The day wore on, with the sun cutting through the tattered clouds, casting light over the village that now felt like a fortress waiting for a siege. The makeshift fortifications, the wary glances exchanged between villagers, and the sharp clang of steel being prepared—it all spoke of a shared anticipation. Something was coming, and everyone felt it.
I stood in the training grounds, the weight of my sword balanced in my hands as I stared at the forest's edge. The watchers Lyra mentioned were out there, and every instinct in me was straining for the moment when they would reveal themselves.
Krael was to my left, his posture as rigid as the spear he held. The tension in his muscles was visible, coiled and ready. "We won't have to wait long," he said, not taking his eyes off the line of trees. "If they're out there, they'll want to test us before nightfall."
Lyra paced a few steps behind us, her eyes darting from the tree line to the villagers preparing their weapons. Her usual calm was tinged with a sharp edge, one that hinted at something more than battle anticipation. When she finally spoke, her voice was measured but low. "Aric, if anything goes wrong, if they come for you specifically, don't hesitate. We need to know what we're dealing with."
I nodded, the memory of the hooded man and his cryptic words still ringing in my ears. He had said that I had awakened something, and if the watchers were connected to him, we were about to find out what he meant.
A rustle at the edge of the clearing made every head snap up, eyes trained on the dark silhouettes that emerged from the trees. There were three of them, dressed in cloaks that blended with the forest shadows, their faces hidden beneath hoods. They moved with a deliberate grace, and the tension thickened like a storm cloud.
Krael raised his spear, his voice steady but loud enough for all to hear. "State your purpose."
The figure in the center stepped forward, and even from a distance, I felt the weight of his gaze. He pushed back his hood, revealing a face marked by deep lines and eyes that gleamed with cold calculation. "We come not to harm, but to see if the stories are true," he said, his voice smooth, almost pleasant. But there was a sharpness underneath that set my teeth on edge.
Lyra stepped forward, her sword in hand but lowered. "What stories? And why come here now, after the village was attacked?"
The man's eyes shifted to her, and for a moment, recognition flared there before disappearing into a mask of indifference. "Stories of the Vanguard," he said, turning his gaze back to me. "The one who was lost, who now walks among us again. We felt the power that surged last night, and we had to know if it was truly him."
My heart thudded in my chest, the pendant at my neck growing warm as if in response to the man's words. "And what do you want with me?" I asked, my voice steady despite the unease tightening in my gut.
The man's expression remained unreadable. "To see what side you'll choose when the time comes," he said simply. "The world is not what it was, and there are those who would see the power of the Vanguard wielded for their own ends. We are here to ensure that choice is made carefully."
Krael's eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward, spear at the ready. "And if he doesn't make the choice you're looking for?"
The man's lips curled into a slight smile. "Then we watch, we wait, and we decide how best to act." He turned back to me, his eyes dark and knowing. "This is only the beginning, Aric. The forces that stir now have been waiting for centuries. Prepare yourself."
With that, he stepped back into the line of shadows, and as if on cue, the other two figures melted into the trees with him. The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the distant sound of a hawk's cry.
Lyra exhaled, tension bleeding out of her shoulders as she sheathed her sword. "We're being tested," she said, looking at me with a mixture of concern and determination. "And whatever choice they're waiting for, we need to be ready to make it."
Krael lowered his spear, his eyes still fixed on the forest. "This changes everything. We can't just defend the village; we need to be prepared for who might come next."
I nodded, the weight of the man's words settling over me like a shroud. The power I wielded, the echoes of my past, and the watchers who now knew where I stood—it was all building to something. And as the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows over the village, I felt the pulse of the pendant at my chest, a reminder that my story was only just beginning.
We had seen the first ripples. Now, we would brace for the storm.