The air in the forest was thick with the scent of damp earth and pine. The trees towered overhead like ancient sentinels, their gnarled roots twisting into the ground. The silence of the woods was oppressive, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant call of some unseen bird.
Lyria slept soundly beneath the tree, her breath slow and even now. I had insisted on taking watch, though I wasn't sure if it was more out of caution or a lingering sense of responsibility. Her safety felt like something that had been entrusted to me, and I couldn't ignore that pull—no matter how new this existence felt.
I glanced over at her every now and then, watching the way the early morning light filtered through the branches above, casting soft shadows on her sleeping form. She looked so small, so fragile, despite the fire that had burned in her eyes when she spoke of her father's betrayal.
A soft sigh escaped her lips, and she stirred, blinking her violet eyes open. Her gaze met mine, and for a moment, she just stared. I wasn't sure if she was studying me or simply processing the strangeness of the situation.
"How are you feeling?" I asked, breaking the silence.
She shifted, stretching stiffly before sitting up. Her face still looked pale, but the exhaustion seemed to have eased, replaced by a quiet determination. "Better. Not great, but better."
"You should rest longer," I suggested.
She shook her head. "No time. We're moving soon, right?"
I nodded, though I knew that in her condition, the idea of traveling again so soon wasn't ideal. But I understood her urgency. The soldiers would have been delayed, yes, but they would eventually find our trail. And if we stayed here too long, we'd be sitting ducks.
"Rest if you can," I said softly. "I'll be ready when you are."
She smiled faintly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "You're determined, aren't you?"
I glanced at her, catching the hint of something in her voice—was it sadness? Hope? "I suppose I am. I'm not sure what's waiting for us ahead, but for now, all that matters is keeping you alive."
Her expression softened, and for a moment, the walls she had built around herself seemed to crack. "Thank you," she whispered.
We began our journey again shortly after, moving through the thick forest with caution. Lyria seemed to recover more as the hours passed, though she still kept close to me, as if my presence provided some measure of security. I didn't mind. In fact, it felt natural. I had been reborn with the instinct to protect, and it was a strange, comforting thing to know that I wasn't alone in this foreign world.
We traveled for hours, the sun rising higher in the sky. The deeper we went into the forest, the quieter it became. It wasn't the usual silence of nature—no, it was more like the forest was holding its breath, waiting for something.
"What's this place?" I asked, breaking the silence.
Lyria looked around cautiously, her gaze wary. "It's called the Duskwood. No one really lives here; it's considered cursed, avoided by most."
"Cursed?"
She hesitated, as though unsure how much to reveal. "There are stories... of things that live in these woods. Things that hunt humans. Some say it's the spirits of those who were lost, others claim it's the work of dark magic. No one who ventures too deep ever returns."
Her words left a strange chill in the air. I wasn't sure whether to believe the tales or dismiss them as superstition, but there was something about the forest that felt... off. The air itself seemed heavy with unseen eyes, and the shadows between the trees seemed deeper, darker than they should have been.
"Do you think we'll be safe here?" I asked, though I already had my doubts.
"I don't know," Lyria admitted. "I've only been here once, and it wasn't for long. But if we keep to the edges, we should be fine."
A soft rustling interrupted our conversation, followed by a low growl that sent a shiver down my spine. I froze, my senses immediately heightened.
"What was that?" Lyria whispered, her eyes wide with fear.
I held up a hand, signaling for silence. The growl came again, closer this time. It wasn't an animal, I realized. It was something... different. Something far more dangerous.
The underbrush cracked as something emerged from the shadows—a massive, hulking figure, its eyes glowing faintly red in the dim light. It was humanoid in shape but covered in dark, mottled fur, its mouth a twisted maw of sharp teeth.
Lyria gasped, her face drained of color. "A shadow beast..."
I stepped in front of her instinctively, feeling the familiar surge of energy rise within me. The creature snarled, its claws scraping against the ground as it advanced.
"You don't want to do this," I said, my voice low but commanding.
The shadow beast stopped, tilting its head as if considering my words. For a moment, it seemed almost intelligent, but then it bared its teeth in a primal snarl and lunged.
Without thinking, I raised my hand, and the golden light exploded from my palm, streaking through the air toward the creature. It howled in pain as the light struck it, its body writhing against the energy that wrapped around it. But it wasn't enough to stop it completely. The creature roared, shaking the light off as it charged again.
I had no time to react before it was upon me, its claws slashing through the air. I raised my arm to block, the force of its strike pushing me back, but the energy that surged through me was stronger now, more focused.
With a flick of my wrist, a barrier of golden light materialized, blocking the creature's next strike. It recoiled, its eyes narrowing in frustration.
"Stay back!" I shouted at Lyria, my voice harsh as I summoned more of the golden tendrils.
The creature circled, its gaze never leaving me, as if waiting for an opening. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold this off, but I couldn't afford to lose focus—not now.
In that moment, I realized something. I wasn't just protecting Lyria. I was fighting for something—something that had awakened inside me when I'd decided to shield her. It was a drive, a purpose, a spark of life that hadn't existed in the ashes of my past.
And with that realization, the light inside me grew brighter, more intense, filling the entire clearing. The golden tendrils shot out in a blinding burst, engulfing the shadow beast.
The creature howled in agony, its form dissolving into the air like smoke. When the light faded, it was gone.
I stood there, panting, my body trembling from the exertion. Lyria was silent behind me, her eyes wide with awe and fear.
I turned to her slowly, still feeling the hum of power in my veins. "Are you all right?"
She nodded, though her face was pale. "I... I didn't know you could do that."
I didn't either. But it seemed I was still discovering what I was capable of.
We didn't speak as we continued our journey, the encounter with the shadow beast hanging heavy between us. The forest felt quieter now, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something far worse was waiting deeper within the Duskwood.
For now, I had a new goal. Protect Lyria. Keep her alive.
And uncover whatever mysteries lay ahead.