The journey from the Ruins of Vorthas was fraught with silence. Kael and Alyssa trekked through the dense forest, the only sound the crunch of leaves underfoot. Kael carried the dark crystal, wrapped securely in cloth, its faint pulsing light occasionally piercing through the fabric.
"Not much for small talk, are you?" Alyssa said, breaking the silence for the third time.
Kael glanced at her but didn't respond, his thoughts elsewhere. The guardian, Maldrak, had been formidable, but the encounter raised more questions than answers. Why had the obelisks been created? Who was behind them? And how far would the corruption spread?
Alyssa rolled her eyes. "You're going to have to start trusting me eventually, you know. Silence might work for intimidation, but it's lousy for teamwork."
Kael finally stopped and turned to her, his golden eyes gleaming in the dim light. "Trust is earned, not given. You've told me just enough to keep me interested, but not enough to make me trust you. Why are you really helping me?"
Alyssa smirked. "Because I like living, and whatever is causing all this chaos isn't going to stop at destroying a few villages. Besides…" Her gaze flicked briefly to the crystal. "I have my reasons. Let's just leave it at that."
Kael stared at her for a moment longer, then resumed walking. "Keep your secrets, for now. But the moment you give me a reason to doubt you, this alliance ends."
Alyssa laughed softly. "Duly noted."
They returned to Eldwyn just as the sun was setting, the village bathed in the warm glow of twilight. Lyra and Rynn were among the first to greet them, relief evident on their faces.
"You're back!" Rynn exclaimed, his youthful excitement shining through. "What happened? Did you find anything?"
Kael handed the crystal to Lyra, who recoiled slightly at its unsettling energy. "This is what we found—a fragment of the darkness spreading through the land. It's not safe here, but it's too dangerous to leave unprotected. We need to find a way to destroy it."
Lyra frowned, holding the crystal at arm's length. "And how do we do that?"
Kael shook his head. "I'm not sure yet. The magic binding it is ancient, beyond anything I've encountered before."
Rynn stepped forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. "Can I study it? Maybe I can help."
"No," Kael said sharply, his tone leaving no room for argument. "This isn't something to be toyed with. Even touching it for too long could corrupt you."
Rynn nodded, looking slightly chastised. "Understood."
Alyssa leaned against a nearby post, watching the exchange with mild amusement. "Quite the little team you've assembled here," she remarked. "But if you want to destroy that thing, you'll need more than courage and good intentions."
Lyra shot her a wary glance. "And who exactly are you to decide that?"
"Alyssa," Kael said before the tension could escalate. "She helped me at the ruins. For now, she's an ally."
"For now?" Alyssa repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You wound me, Kael."
Lyra crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. "We'll see about that."
That evening, the group gathered in the chapel to discuss their next steps. The crystal sat in the center of the table, its faint glow casting eerie shadows on their faces.
"We can't keep it here," Lyra said firmly. "It's too dangerous. If the shadow beasts find out we have it—"
"They already know," Kael interrupted. "The attack on the ruins was likely just the beginning. They'll come for it sooner or later."
"So, what do we do?" Rynn asked, his voice tinged with apprehension.
Kael rested his hands on the table, his expression resolute. "We need to move it—somewhere far from here, where its influence can't spread. But more importantly, we need to find out who's behind this and stop them before the corruption spreads any further."
"And how do we do that?" Lyra asked.
Kael glanced at Alyssa, who smirked knowingly. "I have a lead," she said. "There's a place not far from here—a hidden sanctuary known as the Library of Shadows. It's said to hold forbidden knowledge, including information about the obelisks and their creators."
Lyra's brow furrowed. "And how do you know about this library?"
Alyssa shrugged. "Let's just say I have connections. But it won't be easy to get there. The path is treacherous, and the library itself is… selective about who it allows inside."
Kael considered her words carefully. "We don't have a choice. If this library can give us the answers we need, then that's where we're going."
Lyra looked uneasy. "Are you sure about this? It sounds like a trap."
Kael met her gaze. "It might be. But we don't have any better options."
The decision made, the group prepared for their journey. As the others busied themselves with supplies, Kael stood outside the chapel, staring up at the stars.
Alyssa joined him, her usual smirk replaced by a thoughtful expression. "You're taking a big risk, you know. Trusting me, trusting this plan…"
Kael glanced at her. "I don't trust you. But I trust that you want to survive, and for now, our goals align."
Alyssa chuckled softly. "Fair enough. Just don't let that crystal get to you. It has a way of… corrupting even the strongest minds."
"I'll keep that in mind," Kael said, his tone unreadable.
As Alyssa walked away, Kael clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. The path ahead was uncertain, but one thing was clear: the fight against the darkness was far from over.
End of Chapter 8