The oppressive darkness of the cursed northern lands surrounded them like a suffocating shroud, broken only by the soft white light emanating from Cedric's glowing gauntlet. The group of four trudged forward—Cedric leading with Selina at his side, Celeste a few paces behind them, and Lucian at the rear, his sharp eyes scanning the shadows.
Lucian couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him. His gaze flicked between Cedric and Selina, their calm demeanor and light-manipulating abilities feeling more like a cheat in this unforgiving forest than a natural skill. The siblings seemed composed, their light magic effortlessly illuminating their surroundings, but Lucian remained wary. "Even if Cedric is useful," he thought, "I can't trust him. And Selina… she seems friendly, but that doesn't mean they don't have their own agenda."
His mistrust deepened as he wondered what secrets the royal siblings might be hiding. Did they know something about the forest that they weren't sharing? Did they have a plan that didn't involve him and Celeste? These thoughts weighed on his mind, but then he glanced at Celeste, who seemed slightly more relaxed walking in the light. Her fiery red hair swayed as she kept pace, her hand idly resting on the hilt of her sword.
Despite her brashness and tendency to speak her mind, Lucian found himself trusting Celeste. She'd proven herself reliable, someone who would stick by him even when things got rough. That trust was rare for Lucian, and he held onto it tightly. "Maybe I'm just overthinking things," he mused. But the uneasy feeling refused to leave.
Hours passed as they traversed the endless forest. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the rustling of leaves and their quiet footfalls. Then Lucian saw it—a grotesque, pulsating pillar in the middle of their path. Its surface writhed unnaturally, like flesh struggling to break free of itself. He froze, his breath hitching.
Cedric and Selina walked past it without a second glance, completely oblivious to its presence. Even Celeste seemed unbothered, her eyes fixed ahead. Lucian's heart sank. "Just like at the university," he thought grimly. He reached out cautiously, his hand brushing against the pillar's surface.
A sudden chill shot through him. The grotesque, bulging eye at the center of the pillar snapped open, blood-red and glaring straight at him. Lucian jerked his hand back. "Do you see this?" he demanded, his voice tense.
The others stopped and turned, confusion etched on their faces.
"See what?" Cedric asked impatiently, his arms crossed.
Lucian clenched his fists, his mind racing. The janitor back at the university hadn't seen the pillar either. He was the only one who could see them, and he didn't know why. After a moment of hesitation, he made a decision. "Stand back," he warned.
Selina and Celeste complied without hesitation, retreating a few steps. Cedric, however, stood his ground, his expression skeptical. "What are you doing?"
Lucian didn't answer. Instead, he activated his wind barrier, the familiar hum of mana coursing around him. Cedric tensed, but Lucian ignored him, focusing on the pillar. With a deep breath, he pushed mana into it.
The reaction was immediate. The eye bulged grotesquely, its surface quivering as it turned a sickly red. Then it burst, spewing a torrent of thick, foul-smelling liquid in every direction. Lucian's wind barrier protected him, but Cedric wasn't so lucky. The red liquid drenched him, staining his pristine white hair and soiling his clothes.
"What the hell was that?" Cedric roared, his face twisted in fury. He lunged at Lucian, throwing a wild punch, but Lucian sidestepped it effortlessly.
"Enough!" Selina snapped, stepping between them. She turned to Lucian, her tone firm but curious. "Explain yourself."
Lucian hesitated, his mind racing. Could he trust them with what little he knew? Did he even fully understand the truth himself? After a moment's pause, he drew a steady breath and began to recount his experiences. He spoke of the pulsating pillars at the university, the eerie encounter with the enigmatic old man named Zerath, and the cryptic warnings that had left him questioning everything.
Selina and Celeste exchanged uneasy glances, their discomfort evident in their expressions. Cedric, still dripping with the foul red liquid, scowled in frustration. "Pillars at the university and some cryptic warning from an old man? None of this makes any sense," he muttered, his tone sharp. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out later. Right now, I just need to find water and get this mess off me."
Everyone nodded in agreement and started moving again. After hours of walking, Cedric's light revealed something new: a massive structure rising out of the darkness. It was an ancient ruin, overgrown with twisting vines and massive trees that pierced through its crumbling walls. The air around it felt heavy, almost suffocating, and an eerie silence hung over the area.
"This doesn't feel right," Celeste muttered, her hand tightening on her sword.
Lucian studied the ruins carefully. Statues of a crowned figure with six arms stood along the perimeter, their faces carved with unsettling precision. Something about the statues sent a shiver down his spine.
Curious, Celeste approached one of the statues. The figure's six hands were posed in intricate gestures, as if performing some arcane ritual. "The detail is incredible," she murmured, running her fingers over the stone. But it wasn't the craftsmanship that caught her attention—it was the eyes. Unlike the rest of the statue, the eyes seemed organic, almost alive.
Lucian's heart pounded as he watched her move to inspect another statue. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw it: the first statue's eyes shifted, following Celeste's movements.
Lucian's breath hitched as he watched the horrifying scene unfold before him. He tried to warn the others, but his voice refused to come out. His heart pounded in his chest as the glowing, organic eyes of the statue locked onto him. It wasn't just a stare—it was a presence. It felt as if something ancient, something far beyond comprehension, was peering into his very soul.
Panic surged through him, his legs refusing to move, his voice strangled in his throat. Why can't I move? The fear gripping him was unlike anything he'd ever felt—a primal terror that clung to his mind and body. Sweat poured down his face as he tried to avert his gaze, to break the statue's unnerving stare, but it was as if he'd been frozen in place, shackled by an unseen force. His eyelids wouldn't even close.
Then, it happened.
The statue moved. Its legs, long immobile, creaked forward with a grotesque grace. Its six arms moved in unison, forming symbols that Lucian couldn't comprehend. A guttural sound, low and haunting, emanated from the statue, almost like a growl. Lucian's terror deepened as he realized it wasn't alone. All the other statues in the ruin began to stir, their movements slow but deliberate. The forest around them felt heavier, darker, as if the air itself was suffocating.
Celeste, standing closest to one of the statues, became its first target. Before anyone could react, one of the grotesque figures reached out and seized her by the throat, lifting her off the ground with a single motion. Her body dangled limply, paralyzed, as though her very will to fight had been snuffed out.
Lucian's eyes widened in despair. He tried to summon his mana, to conjure a barrier, to move—anything—but nothing happened. He couldn't even feel the familiar hum of his mana core. It was as if it had been sealed, unreachable, leaving him utterly powerless. Every fiber of his being screamed for him to act, but his body betrayed him, remaining frozen.
His gaze darted to Celeste. Her chest heaved as she struggled for air, her hands twitching weakly against the grip of the statue. The grotesque figure tilted its head, almost as if mocking her futile attempts to escape. Its organic eyes gleamed, full of malice and an eerie intelligence.
Lucian gritted his teeth, his desperation mounting. Move! I have to move! His thoughts became a frantic chant. He clenched his fists, willing himself to break free of whatever invisible force was binding him.
"Celeste!" he managed to croak out, his voice hoarse and trembling. The word came out like a broken plea, barely audible over the oppressive silence that had engulfed the group.
The other statues began closing in, their movements synchronized, their six arms forming incomprehensible shapes as a faint, sickly green glow emanated from their bodies. Selina and Cedric, like Lucian, were paralyzed, their faces etched with growing panic. Cedric's glowing gauntlet flickered weakly, as if even its light was being consumed by the oppressive atmosphere. Selina's lips moved, trying to form a spell, but nothing came. The magic of this place had stripped them of their abilities.
Lucian's chest tightened as he stared at Celeste, her eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. He cursed himself. Why am I so weak? His mind raced, searching for any solution, any way to break free and save her.
Then it happened.
With a sickening crunch, the statue's hand twisted Celeste's neck at an unnatural angle. Her body went limp, the life draining from her eyes in an instant.
"No!" Lucian's voice tore from his throat in a raw, guttural scream. His paralysis shattered as if his very anguish had broken whatever spell held him captive. He stumbled forward, his knees nearly buckling beneath him.
He caught Celeste's lifeless body as it fell, her head lolling unnaturally to the side. A wave of despair washed over him, crushing him like a tidal wave. Her warmth was already fading, her once vibrant presence now reduced to a hollow shell.
Lucian's hands trembled as he held her, his vision blurring with tears he hadn't realized he was shedding. "No… no, no, no," he whispered, his voice cracking with every word. His mind reeled, unable to process the reality before him.
The statues continued their ominous march, their glowing eyes now fixed solely on him. But Lucian didn't care. The world around him felt distant, muted, as if it had dissolved into nothingness. All that remained was the unbearable weight of Celeste's loss in his arms.
"Lucian!" Cedric's voice cut through the haze, sharp and commanding. He had somehow broken free of the paralysis as well, though his movements were sluggish and strained. "Get up! They're coming!"
But Lucian didn't respond. As he laid there, holding Celeste's limp, lifeless body in his arms, Lucian's surroundings grew even darker. The statues, cold and unrelenting, crept closer with each passing second. Their grotesque forms loomed over the battlefield, their movements unnaturally fluid, each step echoing like the tolling of a death knell.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lucian saw Cedric. The prince, despite his attempts to fight back, was caught mid-stride. A statue's hand shot forward like a spear, piercing through his chest. Cedric's body froze, his wide eyes reflecting disbelief before his lifeless form was tossed to the ground like a broken doll, blood pooling around him.
Selina screamed—an anguished, desperate cry—as she frantically tried to gather her mana. Light flickered weakly around her fingertips, but nothing came. Her mana refused to answer her call, as if mocking her helplessness. A statue closed the distance in an instant, its six massive hands raining down upon her. The impact was sickening. Selina's body was pummeled mercilessly, blood spraying across the ground as her light dimmed forever.
Lucian watched in horror, his heart pounding, his breath shallow. He tried to gather his own mana, to stand, to fight—but it was like trying to move against an invisible weight. Nothing answered him. The statues inched closer, their shadowy forms swallowing every glimmer of hope left in the clearing.
The weight of the situation crushed him. It's over.
Lucian's arms tightened around Celeste's body, his tears falling freely now, cutting silent paths down his face. He whispered brokenly, his voice trembling, "I'm sorry for being so useless, Celeste. Forgive me…"
He clung to her as if holding her would somehow rewrite this cruel reality, his mind a cacophony of grief, rage, and helplessness.
The statues drew closer, their shadows swallowing him whole. Their limbs reached out, and Lucian, still cradling Celeste's lifeless form, shut his eyes for the last time.