The sun hung low in the sky as Amanda and her companions traveled along the narrow dirt road that twisted through a dense forest. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and pine, and the only sounds were the distant calls of birds and the crunch of leaves underfoot. The looming trees cast long shadows, a natural canopy that kept them hidden from prying eyes.
Amanda walked at the front of the group, her crimson cloak brushing the forest floor. Behind her, Fenris kept close, his predatory senses sharp, and Kelys, the newly recruited assassin, brought up the rear, her sharp green eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.
Eryndor, ever the cautious voice of the group, finally broke the silence. "You're certain the ruin is in this direction?"
"Yes," Amanda said without looking back. Her voice was calm but resolute. "The tome's instructions were clear. We're close, but we need to prepare. The forest itself is likely the first of many trials."
Kelys let out a low chuckle. "You speak like someone who's been through this before."
Amanda glanced over her shoulder, her crimson eyes gleaming. "I've bled, killed, and survived worse. Don't doubt me."
Before Kelys could retort, Fenris froze mid-step, his ears twitching. His hand went to the hilt of his weapon as a low growl escaped his throat.
"We're being watched," he muttered.
Amanda stopped, her expression hardening. She reached out with her senses, her mana swirling in subtle patterns around her. The forest seemed to hold its breath, and then she felt it—a faint ripple in the air, as though something unnatural was nearby.
"Ambush," she said coldly.
No sooner had the word left her lips than the forest erupted with motion. A group of men, clad in tattered armor and wielding rusted weapons, emerged from the shadows. Their leader, a burly man with a scar running across his face, sneered at them.
"Travelers," he said, his voice rough. "Hand over your valuables, and we might let you live."
Amanda's lips curled into a cold smile. "Might? That's hardly reassuring."
The bandit leader's eyes narrowed. "You've got guts, girl, but I'd rethink that tone if I were you."
"I think you've mistaken me for someone who negotiates," Amanda said, her voice icy. She raised her hand, and a crackle of mana rippled through the air. "I don't give second chances."
The bandit leader's sneer faltered, but before he could react, Amanda unleashed a wave of magic. Fire erupted from her palm, roaring forward in a blazing arc that consumed two of the bandits instantly. Their screams echoed through the forest before fading into silence.
Chaos erupted. The remaining bandits charged, shouting curses, but Amanda stood her ground, her eyes burning with ruthless determination.
Fenris leapt into the fray with a feral snarl, his blade flashing in the dappled sunlight. He moved with brutal efficiency, cutting down one bandit after another, his movements a blur of speed and power.
Kelys was equally deadly. She darted through the chaos like a shadow, her twin daggers gleaming as she struck with precision. One bandit fell clutching his throat, another crumpled with a blade buried in his heart.
Eryndor hesitated for a moment, his staff trembling in his hands, but the sight of Amanda's unrelenting fury spurred him into action. He raised his staff and muttered an incantation, sending a burst of ice shards toward a bandit who was charging at him. The man fell, his body frozen mid-step.
Amanda moved through the battlefield like a storm, her magic weaving destruction with every gesture. She summoned bolts of lightning that struck down her enemies, conjured walls of flame that cut off their escape, and unleashed blasts of raw force that sent bodies flying.
The bandits stood no chance. Within minutes, the forest was silent once more, the ground littered with the bodies of the fallen.
Amanda surveyed the carnage, her chest heaving from the exertion. Her hands were stained with blood, but her expression was cold and unfeeling.
"You didn't hold back," Kelys said, wiping her daggers clean on the cloak of a fallen bandit.
"They chose their fate," Amanda replied. "I simply ensured they met it."
Eryndor approached, his face pale but determined. "They had nothing of value. Just scraps of armor and rusted weapons."
"They were a nuisance," Amanda said, turning away from the bodies. "Their lives were meaningless."
Fenris frowned but said nothing. He had grown accustomed to Amanda's callousness, but each display of her cruelty only deepened his unease.
"Let's keep moving," Amanda said. "The ruin is close, and I don't want to waste any more time."
As they continued through the forest, the air grew heavier, and the trees seemed to press closer together. The path became harder to follow, and an unnatural stillness settled over the group.
"This place feels… wrong," Eryndor said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"It's warded," Amanda said. "The magic here is ancient. It's meant to deter intruders."
"How do we get past it?" Kelys asked.
Amanda smirked. "We don't. We force our way through."
She raised her hands, her mana flaring to life. The air around her shimmered with raw energy as she began to chant. The ancient wards resisted her intrusion, their magic lashing out in an attempt to repel her, but Amanda's power was relentless.
With a final burst of effort, she shattered the wards, and the forest seemed to shudder in response. The path ahead became clear, revealing a stone archway covered in moss and glowing runes.
"There it is," Amanda said, her voice tinged with triumph.
Fenris frowned. "And what's waiting for us on the other side?"
Amanda's smile was cold. "Whatever it is, we'll kill it. Nothing will stand in my way."
As the group stepped through the archway, the forest seemed to close behind them, sealing them inside. The air was thick with magic, and the distant sound of something ancient stirring sent a chill down their spines.
Amanda tightened her grip on the crimson tome, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. The ruin awaited, and with it, the power she craved.