The roar of rushing water filled the air as Ryn and the tamers stumbled onto the riverbank. The Spirit Fox darted ahead, its glowing fur casting soft light over the rippling currents. Behind them, the forest was still alive with guttural growls and faint whispers, but the beasts didn't follow.
Ryn collapsed to his knees, his chest heaving. The Spirit Fox chirped softly, nuzzling against his side as if to reassure him. The bond pulsed faintly, steady but tired.
"Is everyone here?" Bryn's voice cut through the tension, his sword still in hand as he scanned the treeline.
"Barely," Mira said, clutching her bow. She sank onto a nearby rock, her face pale and her breathing heavy. "That was too close."
Jek leaned against a tree, his broken dagger still in hand. "Close doesn't cover it. What the hell were those things?"
"Corrupted Stalkers," Bryn said grimly. "But bigger than anything I've seen before. The rift's energy must've twisted them even further."
"And they were coordinated," Mira added, her voice uneasy. "Stalkers don't normally work together like that."
Ryn wiped sweat from his brow, his mind racing. "It wasn't just the beasts," he said. "The whispers... they were everywhere. It's like they were guiding the attack."
Bryn shot him a sharp look. "You heard them again?"
Ryn nodded. "Louder this time. They kept saying we couldn't run or hide."
Mira frowned, her expression troubled. "The rifts are getting smarter. Or whatever's controlling them is."
"Controlling them?" Ryn asked, his stomach twisting.
"Something's driving the corruption," Bryn said. "We don't know what, but it's not random. The whispers, the beasts, the rift energy—it's all connected."
Ryn clenched his fists. The voice he'd heard during the ritual came rushing back to him, its cryptic words sending a chill down his spine.
"The corruption is not your enemy. It is your evolution."
Was that the source of the whispers? Or something else entirely?
The Spirit Fox let out a sharp chirp, drawing Ryn's attention. It stood at the edge of the river, its ears perked and its glowing eyes fixed on the water.
"What is it?" Ryn asked, standing slowly.
The fox chirped again, stepping cautiously into the shallows. Its fur flared brighter, and the bond pulsed sharply, filling Ryn with a sudden surge of energy.
"Wait," Ryn said, following it to the water's edge.
The Spirit Fox moved deeper into the river, its glowing tail swishing as it sniffed at the current. Then, without warning, its body shimmered, and a faint ripple of blue light spread outward from its paws.
The water around the fox began to glow faintly, the corruption that had clung to the river's edge dissipating in the light.
Mira stood, her eyes widening. "What's it doing?"
Ryn's heart pounded as he stared at the fox. "I... I don't know."
The bond pulsed again, brighter this time, and Ryn felt a strange warmth spreading through him. It was as if the fox's energy was reaching out, not just to him, but to the river itself.
The Spirit Fox let out a soft cry, and the glow around it intensified. The water shimmered with light, its surface clearing as the last traces of corruption vanished.
"Did it just... cleanse the river?" Jek asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"I think it did," Mira said, her tone awestruck.
Ryn knelt by the water, his hand hovering over the glowing surface. The bond between him and the Spirit Fox felt stronger than ever, the unsteady rhythm from earlier now steady and vibrant.
"You've never done this before," Ryn murmured, his voice filled with wonder. "How did you know how?"
The Spirit Fox chirped softly, stepping out of the river and shaking the water from its fur. Its glowing eyes met Ryn's, and the bond pulsed warmly.
"It's evolving," Mira said, her gaze fixed on the fox. "The bond, its powers—everything. It's changing."
"But why now?" Bryn asked, his tone cautious. "What triggered this?"
Ryn hesitated, his thoughts drifting back to the rift and the whispers. "Maybe it's the corruption," he said slowly. "The energy we've been exposed to—it's affecting the bond. Changing it."
Jek frowned. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"I don't know," Ryn admitted. "But it's the only reason we're still alive."
The group settled near the river, the tension from the earlier attack still lingering in the air. Bryn took the first watch, pacing along the water's edge with his sword in hand. Mira and Jek sat by the fire, their voices low as they discussed their next move.
Ryn sat apart from the others, the Spirit Fox curled up beside him. Its glow had returned to normal, but Ryn couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted—something deeper than the bond.
He stared at the river, its faint glow reflecting the Spirit Fox's light, and his mind returned to the voice he'd heard during the ritual.
"The corruption is your evolution."
Was it true? Was the bond changing because of the corruption? And if so, what did that mean for him and the Spirit Fox?
The bond pulsed faintly, and Ryn felt the fox's quiet reassurance. It wasn't afraid.
"I guess we'll find out," Ryn murmured, his voice barely audible over the sound of the rushing water.
The Spirit Fox chirped softly, its tail flicking as it rested its head on Ryn's leg.
For now, that was enough.