The days passed in a haze, each one blending into the next. Ragnar's mind, still clouded with confusion and fragments of memories, struggled to grasp the reality of his new existence. The world around him was peaceful, too peaceful. There were times when he would stand at the edge of the forest, staring at the horizon, as if waiting for something to break the silence. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, that he didn't belong here, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
Riona remained by his side, her presence constant, though there were moments when her gaze lingered just a fraction too long, as though she were studying him, calculating something he couldn't understand. She often spoke in gentle tones, as though trying to soothe him, but there were times when her words seemed… too perfect, too rehearsed. Ragnar couldn't explain it, but It was as if there was something beneath the surface—something he couldn't yet see.
One evening, after another quiet meal by the fire, Riona turned to him with a strange glint in her eyes.
"There's something I've been meaning to show you," she said, her voice tinged with an odd excitement.
Ragnar looked up from his bowl, his brow furrowed. "What do you mean? What is it?"
Riona stood, her movements graceful but deliberate. "It's not far. You need to see it. It's… it's important."
Ragnar hesitated. His instincts were screaming at him to remain cautious. There was something about the way she spoke, something in her tone that set him on edge.
"I don't think I should go anywhere," he said slowly. "Not yet. I'm still not sure about all of this."
Riona's smile faltered, just for a moment, before it returned, softer than before. "You don't need to be afraid, Ragnar. I won't let anything happen to you."
Her words, though reassuring, only deepened the unease in his chest. There was something about the way she said his name—too familiar, too knowing. It was almost as if she had been waiting for this moment.
Ragnar stood, his body stiff, his mind racing. "I don't… I don't know. I feel like I should stay here."
Riona's expression darkened for a fraction of a second before it brightened once more. "You'll understand when you see it. Trust me."
And despite the turmoil brewing inside him, despite the voice in his head telling him to run, Ragnar found himself following her. He couldn't explain why—perhaps it was the trust he had placed in her, or perhaps it was the strange compulsion that seemed to tug at him from the depths of his being.
The two of them traveled through the forest, the moonlight filtering through the trees and casting strange shadows on the ground. Ragnar's senses were on high alert. He had never been one to trust easily, and yet, here he was, walking into the unknown with someone he barely knew. Every step felt like it took him further away from the safety of the cottage, further into an unfamiliar world where danger could be lurking at every turn.
As they ventured deeper into the woods, the air grew colder, the trees taller and darker. The sounds of the forest seemed to fade, replaced by an eerie silence that stretched on for what felt like miles. Ragnar's heart began to race. He couldn't explain it, but the further they went, the more something felt wrong.
"We're almost there," Riona said, her voice strangely calm despite the growing tension in the air.
And then, they reached it.
At the edge of the forest stood a massive stone structure, half-hidden by the thick trees. It was ancient, far older than anything Ragnar had ever seen, and it radiated a dark, foreboding energy that sent a chill down his spine. The stone walls were covered in strange, intricate symbols, glowing faintly in the moonlight. The ground around it was overgrown with vines and weeds, as if the place had been abandoned for centuries.
"What is this place?" Ragnar asked, his voice barely a whisper.
Riona didn't answer immediately. She simply stepped forward, her gaze fixed on the structure with a strange intensity. "This is where it all begins," she said softly, almost to herself.
Ragnar stood frozen, his mind racing. Something about this place felt… wrong. The air was thick with an ancient power, something dark and heavy that seemed to press in on him from all sides. He could feel it, deep in his bones, as if the very ground beneath his feet was alive with an unspoken energy.
Riona turned to him, her eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. "You need to see the truth, Ragnar. You need to understand why you're here."
"Why I'm here?" Ragnar echoed, confused. "What do you mean? What truth?"
Before she could respond, the ground beneath their feet trembled. Ragnar's heart skipped a beat as the air around them seemed to warp, a sudden, unbearable pressure rising from the earth itself. The stone structure before them began to glow brighter, its runes flickering to life, casting an eerie light across the clearing.
The very trees around them seemed to bend and twist, their branches creaking and groaning as though alive. Ragnar took a step back, instinctively reaching for the weapons at his side—except, there were none. He had nothing to defend himself with.
And then, the ground beneath them split open.
Riona didn't flinch, didn't move, even as the earth cracked wide, sending a shockwave of energy through the air. A dark, swirling portal appeared in the rift, its edges jagged and sharp, like the maw of some monstrous creature.
Ragnar's pulse quickened as he tried to back away, but his feet felt rooted to the ground, as though some unseen force was holding him in place. He turned to Riona, searching her face for an explanation, but there was none. Her expression was unreadable, her gaze fixed on the portal as it pulsed with dark energy.
"Riona!" Ragnar shouted, his voice tinged with panic. "What is happening?!"
The woman turned to face him, her eyes glinting with something he couldn't quite place. For the first time, she didn't smile. Instead, her lips parted, her voice cold and distant. "This is your purpose, Ragnar. This is why you were brought here."
Before he could respond, the portal surged, and from it, a shadowy figure emerged. Its form was vague, shifting and distorted, but it was clear that it was something ancient—something powerful. The air around them Grew colder still, and Ragnar's breath came in short gasps as the figure stepped forward.
Riona's words echoed in his mind: This is your purpose.
But what was his purpose? To face this creature? To confront whatever lay beyond the portal?
The shadow reached out with a skeletal hand, and Ragnar felt his body tense, his instincts screaming for him to run—but he couldn't move.
And then, in the blink of an eye, the creature's hand was around his throat, lifting him into the air with terrifying ease.
Riona stood still, watching, her face blank as the shadowy figure lifted Ragnar higher. There was no fear in her eyes, no urgency. She didn't seem to care that Ragnar was being choked, suffocated by some ancient force.
"Riona!" Ragnar gasped, his voice strained. "What's happening?!"
But Riona didn't answer.
Instead, the figure's grip tightened, and Ragnar's vision began to blur, darkness creeping in at the edges of his sight. He tried to struggle, to break free, but his body refused to obey him, every breath feeling like it was his last.
And just before everything went black, he heard Riona's voice—soft, distant, almost… satisfied.
"You were never meant to survive, Ragnar."
To be continued.