The moment they stepped into the Shadowmere, it was as though the world had been draped in a suffocating blanket of silence. The vibrant colors of the forest were replaced by shades of gray and black. The air was cold, heavy, and damp, and the faint whispers of the wind seemed to carry distant, unintelligible voices.
Kaelith raised a hand, signaling for the group to stop. "This is where the real danger begins. Do not—under any circumstances—look into the shadows for too long."
Lyriana shivered, her bow tightly gripped in her hands. "Why? What happens if we do?"
Kaelith glanced over their shoulder, their violet eyes glowing faintly. "The shadows here are alive. They'll show you things—memories, fears, desires. Whatever they find inside your mind. And if you give in…"
"They take you," Solmara finished grimly, hovering beside Kazuya with her ethereal wings dimmed.
Kazuya tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes scanning the dark path ahead. "Stay focused. We'll get through this together."
---
The Path of Echoes
As they moved deeper into the Shadowmere, the ground beneath their feet became uneven, the once-clear path twisting unnaturally. Roots jutted out like claws, and the trees seemed to loom closer, their branches reaching out as if to snatch them.
The whispers grew louder.
"Kazuya…"
He froze. The voice was soft, familiar, and achingly gentle.
"Kazuya, my boy. Why do you look so sad?"
Kazuya's breath hitched. He turned his head slightly, catching a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye. There, standing between the trees, was his grandfather.
The old man's face was warm and kind, just as Kazuya remembered. His eyes crinkled with a smile as he held out a hand. "Come here, son. You've worked so hard. Let me take some of the burden."
Kazuya's heart clenched. For a moment, he felt an overwhelming urge to step toward the apparition, to let his grandfather's comforting presence wash away the weight of his responsibilities.
But then Kaelith's voice cut through the haze. "Don't look at it! It's not real!"
Kazuya snapped out of it, shaking his head violently. The figure of his grandfather dissolved into smoke, the warmth replaced by the cold, biting air of the Shadowmere.
Lyriana touched his arm. "Are you okay?"
He nodded, though his voice was tight. "Yeah. Let's keep moving."
---
An Unseen Stalker
Hours passed, or so it seemed. Time felt distorted in the Shadowmere, the sky above perpetually dark and starless. The group remained silent, each of them haunted by the whispers that tried to lure them into the shadows.
Then, a new sound emerged—a low, guttural growl.
Kaelith stopped abruptly, their hand moving to the hilt of their blade. "We're not alone."
Kazuya's eyes scanned the trees, his stats board flashing briefly in his mind:
Strength: Infinite
Speed: Infinite (Boosted with Dash)
Durability: Infinite
Magic Power (MP): Infinite
Life Force (HP): Infinite
Skills: Flight, Autoheal, Healing Touch
"Show yourself!" Kazuya called out, his voice echoing through the still air.
The growling grew louder, closer, until a massive creature emerged from the shadows. It was a wolf-like beast, but its body seemed to be made of pure darkness, its glowing red eyes burning with malice.
Kaelith cursed under their breath. "A shadow wraith. We need to take it down fast before it calls for others."
The beast lunged, faster than any normal creature, but Kazuya was faster. Activating Dash, he moved like a blur, intercepting the creature mid-air and slamming it into the ground with a single strike.
The beast snarled, its form shifting and writhing like smoke, and it lashed out with claws made of shadow. The attack glanced harmlessly off Kazuya's infinite durability, but the force of it sent Lyriana stumbling back.
"I'll cover you!" Lyriana shouted, nocking an arrow infused with her magic. She let it fly, the arrow piercing the creature's shoulder and causing it to let out an otherworldly screech.
Solmara joined the fray, her celestial light flaring brightly. The creature recoiled, its shadowy body flickering as though in pain.
Kaelith moved in with swift, precise strikes, their curved blade slicing through the beast's limbs. "Kazuya, now!"
Kazuya didn't hesitate. With one powerful swing of his sword, he cleaved the creature in two. The shadowy form dissipated, leaving behind a faint, lingering darkness that quickly faded.
---
The Shadow's Warning
As the group caught their breath, the whispers around them intensified, forming coherent words.
"You will not reach the Hollow," the voices hissed. "The darkness is eternal. You cannot escape it."
Kazuya clenched his fists, his determination unshaken. "We'll see about that."
Kaelith sheathed their blade, their expression grim. "That was just the first. There will be more."
"Let them come," Kazuya said, his voice steady. "We'll face whatever they throw at us."
Lyriana smiled faintly. "At least your confidence is infinite too."
The group pressed on, the path ahead growing narrower and more treacherous. The Shadowmere seemed to sense their resolve and fought harder to break it.
But together, they would not falter.
---
Foreshadowing the Hollow
Hours later, they emerged from the darkest part of the Shadowmere, their exhaustion evident but their spirits intact. In the distance, Veilspire Hollow loomed on the horizon—a massive chasm surrounded by jagged cliffs and swirling clouds of darkness.
Kaelith pointed toward it. "That's our destination. If we don't stop the ritual there, everything we've done will be for nothing."
Kazuya nodded, his eyes fixed on the ominous sight. "Then let's finish this."
With their goal in sight, the group prepared for the final leg of their journey, unaware of the unimaginable horrors that awaited them in Veilspire Hollow.