The forest felt as though it had frozen in time, the shadows stretching long across the ground as Eryndor's words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Selene's pulse hammered in her chest, the weight of her decision pressing on her like an unbearable burden. She had chosen her path—but it was a path shrouded in uncertainty, fraught with dangers she had yet to comprehend.
Lirael's sharp eyes never left Eryndor, her stance defensive, protective. Her fingers twitched, as if yearning to reach for the blades hidden beneath her cloak. But she did not move. She trusted Selene to make the right choice.
"I see," Eryndor said softly, almost with an air of disappointment. "You've chosen the hard road, then. Very well."
His smile faded, replaced by an unsettling calm that seemed to settle over him like a cloak. With a slow, deliberate motion, he extended his hand toward Selene, palm open, as though inviting her into some dark covenant. "But know this, child—the road you walk now will lead you into the heart of the storm. There will be no turning back. Once the gods return, they will know you. And they will come for you."
Selene's breath caught in her throat. There was no pretending she wasn't afraid, but there was also something else—something deep within her that surged with defiance. She had the blood of the Phantom Queen flowing through her veins. She would not be cowed by this creature, this manipulator of dark forces.
"I'm not afraid of you," Selene said, her voice steady, her grip tightening on the amulet around her neck. "Or the gods you serve."
Eryndor's eyes glittered, the faintest trace of amusement in them. "Perhaps not. But you should be, child. It is not me you must fear. It is what comes after."
A cold gust of wind howled through the clearing, carrying with it the scent of impending rain. The trees groaned under the pressure, their branches creaking and swaying as though the very earth beneath them was shifting. Something dark and ancient stirred in the air, the fabric of reality itself warping in response to the words spoken.
Selene took a step back, the shadows shifting around her as if they too were reacting to her resolve. The Talisman pulsed once more, a steady rhythm in her chest.
Lirael's voice cut through the tension like a blade. "Enough. You've said your piece, Eryndor. Now leave."
For a moment, the silence between them was deafening, a fragile peace hanging by the thinnest of threads. Then, without another word, Eryndor turned and began to retreat into the darkness, his form blending with the shadows. The strange, unsettling energy he had exuded slowly began to dissipate, leaving an eerie calm in its wake.
"Don't ever trust him," Lirael said once Eryndor had disappeared from sight. "He is not someone you can bargain with."
"I know," Selene replied, her voice quiet but firm. "I didn't intend to."
Lirael nodded, her eyes searching Selene's face for something—perhaps reassurance, perhaps confirmation of the strength she knew Selene needed to survive the coming trials. "Then let's not waste any more time here. We have a long journey ahead of us."
Selene nodded, though her heart still thudded uncomfortably in her chest. They had narrowly avoided one danger—but she knew better than to think it was the last. The storm was gathering, and it wasn't just the weather that threatened to consume them.
They set off into the woods again, their path lit only by the faint glow of the moon and the dim pulse of the Talisman around Selene's neck. Each step felt heavier than the last, the air thick with anticipation, as though the world itself was holding its breath.
As the night wore on, a sense of unease crept in. The shadows around them seemed to watch, to move with a life of their own. Selene couldn't shake the feeling that they were being followed, that something—or someone—was waiting for the right moment to strike.
Finally, after hours of walking, they arrived at a secluded clearing. The trees here were dense, their trunks thick and twisted, as though the forest had grown around something ancient, something long forgotten.
Lirael paused at the edge of the clearing, her gaze scanning the surroundings. "This is it," she said, her voice low.
"This is what?" Selene asked, confusion creeping into her tone.
Lirael turned to face her, a rare moment of vulnerability flickering in her eyes. "We are not alone anymore. This place… it holds more than just memories. It holds answers. Answers that will lead us to the next step in your journey."
Selene felt a shiver run down her spine. The forest seemed to press in on them, the air thick with the scent of moss and earth, the weight of centuries resting on their shoulders.
"Are you ready?" Lirael asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Selene took a deep breath, steadying herself. The path before her was unknown, dangerous, but she could feel the power of the Talisman thrumming against her skin, urging her forward. She was ready—ready to face whatever lay ahead, to confront the darkness that was coming.
"I'm ready," Selene said, her voice unwavering.
Lirael gave her a small, approving nod before stepping forward into the clearing. Selene followed, her every sense heightened, her body coiled with anticipation.
And then, as they reached the center of the clearing, the ground beneath them trembled.
At first, it was subtle—a low vibration that seemed to come from deep within the earth. But then, with a suddenness that took Selene's breath away, the ground cracked open, splitting like a wound in the fabric of reality itself.
From the darkness below, something rose.
It was like a shadow given form—a creature made of pure darkness, its shape ever-shifting, its features impossible to discern. It was tall, towering over them, its presence suffocating, and its eyes glowed with an unnatural red light.
Lirael drew her blades in a single fluid motion, her face set in a mask of determination. "Stay behind me, Selene," she commanded.
But Selene didn't move. The shadows surged around her, rising as if in response to the creature's call. Her amulet pulsed with a fierce intensity, and she felt the power within her stir, awakening.
The creature's eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, everything went still. It was as if the world itself was holding its breath.
And then, the creature spoke, its voice a deep, guttural growl that reverberated in Selene's very bones.
"Phantom Queen," it hissed, its voice a terrible, ancient thing. "The time has come. You will join us… or you will fall."