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Chapter 7:
The morning fog hung low in the Forbidden Forest, the air thick with an unsettling stillness. Kieran's boots crunched softly against the damp earth, while Nyx, his shadowfang beast, paced nervously beside him. Their bond had grown over the last few weeks, but Kieran could still feel the quiet tension between them, as if there were something unsaid, something yet to be discovered.
Kieran wiped the sweat from his brow. He'd come to this forest seeking answers, hoping that the ancient trees, long untouched by human hands, would reveal something about his father's disappearance. The cryptic messages he'd found in his father's journals hinted at a lost world, a place where the boundaries between the human realm and the world of beasts were thin. Kieran knew he was getting close, but he didn't fully understand what he was searching for.
It wasn't until they reached a small clearing that he felt it—an almost magnetic pull, like an invisible hand tugging at his chest. Nyx stopped, ears pricked, her normally calm demeanor replaced with something closer to fear. She growled softly, her eyes glowing faintly as she stared into the dense forest ahead.
"What is it, Nyx?" Kieran whispered, crouching to meet his companion's gaze.
Nyx let out a low, rumbling growl and then took a step forward, as if beckoning Kieran to follow. Reluctantly, he complied. They moved deeper into the forest, passing through a thicket of thorny vines that seemed to shift and twist as they approached, as though they were alive.
Soon, they came upon an ancient stone structure—half-sunken into the earth, overtaken by ivy, and carved with symbols Kieran had never seen before. The air hummed with an eerie energy. Something in the ruins felt both old and new, as if it had been waiting for them.
Kieran knelt before the altar, his fingers brushing the cold stone. The symbols etched into the surface were faint but distinct. They seemed to pulse with a rhythmic pattern, a heartbeat that Kieran could feel deep within his bones. As he traced the symbols with his hand, a sudden flash of memory overwhelmed him: his father, standing before a similar altar, chanting in a language Kieran couldn't understand.
The vision faded, and Kieran's heart raced. "This is it," he muttered under his breath, "This is where it all began."
A low growl from Nyx snapped him out of his reverie. The beast was watching something in the distance, her fur bristling. Kieran turned just in time to see a shadow dart between the trees—a massive, sleek figure that seemed to move with an unnatural grace.
Before he could react, the ground beneath their feet trembled. The stone altar began to glow, its symbols igniting with an otherworldly light. A swirling vortex opened before them, a rift in reality itself. Kieran felt a pull—compelling, powerful. His breath hitched. "What... what is this?"
Nyx growled again, her hackles raised. But Kieran couldn't resist. He reached out, his hand brushing against the vortex, and in that instant, the pull became too strong. The world around him seemed to fracture and shift as he and Nyx were sucked into the rift.
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They fell through darkness, weightless for what felt like an eternity. When they finally landed, it was with a jarring thud. Kieran shook his head, disoriented, but as his eyes adjusted, he took in the world around him.
It was unlike anything he had ever seen. The sky above was a deep violet, streaked with golden clouds that shimmered with an ethereal glow. The ground beneath them was soft and mossy, but it shimmered like the surface of a dream. Strange creatures—beasts of every shape and size—moved in the distance, some with multiple heads, others with wings that stretched impossibly wide. It was a world out of time, a place where the ordinary rules of reality didn't apply.
Nyx growled, her hackles raised as she scanned their surroundings. Kieran's heart raced as he realized the creatures here weren't like the beasts he knew—they were older, more powerful, and far more dangerous. Yet, they seemed to be watching them, as if they knew who Kieran was.
A rumbling sound echoed through the air. From the shadows emerged a massive dragon, its scales gleaming like silver and its eyes glowing with an ancient wisdom. The ground trembled beneath its mighty footsteps as it approached Kieran and Nyx.
"You are the Keeper," the dragon's voice boomed in Kieran's mind. "The one destined to wield the power of the rifts. But be warned—the path you walk is fraught with peril."
Kieran's voice barely escaped him. "What... what do you mean? My father—"
The dragon's gaze softened. "Your father was part of an ancient order, the Guardians of the Rift. He left behind a legacy, one that now calls to you. But the darkness is growing, and you must be ready. The rift is not a gift—it is a curse."
Before Kieran could respond, the dragon's form shimmered and began to dissolve, leaving behind only a single, shimmering scale. It fell gently into Kieran's hands.
"Take it," the dragon's voice echoed one last time. "It will guide you. The rift will not stay open forever."
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Kieran felt the weight of the dragon's words settle heavily on his shoulders. The scale in his hand pulsed with energy, almost as if it were alive. Nyx nudged his side, her golden eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and caution.
As the rift began to close around them, Kieran's mind raced. He had no answers, only more questions. But one thing was certain—his journey was just beginning.
With the scale in his hand and Nyx at his side, Kieran stepped forward into the unknown, ready to face whatever trials awaited him in this strange and dangerous world.
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