The path beyond the clearing led deeper into the forest, where the light of the sun barely pierced through the canopy. Shadows stretched long and unyielding, and the air grew colder with every step. Isabella wrapped her cloak tighter around herself, her breath misting in the gloom.
Mara led the group again, her bow ready, though her movements were slower now. The exhaustion from the battle weighed on everyone, but there was no time to rest. The beasts' sudden organization had shaken them all, but they pressed on, the Heartstone pulling them forward like an invisible force.
The man walked beside Isabella, his gaze sharp and unrelenting as he scanned their surroundings. "The further we go, the worse it's going to get," he said quietly. "This forest… it's alive with the curse. I can feel it."
"I can too," Isabella murmured. The weight in the air was almost tangible, as though the forest itself were whispering dark secrets in a language she couldn't understand.
Doran grunted from behind them, his voice breaking the tense silence. "I hate this place. Feels like we're walking straight into the mouth of a beast."
"We might be," Mara replied. "Stay focused."
The Fog of Illusions
It started subtly at first. A thin mist crept along the forest floor, curling around their boots and weaving through the undergrowth like pale serpents. The group slowed their pace, wary of the change. The mist thickened quickly, growing dense and heavy until the path ahead disappeared from view.
"Hold on to each other," Mara ordered. "This isn't natural. It's meant to separate us."
Isabella grabbed the man's arm instinctively, and he looked at her with a reassuring nod. Doran gripped Mara's shoulder, while the rest of the fighters formed a loose chain behind them.
The mist was cold against Isabella's skin, and it whispered—soft, incomprehensible murmurs that tugged at her mind. She shook her head, trying to block it out, but the whispers grew louder. Voices. Familiar voices.
"Isabella…" A soft voice called out. Her mother's voice.
Her breath caught, and she turned sharply, her heart pounding. The mist shifted, and for a brief moment, she saw a figure—a woman with long, dark hair, standing just beyond the edge of the group. Her back was turned, but Isabella knew that silhouette.
"Mother?" Isabella whispered.
"No!" The man's voice cut through the fog. He grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "It's not real! Don't listen to it."
Isabella blinked, and the figure was gone, swallowed by the mist. Her legs felt weak, and she leaned against the man, shaking.
"I… I heard her. I saw her," she stammered.
"That's what it wants," he said firmly. "It preys on your memories. Your emotions. You have to fight it, Isabella."
From behind them, Doran let out a roar. "Get out of my head!" He swung his axe wildly, slicing through nothing but fog.
"Stay together!" Mara shouted, her voice strained. "We can't lose focus—no matter what we see or hear."
The whispers grew louder, like a thousand voices speaking at once. Isabella closed her eyes and pressed her hands over her ears, trying to shut it out. She repeated the man's words in her mind like a mantra: It's not real. It's not real.
The Rift
The mist began to thin as abruptly as it had appeared, lifting like a curtain to reveal the forest once more. The group stumbled out, shaken and disoriented. Isabella's heart still raced, her mother's voice echoing faintly in her mind.
"Everyone accounted for?" Mara asked, looking over the fighters. Her face was pale, but her voice was steady.
Doran nodded, though he looked like he'd seen a ghost. "Aye. Barely."
The man's gaze settled on Isabella. "Are you all right?"
She nodded weakly. "I'm fine. It… it almost got me, though. I saw her. My mother."
He rested a hand on her shoulder, his expression softening. "That's how the curse works. It'll twist the things you love most against you. But you fought it off. That's what matters."
Mara stepped forward, drawing their attention. "There's something up ahead. I don't know what, but the forest… it changes here."
Isabella turned to look in the direction Mara pointed. The trees ahead were different. Taller. Darker. Their bark was blackened, and their branches twisted into unnatural shapes. Beyond them, the ground seemed to drop off into darkness.
"A rift," the man said, his voice low. "We've reached the edge of the forest. Beyond this is something else entirely."
"The curse's source?" Isabella asked.
"Maybe," he replied. "But it's not going to be easy. If the forest was trying to stop us, whatever lies ahead will be far worse."
Mara nodded. "We don't stop here. If we do, we'll lose our resolve. Let's move."
Into the Unknown
The group moved cautiously toward the rift. The ground beneath their feet grew soft and uneven, like walking on ash. The air crackled with energy, sending chills across Isabella's skin.
When they reached the edge, the sight before them stole her breath.
The forest simply ended. Beyond the jagged line of blackened trees was a chasm, vast and endless, filled with swirling darkness that seemed alive. The void pulsed and shifted, as though it were breathing.
"What… what is this place?" Doran muttered, peering into the abyss.
The man stepped to the edge, his golden eyes narrowing. "It's the curse given form. A tear in the land. The Heartstone… it's somewhere beyond this."
Mara pointed to a narrow bridge of stone that stretched across the chasm, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. "That's our path. It's the only way across."
"That bridge doesn't look natural," Isabella said, her voice hushed.
"It isn't," the man replied. "Nothing about this place is natural anymore."
The group exchanged uncertain looks. The bridge swayed slightly, as though mocking them, daring them to cross.
"We don't have time to debate it," Mara said, taking the first step onto the stone. Her movements were careful, but determined. "Follow me. Don't look down."
One by one, they followed her onto the bridge, their steps slow and deliberate. Isabella's heart pounded in her ears as she forced herself to move forward, the abyss yawning on either side.
The man walked just behind her, his presence steadying her nerves. "Keep your eyes ahead," he murmured.
Isabella nodded, focusing on Mara's figure in front of her. But as they moved further across the bridge, a deep, rumbling sound began to rise from the chasm.
And then, the darkness below began to move.