The echo of the crash reverberated through Alistair's estate, sending a shiver down my spine. I barely had time to process the sound before Kieran was already moving, his hand gripping his sword with the quiet precision of someone used to battle.
"What in the hells was that?" Kieran muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the courtyard, his body coiled in readiness.
I didn't have an answer. All I knew was that the moment we thought we had escaped the horrors of the forest, something far worse was closing in on us.
Alistair had already started moving, his eyes narrowing, scanning the surroundings like a hawk. His expression was unreadable, but the tension in his posture was unmistakable. He didn't have to say a word to convey the seriousness of the situation. Whatever was outside the estate walls wasn't just a threat—it was a warning.
I swallowed, my thoughts racing. The teleportation—was it part of some larger plan? I'd trusted the system, but now I wasn't sure if it had brought us here for safety or to lead us into something worse. What exactly was I running from? Or was it something the system was hiding from me?
The system had been unusually quiet after the teleportation. It hadn't offered its usual cryptic messages or warnings. It felt as if it had retreated into the shadows, leaving me to figure everything out on my own. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
System Notification: Energy Recharge Complete. Power levels at 50%.
Warning: Unknown entity detected nearby. Danger imminent.
I froze at the sudden ping of the system's notification. The last words were like a splash of cold water. Unknown entity. That could mean anything. Or worse, it could mean the system had no idea what we were dealing with.
I glanced at Kieran, his face set in grim determination as he moved closer to Alistair. But even he seemed on edge, something unspoken between us.
Alistair, for his part, didn't seem surprised. His gaze shifted toward me as if expecting me to speak. "What was in the woods?" he asked, his tone sharp. There was no accusation in his voice, but the question itself held layers—layers that cut deeper than I expected.
I swallowed hard, my mind racing. "I don't know," I admitted. "Something... worse than Shadow Beasts. There was this feeling—like the forest itself was alive, watching us."
Alistair's gaze didn't leave mine. "You're not the first to speak of such things," he murmured. "The forest has always been strange. But if something else is out there... something powerful..." He trailed off, his jaw tightening.
"Alistair, I don't know what we're up against," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "But it's not just Shadow Beasts. There's something else. Something worse."
He didn't respond immediately, his thoughts clearly far away, lost in the weight of the information. Finally, he gave a slight nod. "Stay close," he commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.
Before I could ask what he planned to do, he was already moving, striding with purpose toward the massive stone doors leading into the heart of the estate. Kieran followed without hesitation, though his eyes still lingered on me, as if making sure I wasn't about to run. The forest's horrors, the terrifying unknown—it was all too much. For a fleeting moment, I thought I saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes, but it was gone before I could be sure.
I followed them into the estate, my mind still racing. The system had gone silent again, offering no insight into the strange, growing threat looming over us. Was I truly alone in this? The unsettling thought lingered in my mind, but I pushed it aside. There was no time for self-doubt now.
Alistair led us through the halls with ease, his every step calculated, deliberate. Kieran kept pace, though I could see the tension in his muscles. He wasn't comfortable in this place, and it was becoming increasingly clear why.
As we reached the end of the hallway, Alistair stopped abruptly, his hand resting on the ornate door before him. He turned back to us, his eyes narrowing.
"I need you to listen carefully," he said, his voice low. "Whatever is coming—whatever it is that followed you here—is not something you can defeat with brute force alone."
Kieran scoffed, but there was no humor in his voice. "We don't have time for riddles."
Alistair's gaze turned cold. "This isn't a riddle, Kieran. It's a warning. The creatures you faced in the forest are the least of your concerns now. Whatever is out there, it's not something we can simply fight. It's something... ancient."
My heart skipped a beat. Ancient? What kind of creatures could be ancient enough to pose a real threat to Alistair? To the estate?
"Ancient?" I echoed, my voice shaky. "What do you mean?"
Alistair's eyes darkened, the shadows in the hallway seeming to grow longer as if they were reacting to the tension in the air. "There are forces in this world that shouldn't be disturbed," he said, his tone grim. "The forest, the creatures—it's all connected. And if you've awakened something..." His words trailed off, but the meaning was clear. Whatever was out there wasn't just an animal, a monster. It was something far worse.
I shivered at the thought, my breath catching in my throat. My eyes darted to the door Alistair had just opened. Beyond it, I could hear the faint sound of footsteps, but they weren't the usual steps of servants or guards. No, these were deliberate, slow, almost predatory.
And then I heard a voice.
It was soft at first, like a whisper on the wind, but it quickly grew clearer.
"Angelica…"
My name. Spoken like a warning. A command.
I froze, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. The voice had a deep, malevolent undertone, and it made my blood run cold.
"Alistair," I said, my voice tight, "What is that? What is—"
Before I could finish, the door flung open with a crash, and a dark figure stepped into the room.
My heart stopped in my chest. It was him. The very creature I had sensed in the forest. And now, standing before me, its eyes burning with an unnatural light, I knew that the real danger was only just beginning.
"Angelica," it whispered again, its voice slithering through the air. "You've come to me at last."