The dawn was cold and silent. A heavy mist hung over the forest as Kai and his group made their way toward the ruins Alphonso had spoken of. The night's revelations still weighed on them, but there was no turning back. If these shadowy beings were waiting for Kai, then he would face them on his terms.
The air was thick with tension. Kai walked at the front, his steps measured, his thoughts sharper than ever. Lyria walked beside him, her staff gripped tightly. Sylara and Ryn followed, while Eryndra kept a watchful eye on their surroundings.
Alphonso, bringing up the rear, exhaled softly. "This place has been abandoned for centuries. Whatever rituals took place here… they left a mark."
Kai glanced at him. "Meaning?"
Alphonso's expression darkened. "Meaning the shadows will be strongest here. And if you're truly the key to what they lost, they will come."
Lyria scoffed. "Great. Just what we needed—more things trying to kill us."
Sylara smirked. "At least this time, we're choosing the battlefield."
They walked in silence after that, the ruins looming in the distance. Jagged stone structures jutted from the earth like the broken bones of a forgotten civilization. Vines and moss crept over the cracked walls, but even nature had only dared to reclaim so much. The place felt… wrong.
Eryndra stopped first. "We're not alone."
Kai's hand instinctively went to his sword. "Shadows?"
She shook her head. "Not yet. Something else."
They moved cautiously, their boots crunching against loose stone. The ruins stretched before them, empty save for the occasional gust of wind howling through broken archways.
Then they saw her.
A woman stood at the center of what had once been a ceremonial platform. Her robes were tattered, her long hair wild, but her presence was undeniable. She turned slowly, her piercing violet eyes locking onto Kai.
"You came," she said softly.
Kai tightened his grip on his sword. "Who are you?"
The woman tilted her head. "I have been waiting for you, Kai."
Lyria stepped forward. "You know him?"
The woman exhaled. "Not yet. But I knew what you would become."
Kai took a step closer. "And what exactly am I supposed to become?"
She smiled, and it sent a shiver down his spine. "That depends on the choice you make."
Sylara's blade shimmered as she moved slightly into position. "You're being awfully cryptic for someone standing alone in a cursed ruin."
The woman chuckled. "Alone?"
The air shifted. The temperature plummeted.
The shadows moved.
Dark tendrils stretched from the edges of the ruins, slithering across the ground like living things. The mist thickened, and suddenly, Kai realized—they were surrounded.
"Here we go," Ryn muttered, drawing his weapon.
Kai's heart pounded. He met the woman's gaze once more. "Who are you?"
She smiled again, but this time, her form flickered—like she wasn't entirely real.
"I am the last of the Forsaken," she whispered. "And you… you are their hope."
The shadows surged.
Battle in the Ruins
The attack came swiftly. The shadowy entities moved like liquid darkness, their forms shifting and twisting unnaturally.
Kai reacted on instinct. His blade ignited with raw energy as he met the first strike, slicing through an approaching figure. But like before, the darkness tried to reform—only this time, something was different.
His sword's light clung to the creature, burning away the darkness before it could regenerate. The entity shrieked, its form breaking apart completely.
"They're weaker here!" Lyria called out, flames erupting from her staff. "The ruins must suppress them!"
Sylara moved like lightning, her silver blade cutting through two more creatures. The shadows recoiled, their movements becoming erratic.
Kai turned back to the woman. "If I'm their hope, then tell me—what do they want from me?"
She studied him, her expression unreadable. "They want you to remember."
Kai's breath caught. "Remember what?"
But before she could answer, a deep, guttural voice rumbled through the ruins.
"He is not ready."
The ground trembled. From the largest archway, a figure emerged. Taller than the others, its form was more defined—its eyes glowing like burning embers. The air around it warped, distorting reality itself.
Kai felt something deep within him stir. A flicker of recognition.
The entity stepped forward, its voice like an echo from the abyss. "You have strayed too far from what you were meant to be, Kai."
Lyria moved closer to Kai, her flames intensifying. "Who the hell is that?"
The woman's voice was barely a whisper.
"The First Shadow."
Kai's heart pounded.
The First Shadow extended a hand, and the darkness surged once more.
"Come home."
---
The Choice
Kai felt an overwhelming pull—a weight settling in his chest. Something deep inside him responded to the First Shadow's call.
A memory. A whisper of something long forgotten.
But then Lyria grabbed his arm, grounding him in the present.
"Kai!" Her golden eyes burned with determination. "Whatever this is, you're not alone. We're with you."
Sylara stepped beside him. "We fight. Together."
Ryn cracked his knuckles. "I'd rather not get dragged into any creepy shadow cult, thanks."
Eryndra's eyes gleamed. "Whatever choice you make, Kai, make it yours."
Kai looked back at the First Shadow. The entity watched him with something almost like patience.
A choice had to be made.
But one thing was certain.
He would not walk this path alone.
Kai raised his sword.
"Let's finish this."