very essence of the land had been tainted. Haru's senses were on high alert, every muscle in his body coiled and ready to strike at a moment's notice.
He didn't have to wait long.
A sudden burst of movement from the trees to his left sent him spinning, his katana drawn in an instant. The blade gleamed in the faint moonlight, its edge sharp enough to cut through the air itself. But there was nothing there. Only shadows.
Haru narrowed his eyes, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. He had felt something no, someone watching him. His instincts had never failed him before, and they were screaming at him now. He wasn't alone.
He moved cautiously, his steps slow and deliberate as he scanned the trees for any sign of movement. The fog made it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead, but his training had taught him to rely on more than just his eyes. He listened, his ears straining to catch even the faintest sound.
There it was. A faint rustle, barely audible, but enough to set him on edge. Haru didn't hesitate. He darted toward the sound, his katana ready to strike. As he broke through the trees, he came face-to-face with the man he had been following.
The stranger's eyes widened in surprise, but only for a moment. His hands moved to his weapons, two short swords strapped to his waist. The air between them crackled with tension, each man sizing the other up, waiting for the other to make the first move.
But before either could strike, a voice cut through the silence.
"Enough!"
Both men froze, their eyes darting to the source of the voice. A figure stepped out from the shadows, her silhouette barely visible in the mist. She was tall, her presence commanding, though her face was hidden beneath the hood of a dark cloak.
"You'll have plenty of time to kill each other later," the woman said, her voice calm but laced with authority. "But for now, you both need to listen."
Haru's grip on his katana tightened. He didn't like being told what to do, especially not by a stranger. But something about the woman's voice made him pause. There was a certainty in her words, a confidence that told him she knew more than either of them.
"Who are you?" the man with the short swords asked, his voice gruff and suspicious.
The woman pushed back her hood, revealing striking features—dark red skin, glowing eyes, and curling horns. A Tiefling. Haru's instincts screamed at him to be on guard. Tieflings were known for their connections to dark magic, and this one looked every bit the part.
"My name is Seraphine," she said, her glowing eyes locking onto both men. "And I'm here to make sure you don't die before the real fight begins."
Haru glanced at the man beside him, who seemed just as confused as he was. Seraphine crossed her arms, her expression unreadable.
"Kharith is calling us," she continued. "And we don't have much time. The darkness beneath the city is waking, and if we don't stop it, the world as we know it will end. Now, you can keep fighting each other and die here, or you can come with me and live long enough to face the real enemy."
Haru's mind raced. This was the first time he had heard someone else speak of Kharith so openly, and it unsettled him. But one thing was clear he wasn't the only one being drawn to the ruins. There were others. The prophecy was unfolding before his eyes.
Without lowering his katana, Haru met Seraphine's gaze. "Why should we trust you?"
Seraphine's lips curved into a small, humourless smile. "Because, like you, I've heard the whispers. And if you don't trust me, the darkness will consume us all before we even reach Kharith."
The man beside Haru grunted in frustration, but after a moment, he sheathed his short swords. "Fine," he muttered. "But if you try anything"
"I don't have time for betrayal," Seraphine said coolly. "Neither do you."
Haru remained still for a long moment, weighing his options. He didn't like this. He didn't like any of it. But if the prophecy was true, if Kharith was truly calling them… he couldn't afford to turn back now.
With a sigh, he lowered his katana.
"Lead the way."
And so, three of the five souls were brought together, united by the growing darkness. The shadow of Kharith loomed over them, its power pulling them deeper into the unknown. None of them knew what awaited them in the ruins, but one thing was certain there was no turning back. The battle for the fate of Atheron had begun.