The first light of dawn filtered through the castle's narrow windows as Adrian met Lyra in the courtyard. She was already dressed and armed, her gaze scanning the perimeter of the stone walls. The tension in her posture told him this wasn't going to be another simple tour or training session.
"Good," she said, nodding as he approached. "We're heading to the eastern forest. I'll teach you how to sense threats before they sense you."
The morning chill sank into Adrian's bones, but he forced himself to ignore it, pulling on the Gloves of Calculation. He still didn't fully understand their power, but as he flexed his hands, he felt that familiar hum of energy running through them.
"So," he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt, "what exactly are we doing out there?"
Lyra's expression softened slightly. "Scouting. We need to assess just how close the Queen's shades have come. If we're lucky, we'll only catch a trace of them. But if they're already in the forest…" Her voice trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished. Instead, she gestured toward the castle gates. "Stay close. Watch for my signals, and don't make any noise unless I tell you to."
He nodded, his heart pounding as they slipped through the gates and out into the early morning mist.
The forest was still, its tall, ancient trees rising like silent sentinels. The thick canopy above allowed only thin slivers of light to break through, casting eerie, shifting shadows along their path. Birds chirped in the distance, their songs a strange contrast to the tension building in Adrian's chest.
"First lesson," Lyra whispered as they moved deeper into the woods, "stay aware of your surroundings. Use every sense, not just sight. The shades can distort what you see, but sounds and scents don't lie."
Adrian nodded, focusing on the crunch of leaves beneath his boots, the earthy smell of damp moss, and the occasional rustling of unseen creatures. He could feel the gloves heightening his awareness, pulling him into the world in ways he'd never experienced before.
After a while, Lyra stopped and knelt, pointing to the ground. "Look here."
Adrian crouched beside her, his eyes tracing the faint, clawed impressions in the soil. "Are those…?"
"Shades," she confirmed. "They're hunting something. Or someone."
The tracks led deeper into the forest, twisting and erratic, as if the creature that had left them had been moving with frantic purpose. Adrian's stomach turned, realizing that whatever the shades were after had been terrified.
"Why would the Queen send shades this far?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
Lyra's eyes narrowed. "Because something, or someone, threatens her control. And she's ruthless when it comes to eliminating threats." She straightened, her jaw set. "Let's keep moving. But stay ready."
They followed the tracks in silence, the forest growing denser with every step. Adrian kept his gaze sharp, focusing on the movements in his periphery. Each flicker of shadow made his pulse quicken, though he tried to hide his nerves.
Suddenly, Lyra froze, holding up a hand. Adrian stopped instantly, heart racing. She motioned for him to stay back, then crouched low, creeping forward toward a thicket of bushes. He squinted, trying to make out what had caught her attention.
Then he saw it—a dark, amorphous figure lurking just beyond the trees, its form shifting and shimmering as if made from liquid shadow. It moved with a strange, unnatural grace, gliding over the ground in search of… something.
A shade.
Adrian's breath hitched as he watched it drift forward, its formless shape shifting as it moved. The shade had no eyes, no face, yet he could feel its awareness, its predatory focus.
"Stay low," Lyra whispered, retreating to his side. "They can sense magic. If it detects us, we're as good as gone."
Adrian's mind raced, a thousand panicked questions swirling. How could he hide his own magic, this strange energy that pulsed through his gloves? He clenched his fists, willing himself to be invisible, to make no impression on the shade's perception.
He looked to Lyra, who gave him a reassuring nod. "Focus on stillness. Think of yourself as part of the forest, as if you belong here."
He closed his eyes, drawing on the gloves' strange power, letting himself sense the patterns around him. He felt the trees, the soil, the quiet life of the forest breathing in and out, ancient and slow. He imagined himself as part of it—a leaf, a stone, something so insignificant that the shade would never notice.
The shade drew closer, its dark form inching toward their hiding spot. Adrian's pulse pounded in his ears, but he held his ground, focusing on the rhythm of the forest. He could feel the gloves responding, dulling his presence, masking his energy like a stone hidden under layers of moss.
Lyra's hand was steady on his shoulder as the shade passed by, its tendrils of shadow reaching out, brushing past him. For a heart-stopping moment, one of the shadowy tendrils seemed to pause, hovering just inches from his face.
And then, it continued forward, sliding past them into the deeper forest.
Adrian let out a shaky breath as soon as the creature was out of sight. Lyra gave him a nod of approval, her eyes filled with an intensity he hadn't seen before. "You did well."
He swallowed, the rush of adrenaline making his hands tremble. "I… I didn't think it would actually work."
"Believe it," she said with a small smile. "Magic isn't just power—it's as much about intention and focus. You'll get used to it."
They crept onward, following the shade's path until they reached a small clearing. The forest seemed to shift here, the trees thinning out around a single, ancient stone altar, worn smooth by time and covered in strange symbols. Adrian felt a pull, an almost magnetic draw toward it.
"What is this?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lyra's expression was grim. "This is one of the Queen's marking stones. She places them in places where the magical currents are strongest. They act as beacons for her scouts, helping them find their way."
Adrian frowned, instinctively stepping closer to the stone. The symbols etched into its surface pulsed faintly, dark and foreboding. He could feel a malevolent energy radiating from it, as if the stone itself were alive, watching him.
"Can we… do anything about it?" he asked.
Lyra hesitated, glancing between him and the stone. "It's dangerous. Destroying one of these markers will certainly alert the Queen's forces. But if we leave it intact, her shades will only get closer."
Adrian bit his lip, feeling the weight of the choice pressing down on him. He could feel the energy of the marking stone thrumming beneath the surface, a dark web of connections that spread outward, pulsing with every heartbeat. His fingers tingled, and he felt the Gloves of Calculation buzzing with possibility.
"What if I could… disrupt it?" he said, the words escaping before he fully thought them through.
Lyra looked at him, surprise flickering in her eyes. "You think you can?"
He wasn't sure, but he nodded. "I think so. I can see… connections, like threads binding the magic together. If I could just… break one of them, it might destabilize the stone."
Lyra considered him, her eyes narrowing with a mix of worry and respect. "It's risky, Adrian. The Queen's power is woven deep into these stones. But if you're sure, I'll stand guard."
Swallowing his nerves, Adrian stepped up to the stone, resting his gloved hand on its surface. The energy surged beneath his fingers, dark and hostile, but he pushed past the fear, letting his awareness sink deeper. In his mind's eye, he saw the patterns of magic woven around the stone like strands in a spider's web.
Slowly, carefully, he reached for one of the threads, visualizing it snapping, breaking the connection. He focused all his willpower into that single intention, letting the Gloves of Calculation amplify his focus.
With a shudder, the thread broke, and the stone pulsed violently, cracks appearing along its surface. The malevolent energy began to dissipate, the symbols losing their glow as the web unraveled. Adrian took a step back, heart racing as the stone crumbled, its power fading into the earth.
He turned to Lyra, a rush of triumph surging through him. But her expression was far from relieved. Her gaze was fixed on something beyond him, her hand moving to her dagger.
"Adrian," she said, her voice tense. "We need to go. Now."
He turned, following her gaze—and his stomach dropped. Emerging from the shadows were not one, but three shades, their dark forms swirling with a furious energy. Their blank faces twisted toward him, as if they knew exactly what he had done.
"Run!" Lyra shouted, grabbing his arm and pulling him into a sprint.
They bolted through the forest, the shades in swift pursuit. Adrian's lungs burned, his legs aching, but he pushed forward, driven by a newfound fear. Branches whipped past them, roots threatening to trip him, but he kept his focus on Lyra's back, her presence a lifeline in the chaos.
As they neared the edge of the forest, Lyra skidded to a stop, pressing her back against a tree and pulling him down.