The glade was chaos.
Dark figures poured from the trees, their forms twisting and shifting like smoke-given life. Their hollow, black eyes reflected no light, no mercy—just endless hunger. The hum of the archway grew louder, its resonance pressing into Isabella's chest, making it harder to breathe.
"Stay close to the arch!" the golden-eyed man shouted, his voice barely audible over the cacophony.
Doran swung his axe in a wide arc, its blade catching one of the shadowed creatures. The figure screeched, its form collapsing into black mist before vanishing entirely.
"They're not invincible!" Doran shouted, his face streaked with sweat and dirt. "Hit them hard enough, and they go down!"
"There's too many of them!" Mara cried, pulling her daggers free as two more shadows lunged at her. She sidestepped one and plunged a blade into the other's chest. The creature's scream rattled through the air as it dissolved into mist.
Isabella stood frozen for a moment, her heart pounding. The light of the Heartstone pulsed in her palm, as if it were alive, urging her forward. The archway's glow intensified, and a voice whispered in her mind.
You are the key.
She didn't understand what it meant, but she knew she couldn't stand idle. She gripped the Heartstone tighter, feeling its warmth spread through her veins like fire. A shadowy figure lunged at her—faster than she could react—but the moment it neared, a blinding light erupted from the stone. The creature shrieked, disintegrating before it even touched her.
"Isabella!" Mara shouted. "What did you just do?"
"I don't know!" Isabella called back, though the truth was clawing at her mind. The Heartstone was more than just a relic. It was a weapon, a force, and it was responding to her.
The golden-eyed man pressed his palm harder against the archway, his face strained as though he were holding back the weight of the world. The runes on the stone flared brighter, lines of light spreading outward across the ground in intricate patterns. The air shimmered, and a low sound—like the echo of a distant bell—rang out.
"It's opening!" he shouted. "Just a little longer!"
Isabella turned back to the fight. More shadows were pouring into the glade, faster than her companions could dispatch them. Doran roared as he cleaved through two creatures at once, but his movements were growing slower. Mara fought with precision, but even she was beginning to tire, sweat dripping down her brow.
They won't last, Isabella thought, panic rising in her throat. We won't last.
The Heartstone flared again, its warmth spreading up her arm. Her vision blurred, and suddenly she was somewhere else. She stood in a vast, white expanse, endless and silent. Before her, the shadows gathered—not as individuals, but as a single entity, shifting and swirling into a monstrous form.
A deep, guttural voice filled the void.
You dare awaken the gate?
Isabella flinched, but she didn't step back. "Who are you?" she demanded, her voice trembling.
The shadowy form loomed closer. You are the light that should not exist. The bridge must not be crossed.
"I don't understand!" she shouted. "What do you mean?"
The voice rumbled like thunder. If you cross the threshold, you will never return. The light will consume you.
Suddenly, the vision shattered, and Isabella found herself back in the glade. Her knees buckled, and she fell to the ground, gasping for air. The Heartstone burned like a star in her hand, its light growing so intense it hurt to look at.
The golden-eyed man turned to her, his expression fierce. "Isabella! You have to choose!"
"Choose what?" she cried, tears stinging her eyes.
"The gate cannot open without you!" he shouted. "But if you pass through it, there's no coming back!"
Her heart dropped. The realization hit her like a physical blow. The whispers, the visions, the way the Heartstone responded to her—it was all leading to this moment. The gate was calling to her, and she was the only one who could answer.
"Isabella, no!" Mara screamed, realizing what was happening.
The shadows were closing in, a tide of darkness sweeping toward the archway. Doran grunted as one of the creatures struck him, knocking him to the ground. Mara fought her way to him, but the creatures were relentless.
Isabella looked at her friends—tired, wounded, and desperate. Then she looked at the archway, its light growing brighter with each passing second. The path beyond it was unknown, but it was the only way.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice breaking.
"Isabella!" Mara screamed again, but it was too late.
With a deep breath, Isabella ran toward the archway, the Heartstone blazing in her hand. The shadows shrieked as the light engulfed the glade, their forms dissolving into nothingness. The golden-eyed man stepped back, shielding his eyes as the runes on the archway erupted with light.
The world seemed to slow as Isabella reached the threshold. The light surrounded her, pulling her forward. For a moment, she felt weightless, as though she were floating between two worlds.
And then she stepped through.
Silence.
When Isabella opened her eyes, she was no longer in the glade. The forest, the archway, the shadows—all of it was gone. She stood on a vast plain of shimmering light, the ground beneath her feet shifting like liquid silver. The sky above was endless and dark, filled with countless stars that burned brighter than she'd ever seen.
A soft breeze swept across the plain, carrying with it a voice. It was the same voice from before, deep and resonant, but now it seemed gentler, almost curious.
You have crossed the threshold.
Isabella turned in a slow circle, her heart still pounding. "Where am I?" she whispered.
*You stand at the edge of all things," the voice replied. The beginning and the end. The light and the dark.
Isabella looked down at the Heartstone in her hand. Its glow had softened, but it still pulsed gently, as though it were alive.
"Why me?" she asked, her voice breaking. "Why did you choose me?"
*Because you are the bridge," the voice said. The world needs you, Isabella. And now, you must decide how you will save it.
The plain stretched out before her, endless and unknown. For the first time, Isabella felt truly alone. But somewhere deep inside, she knew this was only the beginning.
Clutching the Heartstone to her chest, she took a step forward.
And the light swallowed her whole.