The air grew heavy, charged with a strange, electric tension. Caspian reached for the hilt of his sword instinctively, his eyes darting to every flickering shadow. The glowing runes on the archway pulsed brighter now, their light casting eerie patterns across the clearing.
Ellara stepped back from the archway, her gaze sharp and calculating. "It's testing us," she said, her voice low but steady. "The forest doesn't wake without purpose."
"Testing us how?" Caspian asked, his grip tightening on the sword.
She didn't answer immediately, her eyes scanning the trees. The whispers rose and fell, mingling with the creaks of branches that bent under no wind. Then, as if summoned by her silence, the shadows at the edge of the clearing began to shift.
They moved unnaturally, twisting and stretching until they formed humanoid shapes—tall, lean figures cloaked in darkness, their glowing white eyes the only distinct feature. Caspian counted five, then six, before more emerged, encircling them.
"Wraiths," Ellara whispered. "They're drawn to the magic of the forest."
Caspian drew his sword, the steel gleaming in the dim light. "And what do they want?"
Ellara's lips pressed into a thin line. "To see if you're worthy."
Before Caspian could ask what that meant, the nearest wraith lunged. It moved faster than he expected, its shadowy limbs blurring as it closed the distance. He barely had time to raise his blade, deflecting the attack with a clash that sent a cold shock through his arm.
"They're not alive," Ellara called, darting to his side. Her movements were fluid, almost inhumanly quick. "You can't fight them like men. Aim for the light—their cores!"
Caspian nodded, adjusting his stance as another wraith surged forward. This time, he spotted it: a faint, pulsing glow at the center of the creature's chest. With a swift thrust, he drove his blade into the core. The wraith let out a bone-chilling wail before disintegrating into wisps of black smoke.
"Good," Ellara said, grabbing a fallen branch. To Caspian's astonishment, the wood began to glow in her hand, transforming into a staff crackling with energy. She swung it in an arc, striking two wraiths in quick succession.
"You're full of surprises," Caspian muttered, cutting down another wraith.
Ellara gave him a wry smile. "And you're better with that sword than I expected, Prince."
The remaining wraiths hesitated, their glowing eyes flickering as if reconsidering their attack. Caspian took a step forward, his blade gleaming with the light of the runes around them.
"Go on," he said, his voice firm. "Try me."
With a final, chilling screech, the wraiths dissolved into the shadows, vanishing as quickly as they had appeared.
Caspian lowered his sword, his chest heaving. "Well, that was… unpleasant."
Ellara tapped her glowing staff against the ground, extinguishing its light. "You handled it better than most."
"High praise," Caspian said, sheathing his sword. He glanced at the archway, still pulsing faintly. "So, what now? Did we pass the test?"
Ellara didn't answer immediately. Her gaze lingered on the runes, her expression thoughtful. "The forest isn't done with us yet," she said finally.
As if in response to her words, the ground beneath their feet began to shift. The runes on the archway flared, their light spilling out in tendrils that wove through the air, forming a glowing path that led deeper into the woods.
Caspian sighed. "Of course. Another path."
Ellara glanced at him, her emerald eyes sharp. "You can turn back, you know."
He met her gaze, his expression resolute. "I'm not leaving without answers. Or without you."
A flicker of emotion crossed her face—surprise, perhaps, or something softer—but she quickly masked it. "Then stay close," she said, stepping onto the glowing path.
As they followed the trail, the forest seemed to grow quieter, the whispers fading into a watchful silence. Caspian couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking straight into another trial.
And from the way Ellara's grip tightened on her staff, she felt it too.