The forest stretched endlessly ahead, an unforgiving maze of shadows and whispers. My legs burned, every step a test of endurance, but the howls behind us kept me moving.
Kieran gripped my arm tightly, half-dragging me when I faltered. "Stay with me, Angelica," he muttered, his voice low and tense.
Somewhere between my panicked breaths and the pounding of my heart, a soft chime echoed in my mind.
System Notification: Your survival hangs by a thread. A critical decision awaits.
Not now, I thought bitterly, but the system didn't care about my predicament.
Two choices available:
1. Follow Kieran's lead and retreat to the safe house. Risk future ambushes and delays.
2. Confront the Shadow Beasts now by unlocking the first layer of the pendant's power. Unknown consequences.
I stumbled, nearly falling as the words burned into my mind.
"Focus!" Kieran barked, pulling me upright.
"The pendant," I whispered, clutching it instinctively. "It can help us."
Kieran shot me a sharp look. "What are you talking about?"
Before I could explain, another chime rang out, more urgent this time.
Warning: Indecision increases danger levels. Choose now.
The howls were deafening now, and the snapping of twigs signaled that the beasts were closing in. My lungs burned, my head spun, and fear clawed at the edges of my mind.
"Kieran!" I shouted, stopping abruptly. "We have to use the pendant."
"What?" His eyes blazed with anger and disbelief. "Are you insane? You don't even know how to control it!"
"I don't have to," I snapped, surprising myself with the force in my voice. "The system… it's giving me a choice. Either we keep running, or I use this to fight."
He stared at me as if I'd lost my mind. "That thing is dangerous. Magic like that always comes with a price. You don't know what you're unlocking!"
"And running blindly into the forest doesn't?" I shot back. "You said it yourself—they won't stop until they've torn me apart. If this can give us even a sliver of a chance, isn't it worth it?"
His jaw clenched, but he didn't argue further. "Fine," he said curtly. "But if this goes wrong, I'm dragging you out of here whether you like it or not."
I nodded, swallowing my fear. My hands trembled as I lifted the pendant, its cold surface pressing against my palm. The symbols etched into it seemed to shift and glow, pulsing with a strange energy that made my skin prickle.
System Notification: Confirm activation of the pendant's first layer?
Yes.
The moment I accepted, a searing heat spread through my chest, so intense it felt like I was being burned from the inside out. I gasped, clutching the pendant as light exploded around me, bathing the forest in a silvery glow.
The Shadow Beasts emerged from the darkness, their grotesque forms illuminated by the light. They hesitated, snarling and baring their fangs, as if the glow repelled them.
"What's happening?" Kieran demanded, shielding his eyes.
"I don't know!" I cried, the words barely escaping my lips as the heat intensified. The pendant felt alive, its power coursing through me in waves.
Suddenly, the light condensed, forming a barrier around us. The beasts howled in frustration, clawing at the shimmering surface but unable to break through.
Kieran stared in awe, his sword lowered. "You… you created a shield."
"I didn't do anything!" I said, my voice shaking. "It's the pendant."
System Notification: First layer unlocked. Temporary protective barrier activated. Duration: five minutes. Consequences: Increased visibility to enemies sensitive to magic.
The relief that flooded me was short-lived as the system's final words registered.
"Kieran," I said, my voice trembling. "This shield… it's going to draw more of them."
His face darkened, his earlier awe replaced with grim determination. "Then we need to move. Now."
"But the barrier—"
"Won't last," he interrupted, grabbing my hand. "We'll use it to buy time, nothing more."
He pulled me forward, and we began running again, the shield moving with us like a second skin. The beasts continued to howl, their forms growing fainter as we put distance between them and us.
But the pendant's energy was taking its toll. My body felt heavy, my limbs sluggish, as if the power was draining me.
"Kieran," I gasped, stumbling again. "I don't think I can—"
"Don't you dare give up on me," he snapped, his grip tightening on my arm. "You unlocked this thing. Now you're going to see it through."
His words stung, but they also sparked something inside me—a flicker of defiance.
I'm not going to be a damsel in distress. Not anymore.
Drawing on the last reserves of my strength, I forced myself to keep moving. The forest thinned ahead, the trees giving way to rocky terrain that rose sharply toward the mountains.
Kieran slowed, his eyes scanning the area. "There," he said, pointing to a narrow crevice in the rocks. "We can hide there until the barrier fades."
We stumbled into the crevice, the walls pressing in on either side. Kieran pushed me behind him, his sword drawn as he watched the forest's edge.
The glow of the barrier began to fade, the light dimming until it disappeared entirely. The night returned, darker and more oppressive than before.
For a moment, there was silence. No howls, no rustling leaves, just the sound of my labored breathing and Kieran's steady presence beside me.
Then, from the shadows, a new sound emerged—low and guttural, unlike anything I'd heard before.
Kieran's grip on his sword tightened. "That's not a Shadow Beast."
My heart sank as the ground beneath us trembled, a deep rumble echoing through the rocks.
"What is it?" I whispered, fear clawing at my throat.
Kieran didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the darkness, his expression colder than I'd ever seen.
And then, from the shadows, it appeared—a massive creature, its form cloaked in darkness and its eyes burning with an unnatural light. It was unlike the Shadow Beasts, its presence heavier, more menacing.
The pendant around my neck grew cold, its glow faint but insistent, as if warning me of the danger ahead.
"Kieran," I said, my voice barely audible. "What do we do?"
He didn't take his eyes off the creature. "We have to.....fight."