Chapter 6:
The battle in the Ashenhold temple left Arlen drained, both physically and emotionally. Though the second shard had been restored, the toll it took was undeniable. He had felt the Wraithbound's malice linger in his mind, its voice whispering faintly even as its form dissolved.
Kael noticed the weariness in his eyes as they made camp on the edge of the Ashenhold plains. The victory should have felt like a step forward, but instead, it felt like a reminder of how far they had to go.
"Do you hear them?" Arlen asked suddenly, his voice low.
Kael frowned. "Hear who?"
"The voices," Arlen said, staring into the distance. "Ever since I touched the shard, I can hear them... whispers, like echoes of the Sovereign's power."
Kael moved closer, her concern deepening. "What are they saying?"
Arlen shook his head. "I can't make it out. It's like they're... calling me."
Kael placed a hand on his arm. "We'll figure this out. But you're not doing it alone, okay?"
Arlen didn't respond immediately, but her words seemed to ground him. "Okay," he said finally.
A Warning from the Shadows
The next day, they continued their journey toward the Veilwood, a dense forest shrouded in perpetual mist. According to Lysara's map, the third seal was hidden deep within its heart, guarded by forces even the Wraithbound feared.
The forest was unnaturally silent as they entered, the air heavy with moisture and the faint scent of decay. Kael stayed close to Arlen, her eyes darting to every shadow.
"This place feels alive," she whispered.
"It probably is," Arlen replied grimly.
As they ventured deeper, the whispers Arlen had mentioned grew louder, faint but persistent. Kael couldn't hear them, but she could see how they affected him—his movements slower, his focus wavering.
"Arlen," she said, grabbing his arm. "We need to stop. You're not okay."
Before he could answer, the mist thickened, and a figure emerged from the shadows. It was cloaked in tattered black robes, its face obscured by a hood.
"Blood Soul," the figure rasped, its voice a blend of many. "You tread a dangerous path."
Arlen drew his sword, his Eyes flaring. "Who are you?"
"I am a shade," the figure said, "a remnant of the Sovereign's will. But I am no friend of his."
Kael stepped closer to Arlen, her hand resting on her dagger. "Why should we trust you?"
The shade turned its hooded head toward her. "Because I know what awaits you. The Sovereign's power grows with each seal you restore. You are feeding him."
Arlen's grip on his sword tightened. "That's impossible. The seals are meant to bind him, to keep him contained."
The shade laughed, a hollow, echoing sound. "And yet, with each shard you restore, the Sovereign's presence stirs. His bonds weaken not because of the seals themselves, but because of the power you pour into them. You are his catalyst."
Kael's eyes widened. "Then what are we supposed to do? Just let the seals fail?"
"If the seals fail, the Sovereign will rise in full," the shade said. "But if you continue on this path, you risk becoming his vessel. The choice is yours."
The shade began to fade into the mist, its final words lingering. "Beware the price of your power, Blood Soul. Not all sacrifices are worth the cost."
Doubt and Resolve
Kael paced around their camp that night, her mind racing. "What if the shade was right? What if we're just making things worse?"
Arlen sat by the fire, staring at the glowing shard in his hand. "I don't know," he admitted. "But if we do nothing, the seals will fail anyway. At least this way, we're buying time."
Kael stopped, her frustration bubbling over. "Buying time for what? For you to lose yourself completely? For the Sovereign to take over your body?"
Arlen looked at her, his Eyes flickering faintly. "For us to find another way. But we can't do that if the world falls apart before we have the chance."
Kael sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I just... I don't want to lose you."
"You won't," Arlen said, though his voice lacked conviction.
Into the Heart of the Veil
The next morning, they pressed on, the shade's warning weighing heavily on their minds. The forest grew darker as they neared the third seal, the mist swirling around them like living tendrils.
Finally, they reached a clearing where an ancient tree stood, its gnarled roots twisting around a stone pedestal. The shard was embedded in the pedestal, its light dim but steady.
"This is it," Arlen said, stepping forward.
But as he approached, the ground trembled, and the air grew cold. From the shadows emerged another Wraithbound, its form even more monstrous than the last.
"You will not take the shard," it snarled, its voice like grinding metal.
Arlen raised his sword, his Eyes blazing. "Watch me."
The battle that followed was fierce, the creature's strength and speed far surpassing anything they had faced before. Arlen fought with everything he had, but the whispers in his mind grew louder, distracting him.
Kael watched in horror as the Wraithbound overpowered him, slamming him to the ground. Without thinking, she rushed forward, grabbing the shard from the pedestal.
The shard's light flared, and the Wraithbound howled, recoiling. Kael felt a surge of energy course through her, her vision blurring as the shard's power flowed into her.
"Kael, no!" Arlen shouted, struggling to his feet.
But it was too late. The shard's energy overwhelmed her, and she collapsed, the Wraithbound vanishing in a burst of light.
Arlen caught her as she fell, her body limp in his arms. "Kael," he whispered, shaking her gently. "Wake up."
Her eyes fluttered open, glowing faintly. "I... I'm okay," she said weakly.
Arlen held her close, his heart pounding. For the first time, he realized the cost of this journey wasn't his alone to bear.
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