The road beyond Veylan grew darker with each step. The Blight spread wider here, its influence more oppressive. The air carried a thick, acrid scent, and the trees stood like skeletal sentinels, their branches clawing at the sky. Eren, Liora, Serin, and their small group of volunteers pressed onward, their resolve bolstered by necessity.
Eren led the group, his hand brushing against the hilt of his sword as the whispers continued to claw at the edges of his mind. They were faint, like echoes carried on the wind, but persistent.
"Do you hear them?" Liora asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Eren nodded. "They're getting stronger."
Serin glanced back at them. "It's worse ahead. The last village I visited... they were all gone. Just empty homes and the mark."
Eren's jaw tightened. "Then we don't stop until we find the source."
---
A Village Silenced
By midday, they arrived at the next settlement, only to find it abandoned. The buildings stood eerily intact, but there was no sign of life. Pots sat on doorsteps, tools were scattered in fields—everything suggested the villagers had vanished suddenly.
"Stay close," Eren said, his voice firm. "Whatever did this might still be here."
They moved cautiously through the village, searching for clues. Inside one of the homes, Liora found a journal lying on a table, its pages hastily scrawled with desperate words.
"They're calling to us," she read aloud. "The voices won't stop. I tried to block them out, but they're in my head. I'm scared to sleep. Scared to stay."
The final entry was smeared, almost illegible: "They're coming. I can hear them."
A chill ran through the group.
"They didn't leave willingly," Serin said. "The whispers must have driven them out—or worse."
---
The Mark of Power
Near the center of the village, they found another mark etched into the ground. This one was larger than the one in Veylan, its pulsating crimson light casting an eerie glow over the area.
Eren approached cautiously, feeling the familiar pull of its energy. It was stronger here, more concentrated.
"It's growing," Liora said, her voice uneasy. "Whatever this is, it's feeding off the land—and the people."
Serin knelt beside the mark, tracing its edge with her fingers. "These symbols... they're different. More intricate. Someone's amplifying the fragments' power."
Eren frowned. "Malrik's gone. Who else would have this kind of knowledge?"
Serin looked up, her expression grim. "Not who—what. If Malrik's power came from the fragments, then something tied to them could still exist. Something ancient."
The thought sent a ripple of unease through the group.
---
An Encounter with the Lost
As they deliberated, a sound broke the silence—a faint, shuffling noise coming from the edge of the village. The group turned, weapons drawn.
From the shadows emerged several figures, their movements unnatural and their eyes glowing with the same crimson light as the mark.
"The villagers," Liora whispered.
They were no longer human. The Blight had twisted them into grotesque forms, their bodies contorted and their faces devoid of emotion.
"Get ready!" Eren shouted, drawing his sword.
The creatures charged, their movements erratic but fast. The group fought hard, their training and teamwork keeping them alive. Liora's arrows flew with precision, striking down the creatures before they could get too close. Eren's blade cut through the corrupted with brutal efficiency, his movements fueled by both skill and determination.
When the last of the creatures fell, the group stood in silence, their breaths heavy.
"They were innocent," Serin said, her voice heavy with sorrow. "They didn't deserve this."
Eren wiped his blade, his expression hardened. "No one does. That's why we have to end this."
---
The Unseen Force
As they regrouped, the whispers grew louder, almost deafening. The mark in the ground began to pulse more rapidly, its light flaring like a heartbeat.
Eren stepped closer, drawn by an invisible force. He could feel the fragments' energy coursing through it, chaotic and unrelenting.
"Eren, don't!" Liora called, but it was too late.
The mark flared brightly, and Eren was engulfed in a surge of crimson light. For a moment, he stood frozen, his mind bombarded by visions—shattered fragments, endless darkness, and a figure cloaked in shadow.
A voice echoed in his mind, cold and ancient. "You cannot stop what has begun. The fragments are eternal. Their power will consume all."
Eren wrenched himself free, collapsing to the ground. Liora was at his side in an instant, her hands on his shoulders.
"Eren, are you okay?" she asked, her voice trembling.
He nodded weakly, his breathing ragged. "I saw... something. Someone. They're using the fragments to spread this corruption."
"Who?" Serin demanded.
Eren shook his head. "I don't know. But they're not human."
---
A Relentless Pursuit
The group left the village quickly, their determination renewed despite the growing danger. Eren's encounter with the mark had revealed the magnitude of the threat they faced—and the urgency to stop it.
As they traveled, Eren couldn't shake the voice from his mind. It lingered like a shadow, whispering doubts and fears. But he refused to give in.
"We're close," Serin said as they followed the Blight's path. "The corruption is stronger here. Whatever's behind this—it's ahead."
Eren looked at the group, his resolve unwavering. "Then we finish this."
With the whispers growing louder and the Blight spreading faster, the group pressed onward, unaware of the greater challenges awaiting them in the heart of the corruption.