Kian's boots thundered against the dirt as he and Nessa sprinted away from the crash site. The air buzzed with strange energy, and the creepy sound of dark shadows followed them, whispering threats in an ancient language neither of them could understand.
"You know," Kian panted, glancing over his shoulder, "this whole running-for-your-life thing is starting to get old."
Nessa, trying hard to keep up with him, shot him an angry glare. "Then stop dragging me into trouble!"
"Trouble finds me," Kian replied with a grin, though his mismatched eyes showed a flicker of nervousness.
The woods ahead were dark and tangled, full of twisted trees and thick brush. It looked like a good place to lose whoever—or whatever—was chasing them, or so Kian hoped. But as they rushed deeper into the forest, a low, deep growl echoed through the trees, making them stop in their tracks.
A huge shadowy creature stepped out of the darkness. Its body was made of swirling black mist, and its glowing red eyes burned like embers. The creature's shape kept shifting—one moment it had sharp claws, the next it had long, whip-like tendrils stretching from its body.
"Well," Kian muttered, pulling out his dagger. "That's new."
The beast suddenly lunged at him, slamming one of its tendrils into the ground where Kian had just been standing. He dove to the side, barely escaping the attack. Nessa quickly raised her hands and summoned a shield of golden energy in front of her.
"Do something!" Nessa yelled, her voice strained as the beast's next blow crashed against her shield.
Kian frantically dug through his pouch and pulled out a small, glowing orb. "I was saving this for something special," he muttered, then threw it at the beast.
The orb exploded in a burst of bright, blinding light. The creature let out a terrible screech and staggered back. For a moment, it seemed like the fight was over. But as the light faded, the beast reformed, its tendrils snapping together like whips.
"Kian!" Nessa screamed as the beast swung one massive claw toward him.
Kian ducked, stumbling backward just as the ground split open under the force of the attack. "Okay, this is definitely not fair!" he shouted.
Nessa began chanting, her hands moving in the air to create glowing patterns of light. "Keep it busy while I—"
"Busy?" Kian interrupted as he dodged another tendril. "It's trying to kill me!"
Ignoring him, Nessa sent out a blast of fire that engulfed the beast. It howled in agony, its shadowy body flickering and breaking apart as it burned. Kian saw his chance. He ran toward the creature and drove his glowing dagger into one of its burning red eyes.
The beast let out a final, horrible scream before its body unraveled into black mist and disappeared into the wind. Kian landed on the ground with a grunt, breathing heavily. He looked over at Nessa. "Next time, we're running the other way."
Before she could answer, a familiar voice echoed through the clearing.
"The Void's power grows," said the glowing woman from the crash site. Her crystal armor shimmered faintly in the moonlight. "You must awaken the Veilkeepers. Only they can restore balance."
Kian blinked at her. "Yeah... still not sure what that means."
The woman stepped closer, her gaze piercing. "You will find the answers you seek at the Hall of Threads. But beware—the shadows will not rest."