Aiden and Elara moved back through the forest in silence, each step feeling heavier than the last. After Seraphine's revelations, it was like the ground itself held secrets, vibrating with truths they weren't sure they were ready to know. Their minds buzzed with questions, and neither one spoke, each lost in their own swirling thoughts.
As they neared the village edge, Aiden slowed down, glancing over at Elara. "What now?" he asked, keeping his voice low.
Elara took a moment to respond, her gaze fixed ahead as if looking for an answer in the trees. "We can't go back to Loran with this… not yet. We need more time to figure out what Seraphine meant."
Aiden nodded. They both knew that questioning Loran's teachings could have serious consequences. He was a revered figure in the village, his authority absolute, and the only person they'd been able to rely on since arriving here. To question him was to question their place in this world. And yet… something about Seraphine's words lingered.
"Let's head back for now," Elara said finally, her tone resigned. "We'll talk more later—somewhere no one can overhear us."
They made their way back to the village, keeping to the shadows until they reached the clearing. A few villagers were already up, tending to early morning tasks, but the area around the training grounds was empty. They slipped through, heading straight to the small hut they'd been assigned on the outskirts.
Once inside, Elara let out a breath, her gaze fixed on the wooden floor. "Aiden… do you think Seraphine was telling the truth?"
He hesitated, leaning against the wall, and crossed his arms. "I don't know. But when we were at the shrine, I felt something. Like she said… something alive, something… watching us. And it didn't feel threatening. It felt like it wanted us to know."
Elara nodded slowly. "I felt it too. It's like the spirits there wanted to share something with us. But what?"
They sat together in the quiet of the small room, each one replaying Seraphine's warning. The secrets of the village seemed to thicken around them, like fog, making the familiar seem strange and foreign. The more they thought about it, the more they realized they couldn't ignore it.
"Maybe we can figure it out from here," Aiden suggested. "The library, the village records—there has to be something that can tell us more about how this conflict started."
Elara's eyes brightened. "The records! Loran never let us see them, but there's a chance we can find a way in. They might have details about the demons, about their origins… things the village doesn't talk about."
They exchanged a look, knowing that sneaking into the library would be risky. It was strictly guarded, open only to the highest-ranking hunters and scholars. But the lure of answers outweighed their fear of getting caught. They decided to plan carefully, waiting for the right moment to make their move.
Later that evening, they slipped away from the rest of the villagers under the cover of twilight. The library loomed at the edge of the village, its stone walls thick and impenetrable. Aiden had noticed a narrow side window, often left ajar to allow the evening breeze to cool the building. Tonight, it was open just enough for them to slip inside.
They crept through the darkness, navigating around shelves packed with ancient scrolls and dusty tomes, and finally reached a back room where the oldest records were kept. Elara carefully selected a few scrolls, opening them with cautious fingers as she glanced over the faded text.
"It's in the old language," she whispered, frustration in her voice. "But I can make out some of it…"
Aiden moved closer, his curiosity piqued as Elara translated the fragmented words. There were mentions of a great conflict, of a pact broken between humans and demons, but the details were elusive, woven into riddles and cryptic phrases.
"Look," Elara whispered, pointing to a section that had clearer writing. "It talks about a shrine—maybe the same one we saw today. It says… the shrine is a gateway between worlds, a bridge for understanding."
Aiden furrowed his brow. "A bridge? So that's why we felt that energy. It wasn't just a shrine… it was a connection."
They both froze as a low creak sounded from the front of the library. Shadows moved across the wall, and the sound of voices echoed down the hall. Heart pounding, Aiden signaled for Elara to stay still, tucking the scrolls back in their place as they crouched behind a row of shelves.
Two figures entered the room—a guard and another figure they recognized all too well. Loran.
He moved with a commanding presence, his gaze sweeping over the room as if sensing their intrusion. The guard stood beside him, his hand resting on the hilt of a sword, and Aiden held his breath, hoping they wouldn't be discovered.
"It's the young ones I'm worried about," Loran muttered to the guard, his voice barely audible. "They've been asking questions. If they find out about…" He trailed off, his expression darkening.
The guard nodded. "They're talented, but they're still just kids. And they're outsiders. If they start digging too deep, they could disrupt everything."
Loran's gaze sharpened. "Then we'll have to make sure they stay focused. The last thing we need is anyone questioning the purpose of the demons."
Aiden's heart raced, and he glanced at Elara, who was watching Loran with wide, troubled eyes. There was something hidden here, something Loran didn't want them to know. He'd trained them, encouraged them to believe they were fighting for a noble cause. But now, it felt like they were seeing a different side of him—a man who wasn't as transparent as he seemed.
As Loran and the guard turned to leave, Aiden and Elara waited until the sound of their footsteps faded. Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief, slipping out through the window they'd come in by. The village was dark, the sky heavy with stars, and they kept to the shadows, each of them lost in their thoughts as they made their way back to the hut.
Once inside, Aiden leaned against the wall, his mind racing. "Did you hear what he said? Loran doesn't want us asking questions. He knows there's more to this story."
Elara nodded, her expression solemn. "He's hiding something, something about the demons and the shrine. But what? Why go to all this trouble to keep us in the dark?"
Aiden couldn't answer, but the sense of betrayal settled deep in his chest. Loran had been their mentor, their guide. And now… it felt like he'd been leading them along a carefully controlled path, keeping the truth just out of reach.
"We have to be careful," Elara said finally. "If Loran suspects that we're digging into this… he might try to stop us."
Aiden clenched his fists, determination hardening his resolve. "Then we'll be smarter. We'll act like everything is normal, train harder, follow his instructions. But in the meantime, we'll keep looking for answers."
They agreed, a quiet understanding passing between them. For now, they would keep their doubts hidden, acting as if nothing had changed. But deep down, they both knew they'd crossed a line. There was no turning back from the truth they'd glimpsed tonight, and no undoing the questions that had taken root.
The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken worries and the weight of their discovery. And as they lay down to rest, both of them knew it was only a matter of time before they'd have to confront Loran directly.
But for now, they would wait, gathering knowledge and piecing together the fractured truth. And as the moonlight streamed through the hut's window, casting long shadows across the room, Aiden felt a quiet certainty settle over him.
They weren't alone in this world—not anymore. The spirits, the strange energy of the shrine, even Seraphine's warnings… they were all pointing them toward something bigger, something hidden.