Kael's steps were deliberate, each one echoing through the ancient, untouched forest as if the land itself was listening. He had long since passed the chasm and the crystal that had shifted the balance of the wilds, but now, something deeper was pulling him forward. The trees were thicker here, their trunks gnarled and twisted with age, their branches heavy with the weight of untold secrets.
The air was different—thick with energy, as though the earth itself was alive, breathing. Kael's senses were on edge, his every movement attuned to the subtle shifts around him. The pull of the wilds had intensified since he had awakened the crystal. It was no longer just a distant force or a mere connection—it was an undeniable presence that had seeped into his very being.
As Kael moved through the dense forest, his mind wandered to the choices that lay ahead. The Wanderer's words echoed in his mind: "Find the core of the fracture. The heart of the wilds. It is the key." He didn't know what the core was, or how to find it, but he could feel it—deep in his bones. It was here, somewhere in the wilds, hidden within the land that seemed to pulse with life.
Hours passed as Kael trekked deeper into the forest, the trees parting only to reveal more shadows, more uncertainty. But the feeling that he was close—the feeling that something monumental was waiting—grew with every step.
Finally, he reached a clearing. The trees opened up to reveal a massive stone altar, half-buried in the earth, covered in moss and vines. The altar was adorned with strange markings, ancient symbols that seemed to glow faintly with a light of their own. Kael approached cautiously, his hand resting on the hilt of his spear. This place felt different, like a doorway to something beyond.
As Kael knelt beside the altar, his fingers brushed against the runes, and an electric charge surged through his body. The symbols flared to life, their glow intensifying until the entire clearing was bathed in light. The earth trembled beneath him, and the trees seemed to sway, as though the world itself was waking up.
A deep, resonant voice boomed from the ground itself, shaking Kael to his core. "You have awakened the core, Kael. The heart of the wilds is now yours to command."
Kael's breath caught in his throat as the earth around the altar split open, revealing a swirling vortex of energy. It was like a window into the very heart of the wilds, where the land itself converged into a singular, pulsing force. The vortex reached out, drawing Kael in, pulling him toward it.
He hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward, his mind set on what he had to do. The wilds had always been a part of him, but now, it was something more. The choice he had to make, the one that had been promised to him, was here.
With a final breath, Kael stepped into the vortex.