The forest seemed lighter as the group descended the trail from the monastery, but the air was heavy with unspoken thoughts. The shard in Aedric's grasp pulsed faintly, a reminder of the task ahead.
"Where to next?" Mara asked, breaking the silence.
Elenara raised a hand, motioning for them to halt. "The shard will guide us. Aedric, focus on it. Listen to what it tells you."
Aedric hesitated but closed his eyes, clutching the shard tightly. At first, there was only silence, then a faint hum, and finally a voice—not words, but a feeling. It pointed his mind to the west, toward a jagged mountain range cloaked in mist.
"There," Aedric said, opening his eyes. "The mountains."
"Of course it's the mountains," Mara muttered. "It's never a nice meadow or a sunny field, is it?"
Elenara ignored the comment and began walking. "The Mistveil Peaks are treacherous. We must prepare ourselves for the climb."
As they ventured westward, the forest began to change. The trees grew taller, their bark darker, and the underbrush denser. The whispers returned, faint but persistent, and the shadows seemed to move just beyond the edge of sight.
Seron stopped suddenly, his staff glowing faintly. "Something's following us."
The group froze, their hands instinctively reaching for weapons. The shadows shifted, and a low growl echoed through the trees.
"What is it now?" Mara said, drawing her sword.
A figure emerged from the darkness—a hulking creature with glowing red eyes and fur that seemed to absorb the light around it. Its claws were sharp, and its movements were unnervingly silent.
"A Shadow Beast," Elenara said, her voice steady. "They serve the darkness, drawn to the shards."
The beast lunged without warning, its claws swiping toward Aedric. He stumbled back, narrowly avoiding the attack. Mara darted forward, her blade flashing as it struck the creature's side. The beast roared in pain but didn't retreat.
"Keep it distracted!" Seron shouted, his staff glowing brighter as he began to chant.
The beast turned its attention to Mara, its claws raking the ground as it charged. She sidestepped, delivering another strike, but the creature seemed unfazed.
"Hurry up with whatever you're doing, Seron!" Mara yelled, narrowly avoiding another attack.
Elenara moved with precision, her daggers striking the beast's legs. The creature roared again, momentarily stunned.
Seron finished his chant, and a burst of light shot from his staff, striking the beast. The creature howled, its form dissolving into shadowy tendrils that faded into the air.
The group stood in the aftermath, their breaths heavy.
"Well, that was fun," Mara said, sheathing her sword.
Elenara knelt where the beast had fallen, her hand brushing the ground. "The Shadow's influence grows stronger. It knows we carry the shard and will stop at nothing to claim it."
"Then we need to move faster," Aedric said, his voice firm despite the fear gnawing at him.
Seron nodded. "The Mistveil Peaks are a day's journey from here. We'll need to camp soon, but we can't afford to linger too long."
The group pressed on, their senses heightened and weapons at the ready. As night fell, they found a clearing and set up camp. Elenara sat by the fire, her amber eyes scanning the darkness.
"Why do the shadows want the shards so badly?" Mara asked, breaking the silence.
"The shards hold a fragment of the Seal's power," Elenara explained. "With enough of them, the darkness could tip the balance in its favor. The Seal's light is the only thing keeping the Shadow from consuming this world entirely."
"And if we fail?" Mara asked, her tone lighter than her expression.
Elenara's gaze was steady. "Then all is lost."
As the others drifted to sleep, Aedric sat by the fire, staring at the shard in his hand. Its glow was faint, almost as if it were resting.
"Why me?" he muttered.
The shard pulsed, and for a moment, he thought he heard the faintest of whispers. He couldn't make out the words, but they filled him with a strange mix of comfort and unease.
"You're carrying the shard because it chose you," Elenara said, sitting down beside him.
"Why would it choose me? I'm not a warrior or a mage. I don't even know what I'm doing."
Elenara placed a hand on his shoulder. "The Seal doesn't choose based on skill or strength. It chooses based on need. Whatever doubts you have, the shard sees something in you that even you don't yet understand."
Aedric didn't reply, his thoughts too tangled to unravel.
As the first light of dawn broke through the trees, the group packed up and resumed their journey. The Mistveil Peaks loomed in the distance, their jagged silhouettes shrouded in mist.
But as they drew closer, a new presence made itself known—a figure clad in dark armor, standing at the edge of the forest. Its crimson eyes glowed beneath its helm, and a sword pulsing with shadow energy hung at its side.
The group halted, their hands instinctively reaching for weapons.
"Who's that?" Mara asked, her voice low.
The figure raised its sword, its voice echoing with an unnatural resonance. "Turn back, or face the will of the Shadow."
Aedric felt the shard pulse violently, as if in warning. He gripped it tightly, meeting the figure's gaze.
"We're not turning back," he said, his voice steadier than he felt.
The figure stepped forward, its presence oppressive. "Then you will fall."