The caravan creaked along the winding road, its wagons swaying gently with the uneven terrain. The dense forest seemed endless, the trees towering above and casting long shadows that danced with the shifting light. Kael sat at the back of the last wagon, his fingers idly tracing the edge of the seat as he watched the forest pass by.
It had been hours since they'd broken camp that morning, and the steady rhythm of the journey was both soothing and maddening. The quiet was broken only by the occasional chirp of birds or the crack of a branch beneath the wagons' wheels. Kael's gaze wandered to the canopy above, where shafts of sunlight pierced through the leaves, creating patterns on the dirt path.
Taron rode at the head of the caravan, his sharp eyes scanning the road ahead. Even from this distance, Kael could sense his unease. There was something about the forest—something heavy in the air—that seemed to weigh on everyone.
"You've been awfully quiet," came a voice from beside him. Kael turned to see the wiry woman from the night before, her bow slung casually over her shoulder as she walked alongside the wagon. Her green eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Thinking about Eclipsevane?"
Kael shrugged, smirking faintly. "Something like that."
She chuckled, her tone light but tinged with something darker. "It's hard not to think about it. That place has a way of getting under your skin, even from a distance."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Been there before?"
"A couple of times," she admitted, her voice dropping slightly. "Never stayed long, though. Something about it just… feels wrong. Like the walls are watching you."
"Sounds charming," Kael said, leaning back against the wagon. "Maybe I should rethink my destination."
Her laugh was dry, almost bitter. "If you've got a choice, I'd take it. Eclipsevane might have been something once, but now? It's just a shadow of what it used to be."
Kael's smirk faded, her words hitting closer to home than he'd expected. He turned his gaze back to the road, the forest stretching endlessly ahead. "Good to know."
She lingered for a moment longer, as if debating whether to say more, but eventually moved on, her footsteps fading into the distance. Kael leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as the wagon jostled over a rough patch of road. Her words stuck with him, intertwining with his own restless thoughts.
Eclipsevane. A shadow of what it used to be.
He let out a slow breath, his eyes drifting to the horizon. The forest might have been vast, but it wouldn't last forever. Sooner or later, the road would lead him to the guild—and whatever waited there.
The hours stretched long as the caravan pressed deeper into the wilderness. The forest began to thin, the trees spaced farther apart, their gnarled roots breaking through the dirt road like veins. Kael shifted on the wagon's edge, his legs dangling as he watched the uneven path ahead.
The caravan eventually came to a halt at a small clearing, the air buzzing with insects and the faint scent of damp earth. Taron dismounted from his perch at the lead wagon, his sharp voice carrying over the ambient noise. "Break time! Let the horses rest and stretch your legs if you've got them."
Kael hopped down, his boots landing with a soft thud on the ground. He moved toward a nearby stream that trickled lazily through the clearing, kneeling to cup the cool water in his hands. It was refreshing, but it did little to settle the growing unease that had been gnawing at him since their departure.
He caught sight of Taron a few steps away, inspecting one of the wagon wheels with a critical eye. Deciding it was as good a time as any, Kael straightened and approached him.
"Taron," he called, keeping his tone casual. "Got a minute?"
The older man glanced up, brushing the dirt from his hands. "What's on your mind, kid?"
Kael hesitated, his fingers brushing the edge of his tunic. "What's it like heading west? Toward Eclipsevane?"
Taron let out a low whistle, leaning back against the wagon. "That's a loaded question. You sure you want the honest answer?"
"Why not," Kael said with a faint smirk. "Honesty's always been overrated."
Taron chuckled, though his expression sobered quickly. "It's not good, I'll tell you that much. The further west you go, the more the roads start to fall apart—like they've been abandoned for years. And the closer you get to Eclipsevane, the quieter things get."
"Quieter?" Kael repeated, his brow furrowing.
"Not in the peaceful way," Taron clarified, his voice dropping slightly. "In the kind of way that makes you feel like you're not supposed to be there. Like something's watching you from the shadows."
Kael's smirk faded, replaced by a thoughtful frown. "Sounds welcoming."
Taron nodded toward the rest of the caravan, his voice tinged with a wry edge. "These folks are nervous, you know. They might not say it out loud, but they can feel it. Eclipsevane's not the place it used to be."
"What do you mean?" Kael asked, crossing his arms.
"Used to be a guild that stood for something," Taron said. "Respect, strength, purpose. People worked together to make it what it was. But now?" He shook his head. "Members are disappearing. No one knows why or where they're going, and the ones who stay… well, they're not exactly in great shape either."
Kael's stomach churned, though he kept his expression neutral. "And no one's tried to figure it out?"
"Plenty have," Taron said with a bitter laugh. "And most of them don't come back. Whatever's going on there, it's not something you can fix with brute force or clever words. It's bigger than that."
Kael stared at the ground, the weight of Taron's words pressing heavily on him. "Sounds like a good time," he muttered.
Taron clapped him on the shoulder, the gesture equal parts camaraderie and warning. "Just keep your wits about you, kid. Eclipsevane's not for the faint of heart. If you're heading there, you'd better have a damn good reason."
Kael didn't respond immediately, his thoughts swirling in a tangled mess. The truth was, he didn't know why he was heading there—or at least, he didn't know if his reasons were good enough. Jane's name echoed in his mind, a reminder of questions he wasn't sure he wanted answered.
"Yeah," he said finally, his voice quieter now. "I'll keep that in mind."
Kael sat near the fire, the warmth flickering across his face as the caravan settled into the clearing for the night. The rhythmic crackling of burning wood blended with the quiet murmurs of conversation among the travelers. He leaned back against a log, letting the voices drift around him without much focus—until a particular exchange caught his attention.
"…I'm telling you, it's not just rumors," one of the travelers said, his voice low and insistent. "People have seen them. More of them, too."
Kael's gaze shifted subtly toward the source of the conversation. Two men sat a few paces away, their faces illuminated by the firelight. One was older, his weathered face creased with concern, while the other was younger, his posture tense as he leaned in closer.
"You're talking about the Sins," the younger man said, his tone skeptical. "You really believe that nonsense?"
The older man frowned, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "It's not nonsense. The Seven Deadly Sins are real, and more of them are showing up. Envy, Greed, Wrath… people are saying their influence is spreading. You've seen how bad things are getting."
Kael froze, his thoughts immediately flashing back to Berethia. The memories of her transformation into Envy were still vivid, despite the years that had passed. He'd heard whispers of the Sins before, even during his time in Alsta, but he'd brushed them aside, unwilling to dwell on the past. Now, though, the mention of more Sins stirred an uneasy feeling in his chest.
"I'll believe it when I see it," the younger man muttered, though there was a hint of unease in his voice. "Sounds like superstition to me."
"Superstition doesn't make guild members vanish," the older man countered. "Or turn friends against each other. Things are getting nasty out there. Mark my words—it's only going to get worse."
The younger man fell silent, his gaze fixed on the fire as if it might offer some comfort. Kael shifted slightly, his thoughts swirling. He hadn't considered the possibility that other Sins might be out there, let alone that they could be growing stronger. The idea left a bitter taste in his mouth.
More Sins. More destruction.
He leaned back, closing his eyes as if to block out the conversation. But the words lingered, echoing in his mind as the fire crackled on.
Kael stayed silent, pretending not to listen, but his mind was racing. The idea that more of the Seven Deadly Sins might be out there—and active—felt like a cold wind cutting through the warmth of the fire. He clenched his hands in his lap, willing his expression to stay neutral as the older man continued.
"They say it started quietly," the older man murmured, his voice barely audible over the crackling flames. "A missing person here, a strange fight there. But now? Entire villages are reporting disappearances. People are turning on each other for no reason. And then there's Eclipsevane…"
The younger man frowned. "Eclipsevane? What about it?"
The older man leaned in, his voice dropping further. "They've been hit the hardest. No one's talking about it openly, but it's clear something's happening inside that guild. People vanishing, trust crumbling—it's like a sickness spreading through their ranks."
Kael's stomach churned, Taron's warnings from earlier echoing in his mind. The idea of the guild being tied to the Sins felt too close to the truth for comfort, and he had a sinking suspicion that whatever was happening in Eclipsevane, it wasn't random.
The younger man shifted uncomfortably, his skepticism faltering. "And you think the Sins are behind all of this?"
The older man nodded, his expression grim. "It makes sense, doesn't it? Envy, Greed, Wrath—they thrive on chaos. And the more chaos there is, the stronger they become."
Kael's breath hitched slightly, though he quickly masked it with a cough. He stood up, stretching as if the conversation hadn't rattled him.
"I'm turning in," he said casually, brushing off the questioning glance from the older man. "Long day tomorrow."
He walked away from the fire, his steps measured despite the tension coiling in his chest. As he reached his bedroll, he sank down heavily, running a hand through his silver hair. His thoughts churned, the mention of the Sins dragging him back to memories he'd tried to bury.
More Sins. More chaos.
Kael stared up at the stars, their distant light offering little comfort. Whatever awaited him in Eclipsevane, it was clear now that it wouldn't just be about finding Jane. It would be about facing the darkness that had already begun to spread.
Kael lay on his back, staring up at the stars scattered across the sky like tiny, careless spills of light. His hands were folded behind his head, and his thoughts churned in restless circles. The conversation he'd overheard still buzzed in his mind, but another question loomed larger now—one he couldn't quite shake.
"Why in the hell did Lysa think this was a good idea?" he muttered under his breath, a wry smirk tugging at his lips despite the unease in his chest.
He pictured her face, calm and confident as always, and he could almost hear her voice. 'You're the only one I trust to do this.' Trust. Sure, it sounded noble, but it also sounded suspiciously like a polite way of saying 'You're the only one stupid enough to go.'
Kael sighed, shifting slightly to get more comfortable on the uneven ground. "Yeah, send the guy who's spent three years avoiding his past to the one place it's guaranteed to catch up with him. Great plan, Lysa."
He closed his eyes, letting the faint hum of crickets and the crackle of the campfire fill the silence around him. His mind wandered, piecing together Lysa's motives like a poorly constructed puzzle. Why him? She could've sent anyone else. Well, anyone else willing to take the job.
"Maybe she just likes to see me suffer," Kael muttered, his smirk widening. "Keeps things interesting."
He let out a dry laugh, though it quickly faded into a thoughtful hum. The truth was, he didn't really believe Lysa had sent him out of malice or indifference. She'd looked genuinely concerned when she'd asked him to go. But still, he couldn't help but wonder if she truly understood what she was asking.
"Sure, Kael," he muttered, mimicking her voice poorly. "Just head over to Eclipsevane and chat with this mysterious Jane person. No big deal. I'm sure the deadly guild and its missing members won't be a problem at all."
He opened one eye, glancing up at the stars as if they might offer some insight. They didn't. He closed it again with a soft sigh.
"And if you die, at least I can say I sent you off with a smile," he continued, his tone mockingly cheerful. "Perfectly reasonable logic."
Despite his sarcasm, the gnawing question lingered. Why him? Why now? Lysa's determination had been so unshakable, so certain. And yet, the further he traveled, the more it felt like he was being sent straight into a storm with no map and no clue where the lightning might strike.
But, Kael reasoned with a small shrug, maybe that was just part of the fun. Who needed certainty when you had existential dread and a caravan full of strangers?
With one last smirk at his own thoughts, Kael rolled onto his side, the weight of his questions settling deeper into his mind. He wasn't going to find answers tonight—but at least he could find some sleep.