As Sunlight filtering through the trees above grew dimmer, Kaiden's friends voices echoed through the forest, "Kae, wait!!"
Too scared to follow him as the day began to fall, the boys decided to head home in hopes that Kaiden would come to his senses and return back as soon as notice no one was following him. But Kaiden didn't care his friend weren't coming with him, he had to see what lay beyond the treeline.
This part of the forest had been forbidden for the longest time now and it came with a rumor that whoever entered didn't return alive and those who did come back were insane. The tree loomed over him and the branches tangled like skeletal fingers. Kaiden quickened his pace into the woods, getting close to the border of the forbidden forest.
Suddenly the tree parted, opening like a door. Kaiden looked around before stepping through the doorway into the other side of the forest. At the entrance of this forest stood a huge gate with words inscribed on it. The gate itself was gold plated with intricate carvings of words and creatures, in a way telling a story of what lay behind the gate
As Kaiden approached the gate, he could feel the gate vibrating, like a song. The air around the Kaiden starts to feel heavy and foggy. Kaiden kept approaching the gate, his movement almost trance-like, as song of the gate grew louder, the inscription started glowing word by word.
As Kaiden reached out to touch the gate, a firm hand clamped down on his shoulder, spinning him around. The sudden grip shattered the trance-like state he was in, Shaking him rigorously, Kaiden's eyes snapped open, locking onto the face before him,while was familiar, accompanied by the scent of wood and coal. His uncle's eyes blazed with a mix of concern and anger, his face etched with deep-seated worry.
Kaiden's heart pounded in his chest, his mind foggy from the weird trance he'd just awoken from.
Why was his uncle here? How did he know where to find him? This questions swirled Kaiden's mind. A shiver ran down his spine has his uncle grip on his shoulder tightened
"Kaiden what are you doing here?" His uncle demanded, his voice low and laced with fear and desperation.
Kaiden stared back at his uncle, his face which usually holds warmth and comfort, now twisted in a mixture of fear and worry. Kaiden searched for any form of reassurance instead found a reflection of his own fear starting back at him.
Before Kaiden could process an answer, a searing pain shot through his head, like a thousand daggers piercing his brain. His vision began to blur, and he felt his soul slipping away, as if an invisible force was pulling him down into darkness. Warm liquid trickled down his face and onto his hand, and he looked down to see blood pooling in his palm. A nosebleed, accompanied by a crushing migraine and hallucinations, threatened to consume him.
Kaiden tried to speak, to alert his uncle to his deteriorating state, but words refused to form. His mouth opened, but only a faint whisper escaped, lost in the cacophony of his own mind. He was losing himself, his grip on reality tenuous at best. The world around him began to distort, like a reflection in rippling water.
As Kaiden's vision faded to black, he felt his uncle's arms wrap around him, lifting him onto his back. The last thing he heard was his uncle's panicked whisper
"Kaiden, no… not again"