The Riftwood Forest loomed ahead like a living shadow. Its gnarled trees twisted into impossible shapes, their branches tangled like a giant's clawed hand. Tia paused at the edge, staring into the shifting darkness.
"This looks... promising," she said dryly, adjusting the strap of her satchel.
Kian smirked. "Don't worry. It's not as bad as it looks."
"You mean the trees don't actually eat people?"
"Well, not all of them."
Tia glared at him. "Great. Just great."
Kian took the lead, stepping into the forest without hesitation. Tia followed, clutching the watch tightly. The air inside the Riftwood was heavy, thick with an unnatural stillness. Every sound—the crunch of leaves underfoot, the occasional rustle of unseen creatures—seemed amplified, like the forest was listening, waiting.
"Stay close," Kian said, his voice low. "The Riftwood likes to play tricks. If we get separated, it'll be nearly impossible to find each other."
"Noted," Tia replied, sticking close to his side.
As they walked, the forest seemed to shift around them. Trees that had been behind them moments ago now stood ahead. The path twisted and turned in ways that defied logic.
"Is it just me, or are we walking in circles?" Tia asked, her voice tinged with frustration.
Kian shook his head. "The Riftwood doesn't follow normal rules. Time and space bend here. That's why it's so dangerous."
"Comforting," Tia muttered.
Suddenly, a soft, melodic hum filled the air. It was hauntingly beautiful, a song without words that seemed to pull at Tia's very soul. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes glazing over, as if in a trance.
"Tia, don't listen!" Kian's sharp voice cut through the haze. He grabbed her arm, shaking her.
"What... what was that?" she stammered, her heart racing, a cold sweat forming on her brow.
"Sirenwood," Kian said grimly, his gaze flicking nervously to the surrounding trees. "The trees sing to lure people deeper into the forest. If you follow the sound, you'll never come back."
Tia shuddered, gripping his arm tightly. "This place is a nightmare."
"You're handling it better than most," he said with a small, half-smile. "But let's keep moving."
They pressed on, the humming growing fainter with each step. Tia couldn't shake the feeling that the forest was watching them, its unseen eyes tracking their every move.
After what felt like hours, they emerged into a small clearing. In the center stood a tree unlike any they had seen before. Its bark shimmered like silver, and its branches glowed softly with an ethereal light.
"The starweave tree," Kian whispered in awe.
Tia approached it cautiously, her eyes wide with wonder. "It's beautiful."
"And incredibly rare," Kian said. "We need to take just enough to stabilize the watch. Any more, and the tree could die."
As Kian carefully extracted a thread of starweave, the ground beneath them trembled. A low, deep growl rumbled through the clearing, vibrating the air around them.
"What now?" Tia groaned, spinning around, her heart racing again.
From the shadows emerged a massive creature. Its body was that of a lion, wings like a bat's, and eyes that burned like molten gold. Its claws scraped against the earth, sending sparks flying.
"A Riftbeast," Kian said, his voice tight with tension. "It guards the starweave."
"Of course it does," Tia muttered. "Because why would anything be easy?"
The beast roared, charging at them with terrifying speed. Kian pushed Tia out of the way, drawing a blade from his coat. The metal clinked, faintly glowing with energy.
"Stay back!" he shouted, waving the blade at the beast.
Tia watched in horror as the two clashed, Kian's movements fluid and precise, but the Riftbeast was relentless. It swiped at him with razor-sharp claws, narrowly missing his chest. A wave of heat rolled off the creature's body, suffocating the air.
Tia's gaze fell on the pocket watch, now held loosely in her hand. The thought sparked in her mind like a lightning bolt. What if the watch... could do more than just stabilize?
"Hold it off!" she yelled, darting towards the starweave tree.
"Tia, what are you doing?" Kian shouted, dodging another strike, his eyes wide with panic.
Ignoring him, Tia pressed the watch against the starweave tree. As her fingers brushed the surface, the starweave thread began to glow, pulsating with light, merging with the watch. The beast froze mid-attack, its molten eyes locking onto the glowing timepiece. The silence was deafening as the Riftbeast's body twitched, as if in confusion.
With a final, ear-splitting roar, the beast began to unravel, its form dissolving into swirling shadows and wisps of smoke. The clearing fell silent, the oppressive weight of the forest lifting for the first time.
Kian stood frozen, breathing heavily, his face a mix of awe and disbelief. "What... how did you do that?"
Tia held up the watch, now glowing with an eerie, otherworldly light. The starweave thread was embedded deep within its surface, pulsing with power. "Just a hunch."
He shook his head, his expression unreadable. "You're full of surprises, aren't you?"
"You have no idea," she replied, a small smile tugging at her lips.
But as they stood there, in the stillness of the clearing, Tia couldn't shake the feeling that something worse was coming—something much darker. The Riftwood was far from done with them, and it had its eyes set on what they carried.
A distant howl echoed through the trees. Tia's heart skipped. It wasn't a Riftbeast's cry.
It was a warning.
"Come on," Kian urged, his voice urgent. "We have to go. Now."
As they turned to leave, the ground beneath them cracked, revealing a glowing fissure. Something in the darkness stirred, watching them from the depths.
Tia gripped the watch tighter. This was just the beginning.