The forest began to thin as the afternoon wore on, the oppressive darkness giving way to patches of sunlight filtering through the trees. Kael and Lira trudged onward in silence, their encounter with the shadow stalker still fresh in their minds.
Kael gripped the compass tightly, its needle now steady but glowing faintly. The warmth it radiated was reassuring, but it also reminded him of its mysterious power.
"What do you think that thing was?" Kael finally asked, breaking the silence.
Lira glanced at him, her face shadowed with doubt. "A shadow stalker, like I said. They're supposed to be guardians of forbidden places, creatures that hunt anyone who dares to trespass."
"Then why did it attack us here?"
Lira didn't answer, her gaze distant.
As they crested a small hill, the forest opened up to reveal a sprawling ruin. Ancient stone pillars jutted out from the ground, their surfaces covered in moss and strange, glowing runes. In the center of the ruins stood a large archway, its frame intact despite the passage of time.
"This wasn't on the map," Lira muttered, scanning the area.
Kael stepped forward, the compass's glow intensifying. "It's pointing there," he said, nodding toward the archway.
The air around the ruins felt charged, a subtle hum vibrating through the ground. As they approached, Kael noticed carvings on the archway—scenes of battles, strange creatures, and figures holding what looked like the compass.
"This place feels... familiar," Kael said, though he knew he had never been here before.
Lira raised an eyebrow. "Familiar? How?"
"I don't know," Kael admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
He reached out to touch the archway, and as his fingers brushed the stone, a surge of energy coursed through him. The runes lit up, their glow brightening until the entire archway shimmered with light.
The ground beneath them shook, and a low, melodic voice echoed from the stones.
"Seeker, you stand at the threshold of memory. To proceed, you must face the echoes of your past."
Kael stumbled back, his heart racing. "What does that mean?"
Before Lira could respond, the light from the archway intensified, enveloping Kael in a blinding flash.
Kael's Vision
When the light faded, Kael found himself standing in a field. The air was warm, the sun high in the sky. But this wasn't the forest—it was a place he hadn't seen in years.
"This is... Eldenford," he said aloud.
Children played in the distance, their laughter carried on the breeze. Farmers worked the fields, and the village bustled with life. Kael's chest tightened. This was his home, exactly as it had been before the fire.
"Kael?" a voice called behind him.
He turned to see a young boy, no older than ten, standing with a wooden sword in hand. It was his younger self.
Kael froze, his mind struggling to comprehend the scene. "This isn't real," he whispered.
But the boy stepped closer, his expression earnest. "Why did you leave?"
"What?" Kael asked, taking a step back.
"You left us," the boy said, his voice trembling. "You could have saved them, but you ran."
Kael's heart pounded. "I didn't have a choice," he said, his voice breaking.
The boy's face twisted with anger. "You always have a choice."
The scene shifted. Flames consumed the village, the air thick with smoke. Kael stood frozen as screams filled his ears. He watched as people he had known his whole life ran in terror, the fire consuming everything.
"No!" Kael shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the roar of the flames.
"Seeker," the melodic voice from the archway echoed, cutting through the chaos. "The past shapes the present, but it does not define the future. Will you let this guilt consume you, or will you rise above it?"
Kael clenched his fists, his breathing ragged. "I... I can't change what happened," he said, tears streaming down his face. "But I can keep moving forward. I can be better."
The flames died away, and the vision faded.
Back to the Ruins
Kael blinked as the ruins came back into focus. Lira was shaking his shoulder, her face pale.
"Are you okay? You just... collapsed," she said.
Kael nodded slowly, his chest still heavy. "I'm fine. I just... saw something."
The compass glowed brightly in his hand, its needle now pointing through the archway.
Lira frowned but didn't press him. "Whatever that was, it's over now. Let's keep moving."
Kael took a deep breath and stepped through the archway, the weight of his past still with him but no longer holding him back.
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