The moon was shining brightly above the edge of the forest as Kael and Elara walked along the deserted path. The forest behind them was quiet, but the feeling of danger was still palpable. The Shadow Lord was defeated, but they knew that this was only the tip of the iceberg.
"He wasn't the real leader, was he?" Elara asked softly. She had seen the gloom in Kael's eyes when he defeated the dark warrior.
"No," Kael replied, "he was just a harbinger. The real threat is far more powerful and older."
Elara looked up when she discovered a ruin in the distance. It was overgrown with moss and ivy, but it had unmistakably been a fortress. "What is this?"
"An old hiding place. It used to be a refuge for the seers of light. But now..." Kael's voice faltered. "Now it's just a relic of the past."
"What exactly is a light seer?" Elara asked. She felt that she needed to know much more about herself and her origins, but Kael was still mysterious and often hesitated to tell her everything.
"A seer of light is someone who is able to use the pure essence of light. You can't just heal, Elara. You can burn the darkness that covers this stretch of land. You are... an heir to the sun."
She blinked. "But why... why doesn't anyone remember that? Why do I have no idea of these forces?"
Kael shrugged his shoulders. "There are things that even the elders have forgotten. But there will come a time to remember everything. It's inevitable."
The last word hung heavily in the air, and Elara felt the pressure on her shoulders.
"What happens when I remember?"
"When you remember," Kael said softly, "you will decide whether you save the world or destroy it."
Elara could hardly imagine that she could ever be able to do anything other than good. But the look in Kael's eyes made her doubt.
"What if I fail?"
"Then I'll make sure you're never alone," Kael replied.
They reached the ruin and carefully climbed up the stone stairs. It was dark and deserted, but it was clear that someone – or something – must have been here.
"This is where my training began," Kael finally said. "It's the last place where I... lost everything."
"Lost?" Elara asked curiously, but also cautiously.
Kael nodded and looked around. "I wasn't always the fighter you see today. I was once a student... a simple guardian of the seers of light. But the darkness caught up with me."
Elara stepped closer. "What happened?"
Kael paused and looked into the fog that slowly enveloped the ruin. "I lost everything when the shadows came. And I... I couldn't stop them."
"You never failed," Elara said suddenly, putting her hand on his arm. "You never gave up, Kael. You're here."
Kael stared at her hand, then at her eyes. A fleeting smile played across his face. "Maybe. But the darkness will always come again. And this time I'm not sure we'll have enough time to defeat them."
"What do you mean?" Asked Elara, who felt a cold premonition inside her.
"The darkness is older than you and me together. It is a network of shadows that feed on the fear and suffering of the world. And we must find its center before it destroys us all."
"How do we find it?"
"We need to learn more about the light seers," Kael said, turning to the entrance of the ruin. "These ruins could give us answers."
They entered the large, dark room of the ruin. The ground was covered with dust and rubble, but ancient writings and symbols hung on the walls.
"Here," Kael said, pointing to a desperate symbol engraved in the wall. "This is the key. But it won't be easy to decipher it. The darkness has left its mark everywhere."
"We have to make it," Elara said firmly. "We have no other choice."
"And if you remember..." Kael whispered, "I'll help you find the right way.