The forest was dense and quiet, its towering trees casting long shadows over the narrow path Kael and his companions followed. The golden light of the crystal, tucked securely into his satchel, pulsed faintly, offering the only sense of life in the stillness around them.
Kael adjusted the strap of the satchel, his muscles aching from their frantic escape. He glanced back at Ember, who walked silently at his side, her fiery tails dimmed to a soft glow. Umbra padded close behind, his glowing blue eyes darting nervously between the shadows.
The weight of their escape from Venric's estate still lingered in the air. They had the crystal, but Kael couldn't shake the nagging thought of Lira.
"She'll be fine," Ember said suddenly, as if reading his mind. Her voice was steady but softer than usual.
Kael sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know. I just can't help thinking… what if she doesn't make it out? What if—"
"She'll make it," Ember interrupted, her fiery eyes meeting his. "She's a rogue, Kael. Slipping out of trouble is what she does best."
Umbra let out a low whine. "She saved us. She stayed behind so we could escape."
Kael clenched his fists. "And now she's out there, alone, while we're running away."
"Running isn't cowardice," Ember said sharply. "It's survival. If we'd stayed, none of us would've made it out. Lira knew that."
Kael fell silent, his chest tightening. The golden thread pulsed faintly, a steady rhythm that echoed his conflicted emotions.
As the hours stretched on, the path grew narrower, the trees denser. The air was thick with the earthy scent of moss and damp leaves, and faint beams of sunlight struggled to break through the canopy above.
"We should rest," Umbra said softly, his small body trembling with exhaustion.
Kael nodded reluctantly. They had been walking for hours, and the strain of the heist, the fight, and the escape weighed heavily on all of them.
They found a small clearing sheltered by a ring of ancient oaks. Kael set down his satchel and sank onto the ground, his muscles aching.
Ember stretched out beside him, her fiery tails curling around her body. "I'll keep watch," she said, her voice steady but tinged with weariness.
"Wake me if you see or hear anything," Kael said, his own voice heavy with exhaustion.
Umbra curled up near Kael's side, his glowing eyes flickering closed as he rested his head on his paws.
For a moment, the forest seemed peaceful. The gentle rustle of leaves and the faint chirping of distant birds filled the air, a welcome reprieve from the chaos they had left behind.
But Kael's mind refused to settle. The weight of the crystal, the golden thread's steady pulse, and the uncertainty of their path forward pressed heavily on him.
He reached for the satchel, pulling the crystal into his hands. Its golden light shimmered softly, casting a warm glow over the clearing.
"What are you?" Kael murmured, his voice barely audible.
The crystal didn't respond, but its energy resonated with the golden thread in his chest, the two forces intertwined in a way Kael couldn't fully understand.
"You're part of something bigger," he said quietly. "Something ancient. But what does that mean for us?"
The thread pulsed faintly, as though urging him to trust it.
"Talking to yourself won't give you answers," Ember said, her fiery eyes watching him from her spot near the edge of the clearing.
Kael looked up, startled. "I just… I don't understand what's happening. Why me? Why this crystal? And how are we supposed to find the other artifacts?"
Ember sighed, her flames flickering. "Sometimes, we don't get all the answers we want. All we can do is keep moving forward."
Kael nodded, though her words didn't fully ease the knot of uncertainty in his chest.
Umbra stirred, his glowing eyes opening slowly. "The crystal feels… connected," he said softly. "Like it's part of a larger whole."
Kael frowned, his gaze drifting to the crystal's golden glow. "Connected to the other artifacts?"
"Maybe," Umbra replied. "Or to something even bigger."
Before Kael could respond, Ember's ears perked up, and she rose to her feet, her flames flaring.
"Something's coming," she growled, her fiery eyes scanning the trees.
Kael's heart skipped a beat. He quickly stowed the crystal back in his satchel and stood, his eyes darting to the shadows surrounding the clearing.
"What is it?" he asked, his voice low.
Ember sniffed the air, her flames casting long shadows across the trees. "I don't know. It feels… wrong."
Umbra growled softly, his fur bristling. "It's not Venric's guards. This is something else."
Kael clenched his fists, the golden thread pulsing erratically in his chest. The forest, which had seemed peaceful moments ago, now felt oppressive and alive, as though the very trees were watching them.
A low, guttural growl echoed through the clearing, sending a chill down Kael's spine.
"Stay close," he said, stepping protectively in front of Umbra.
From the shadows emerged a figure unlike anything Kael had ever seen. It was humanoid but twisted, its body cloaked in tattered black robes. Its face was obscured by a dark hood, and its hands were long and clawed, glowing faintly with a sickly green light.
"What is that?" Kael whispered, his voice trembling.
"A shadow wraith," Ember said, her voice laced with tension. "A being of pure malice, drawn to the energy of powerful artifacts."
The wraith stepped closer, its movements unnaturally smooth and silent. Its hooded face turned toward Kael, and he felt an overwhelming sense of dread wash over him.
The golden thread pulsed wildly, its energy clashing with the wraith's presence.
"Kael," Ember growled, her flames flaring. "Run."
Kael's heart pounded, but he didn't move. The wraith's glowing claws extended, and it let out a low, guttural hiss that seemed to echo in his mind.
"We fight," Kael said, his voice steady despite the fear coursing through him. "Together."
Ember nodded, stepping forward with her flames blazing. Umbra growled low in his throat, his shadowy tendrils coiling around him.
The wraith raised its claws, and the clearing erupted into chaos.