The morning after their battle with the Rift dawned cold and silent, the forest still and lifeless as if mourning the presence of the darkness that had just passed. Kael crouched by a dying fire, sharpening Eidolon. Sparks danced with each scrape of stone against metal, the blade's faint glow subdued but watchful. Across from him, Liora sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, her gaze distant as she stared into the embers.
"You should eat," Kael said without looking up.
"I'm not hungry."
"You should still eat."
Liora sighed, reaching reluctantly for a strip of dried meat from the pack. She nibbled at it as her eyes flicked to the sword in Kael's hand. "That thing… it eats memories, doesn't it? Every time you use it, it takes a part of you."
Kael's jaw tightened. "It's the price."
"Do you even remember who you were before?"
His hand stilled. For a moment, the only sound was the wind sighing through the trees. "Not all of it," he admitted. "But enough."
Liora shuddered and turned her eyes away. "Then what's the point? If every battle steals a piece of you, what will be left when it's over?"
Kael didn't answer. Instead, he stood and strapped Eidolon to his back. "We need to move. The Rift might be gone, but its shadow lingers. We're not safe here."
They walked in silence, the forest heavy with an unnatural stillness. As they moved deeper into the woods, Kael felt the familiar prickle of unseen eyes. The world around them felt thin, as if reality itself had been frayed by their encounter with the Rift.
"We're being followed," Liora whispered, her voice barely audible.
"I know."
"Shattered?"
Kael shook his head. "Something worse."
The path opened into a clearing where ancient stones jutted from the earth like the ribs of a long-dead beast. Carvings covered their surfaces—symbols of an old and forgotten tongue. At the center stood a hooded figure draped in crimson, its hands clasped before it.
"Welcome, Keeper," the figure intoned, its voice as smooth as silk. "And the girl who remembers nothing. You walk dangerous paths."
Kael stepped forward, Eidolon already half-drawn. "Who are you?"
"A humble servant of the Covenant," the figure replied. "We are the guardians of balance, the keepers of secrets too terrible for mortal minds."
"The Covenant is a myth," Kael said.
The figure chuckled softly. "All truths begin as myths, Keeper. But tell me—do you not feel it? The weight of the blade you carry? Its hunger grows with each swing, its whispers grow louder with each soul consumed. How long before it devours you whole?"
Kael's grip on Eidolon tightened. "Stay out of my head."
"I am not in your mind," the figure said. "I am merely a reflection of what you fear. And what you fear… is the truth."
Behind him, Liora gasped as the shadows around the clearing began to writhe. Figures formed—humanoid shapes with hollow eyes and jagged mouths, their bodies made of shifting smoke and ash.
"The Covenant watches," the figure whispered. "But it does not forgive."
The creatures surged forward.
Kael drew Eidolon fully, its runes blazing with light. "Liora, stay close!"
He moved like a storm, the blade a blur of deadly precision. Each swing tore through the shadow-creatures, their forms unraveling into fragments of memory that Eidolon devoured. But for every foe he felled, another took its place.
Liora stood behind him, her hands trembling as she fought to summon something—anything—to defend herself. Her memories surged and twisted in her mind, but they remained locked behind an unseen barrier.
"Kael!" she cried. "There's too many!"
"Hold on!" he growled.
The hooded figure watched impassively as the battle raged. "You cannot fight the shadows forever," it said. "The Rift's power lingers within her. She must choose to awaken it… or be consumed."
"Liora, listen to me!" Kael shouted. "You have power. You've felt it before. Find it!"
Her heart thundered as the shadows closed in. A memory surfaced—bright and burning—a woman's voice whispering her name. A hand touching her cheek. "You are more than you know…"
She clenched her fists. Power surged through her veins, cold and sharp. She raised her hand, and the air around her rippled. A burst of silver light erupted from her palm, striking the shadows and tearing them apart.
Kael glanced back, his eyes widening. "Liora?"
"I… I remember something," she whispered, her voice trembling with newfound strength.
The remaining shadows shrieked and dissolved. The clearing grew silent once more.
The hooded figure tilted its head. "Interesting. The Rift's mark is upon you, girl. Your journey has only begun."
Kael advanced, his blade aimed at the figure's heart. "I don't care what games you're playing. Stay out of our way."
The figure chuckled, its form fading into mist. "We are always watching, Keeper. The Rift hungers… and it will have its due."
As the figure disappeared, Kael lowered his blade and turned to Liora. She was pale, but a fierce determination burned in her eyes.
"What did you remember?" he asked.
"Not enough," she murmured. "But it's a start."
Kael nodded. "Then we keep moving."
They walked on, the shadows of the Covenant trailing close behind.