The forest was unlike any place Riku had ever seen. Under eternal starlight, the trees glowed faintly in their leaves, shimmering with hues of silver and violet. The air pulsed with a quiet energy, as though the woods themselves were alive and watching.
The mark on his chest pulsed faintly, his rhythm in sync with the soft whispers echoing in his mind.
Come. deeper.
Are you certain about this?" Erynn asked softly.
"Not even a little," Riku replied. "But something is calling to me. I can't ignore it."
Erynn's grip on her staff tightened. "If it's the Shadow Star, we need to be cautious. Its power is unpredictable, and this forest. it has its own dangers."
Riku looked at her, noting the tension in her voice. "What kind of dangers?
She hesitated before answering. "The Whispering Forest is ancient. Its magic predates even the stars above. There are spirits here—some benevolent, others. not."
"Great," Riku muttered. "Haunted woods. Just what I needed."
Despite his sarcasm, he couldn't shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching them.
As they trekked deeper, the forest darkened. The glowing trees thinned out and were replaced with gnarled roots and thick undergrowth. In Riku's mind the whispers grew louder, sounding more insistent.
Erynn suddenly stopped, holding up her hand. "Wait."
Riku froze, his heart racing. "What is it?"
She was pointing at the ground ahead, which now showed faint, glowing symbols. The markings pulsed with a faint light, like a circle around a heap of stones.
A star sigil," Erynn said. "A trap designed to ward off intruders—or worse."
"Can we go around it?"
"No," she said, furrowing her brow. "It's too wide. But I might be able to disable it."
Riku stepped back as Erynn knelt by the sigil. She placed her hands on the glowing markings, her lips moving silently as she channeled her magic.
The sigil lit up even brighter and at the moment, Riku had thought it was going to explode. However, that soft hum quickly made it fade away with faint burns on the ground.
"All done," Erynn stood, cleaned her hands and moved out with.
They trudged in silence, the oppressive stillness of the forest weighing down upon them. The whispers in Riku's mind grew sharper and sharper, each word piercing his thoughts like shards of ice.
"Do you hear that?" he asked abruptly.
Erynn looked at him with puzzlement. "Hear what?"
"The whispers," Riku said, his voice tight. "They're getting louder.
Erynn's eyes narrowed. "The forest might be amplifying the Shadow Star's influence. Stay close to me. If it tries to overwhelm you, I can—"
She didn't get to finish. A sudden crash boomed through the trees.
Riku and Erynn spun around, their eyes scanning the shadows. A low growl rumbled from the darkness, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps.
"Something's coming," Erynn said, her voice tense.
The creature emerged from the shadows—a hulking, wolf-like beast far larger than the shadow hounds Riku had faced before. Its fur was a swirling mass of black mist, and its eyes burned with an intense red light.
"Stars protect us," Erynn whispered.
The beast snarled and lunged.
It didn't give him a chance to react. He threw up his hands and let dark, tendrillike energy erupt from his palms, creating a shield for himself. It slammed into this makeshift shield, and the claws shot up against it with a screech that made Riku's ears ring.
Riku, pay attention!" Erynn yelled, lifting her staff. She launched a bolt of energy at the creature, striking it in the side. It let out a loud howl, its shape blurring as if the energy was burning through the mist.
It wasn't enough, however. The creature began to heal almost instantly. Its red eyes snapped onto Erynn.
"Hey! Over here!" Riku shouted, trying to distract it. He fed more energy to the tendrils, which morphed into jagged spikes that flew toward the creature.
The spikes hit true, piercing the form of the beast. It roared with pain and stumbled backward.
Riku felt a flood of confidence—and immediately exhausted himself. He was giving up all his energy on every strike.
"I can't keep doing this," he gritted through the pain.
Erynn nodded to him. Her expression was grim. "We have to end it now.
The creature bolted again, its form a blur. Riku and Erynn jumped apart as it struck the ground, where they'd been.
Riku landed hard on his side. He came to his feet, but everything was swimming before his eyes. The mark on his chest flared, the voices in his mind screaming at him.
Let me out.
"No," Riku whispered, clutching his chest. "Not now.
The beast turned to him, its nostrils flaring as it sensed his weakness.
Erynn shouted something, but her voice was muffled by the pounding in Riku's head. The beast lunged forward, jaws snapping inches from his face—
and then everything went dark.
Riku opened his eyes to find himself standing in the void again. The endless chasm of darkness stretched out before him, punctuated by distant, flickering stars.
A figure emerged from the shadows—a tall, imposing form shrouded in darkness. Its face was hidden, but its glowing red eyes reflected the beast's.
"You cannot deny me forever," it said, its voice a deep, resonant echo.
"Who are you?" Riku demanded.
"I am the Shadow Star," it replied. "The power you wield—and the burden you bear."
"Why are you doing this?"
The figure tilted its head, as if amused. "You have been chosen, Riku. But you resist, clinging to fear and doubt. Embrace me, and you will become unstoppable."
Riku clenched his fists. "And if I don't?"
"Then you will fall," the Shadow Star said simply. "And this world will fall with you."
Riku's eyes snapped open. The beast loomed over him, its jaws inches from his throat.
A surge of energy erupted from his chest, throwing the creature back. The mark flared brighter than ever, the dark energy coiling around him like a living shield.
Erynn rushed to his side, her eyes wide. "Riku, are you—"
"I'm fine," he said, though his voice wavered. He turned his gaze to the beast, his hands crackling with shadowy power.
The creature hesitated, sensing the shift in him.
"This ends now," Riku said.
He raised his hands, and the energy flowed forward, swallowing the beast in a flood of darkness. The creature let out a howl, and its form broke apart into mist.
The forest returned to silence as the light faded.
Riku fell to his knees, and the energy dissipated. Erynn caught him before he could hit the ground, her face set in a mix of relief and worry.
"You did it," she said softly.
"Yeah," Riku muttered, his voice barely audible. "But at what cost?"
Erynn didn't answer. Together they moved back to the village, the Shadow Star now weighing upon him more than ever.