The forest was alive with sound. Twigs snapped in the distance, and low, guttural growls echoed through the trees. The air felt heavier, charged with an unnatural energy, as if the very forest was holding its breath.
Lucas and Aria moved quickly, their footsteps muffled against the soft earth. Aria led the way, her bow drawn and her pendant glowing faintly like a lighthouse in the oppressive darkness.
"Where are we going?" Lucas whispered, his voice barely audible over the rustling leaves.
"There's an old ruin not far from here," Aria replied, her eyes scanning the path ahead. "It's warded—should keep most of the forest's predators at bay for the night."
"Most?" Lucas muttered, gripping his dagger tighter.
The whispers in the air grew louder, like a thousand voices speaking in unison. Lucas shivered, glancing over his shoulder as shadows shifted unnaturally in the corners of his vision.
"Do you hear that?" he asked.
Aria nodded grimly. "Echoes. The forest's way of reminding us that we're intruding. Keep moving."
As they pressed on, the whispers grew more distinct. Words began to form, though they were fragmented and incomprehensible. Lucas felt a dull ache in his head, as though the voices were trying to burrow into his mind.
"They're getting louder," he said, his voice strained.
Aria stopped abruptly and turned to face him. "Listen to me, Lucas. Don't focus on them. They're trying to confuse you, make you see things that aren't there. Stay grounded. Focus on the path ahead."
Lucas nodded, but the whispers continued to gnaw at the edges of his consciousness. He forced himself to look only at Aria, using her as an anchor as they pushed deeper into the forest.
The ruin appeared suddenly, shrouded in mist. Its crumbling stone walls were overgrown with moss, and faint runes glowed along its surface. A broken archway led inside, where a faint blue light pulsed rhythmically.
"This is it," Aria said, lowering her bow.
Lucas followed her through the archway, his tension easing slightly as the whispers faded. Inside, the air was warmer, and the oppressive weight of the forest seemed to lift.
"What is this place?" he asked, looking around.
"An old sanctuary," Aria replied, brushing her fingers against the glowing runes. "Built long before the kingdoms, back when the world still believed in balance. It's one of the few places left where the forest's influence can't reach."
Lucas sat down on a fallen pillar, his legs aching from the long trek. "You know a lot about things that are 'long before the kingdoms.'"
Aria smirked faintly, though her eyes remained guarded. "It pays to know the history of the land you live in."
Lucas opened his mouth to press her further, but a flicker of movement at the edge of his vision stopped him. He turned sharply, his hand on his dagger, but there was nothing there.
"Relax," Aria said. "The sanctuary is warded. Nothing can get in."
"Then why do I still feel like we're being watched?"
Aria hesitated, her gaze shifting to the glowing shard in Lucas's pocket. "Because we are. That thing you're carrying—it's not just a fragment. It's a signal. And whoever—or whatever—is listening, they won't stop until they have it."
Lucas pulled the shard from his pocket, its soft glow illuminating his hand. "This is what they're after?"
Aria nodded. "That, and probably you. The obelisk marked you, Lucas. Whether you realize it or not, you're part of this now."
Lucas clenched his fist around the shard. "I didn't ask for this."
"Neither did I," Aria said quietly, her voice laced with an emotion Lucas couldn't quite place. "But the forest doesn't care what we want."
For a moment, silence filled the sanctuary, broken only by the faint hum of the glowing runes.
The Warning
Just as Lucas began to relax, a sudden gust of wind swept through the ruin, extinguishing the blue light. The temperature plummeted, and the runes flickered weakly.
Aria was on her feet in an instant, her bow drawn. "Stay behind me," she said sharply.
Lucas rose, his dagger trembling in his hand. "I thought you said nothing could get in here."
"Nothing should be able to," Aria replied, her eyes scanning the shadows. "But something just tried."
A faint outline began to materialize in the center of the sanctuary—a tall, humanoid figure shrouded in a dark, swirling mist. Its eyes glowed with an eerie blue light, and its presence sent a chill down Lucas's spine.
The figure spoke, its voice hollow and echoing. "The shard does not belong to you."
Lucas stepped back, his heart pounding. "Who are you?"
The figure ignored his question, turning its gaze to Aria. "You should not interfere, Seeker. Leave the boy, and you may yet live."
Aria's grip on her bow tightened. "If you want him, you'll have to go through me."
The figure let out a low, rumbling laugh. "So be it."
Before Lucas could react, the mist surged forward, engulfing the room in darkness. The last thing he saw was Aria raising her pendant, its glow fighting back against the encroaching shadows.
And then, everything went black.
To be continued…