The night air was cold. Too cold.
Valtherion pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders, his mind still heavy with the vision from the chamber. The mark on his wrist wasn't burning anymore, but it hadn't faded either. It was there. Watching. Waiting.
The others moved in silence.
Kael walked with his hands in his pockets, kicking small rocks as they moved. "So… these 'Archives'—are they dangerous? Or are we finally going to a normal place for once?"
Elyndra didn't even look at him. "Nothing is normal anymore."
Kael sighed. "Yeah, figured."
Lucian adjusted his sword belt, eyes scanning the road ahead. "The Archives are hidden deep in the ruins of Eredane. If we're lucky, we won't run into trouble before we get there."
Kael let out a dry chuckle. "Lucky? Yeah, sure. Because that's been working out great for us so far."
Valtherion barely listened.
His mind kept replaying the vision. The city swallowed by darkness. The warrior marked just like him. The way the mark consumed them.
Could that happen to him?
Would it?
He clenched his fist.
Elyndra must have noticed because she spoke without looking at him. "You're thinking too much."
He exhaled slowly. "You saw it too, didn't you? The mark… what it did."
She was quiet for a moment. Then, finally—
"Yes."
Kael frowned, looking between them. "Wait, what did it do? Someone fill me in?"
Elyndra kept walking. "It's not important right now."
Kael threw up his hands. "Oh, sure. Let's just ignore the creepy magical visions. That always ends well."
Lucian shot him a look. "Enough."
Kael muttered something under his breath but didn't push further.
They walked in silence again.
The forest around them stretched endlessly, dark trees reaching toward the sky. The moon barely cut through the thick branches, casting long, jagged shadows.
It was too quiet.
Lucian suddenly stopped. "Wait."
Everyone froze.
Valtherion instinctively reached for his sword. "What?"
Lucian didn't answer immediately. He just listened.
Then—
A twig snapped.
Not from them.
Elyndra's hand was already glowing with faint energy. Kael's fingers hovered near his daggers.
The silence stretched.
Then—
Something moved.
The Watchers in the Dark
It happened fast.
A blur of movement in the trees. Shadows shifting unnaturally.
Then—
A growl.
Low. Deep. Like something ancient.
Valtherion barely had time to react before they emerged.
Figures cloaked in black mist, eyes burning violet. Their movements were jagged, unnatural, like puppets held by unseen strings.
Kael swore. "Oh, that's not normal."
Lucian drew his sword. "Wraiths."
Elyndra's magic flared. "Stay together."
The creatures didn't wait.
They rushed forward.
Valtherion barely dodged the first strike, the clawed hand slicing through the air where his head had been. He countered instantly, his blade flashing as he struck.
The wraith shrieked as the sword tore through its form, black mist spilling from the wound.
But it didn't fall.
It reformed.
Kael flipped backward, twin daggers flashing. "Okay, so stabbing them doesn't work. That's great."
Lucian sliced through another one, eyes narrowing. "They're made of shadow. Physical attacks won't be enough."
Elyndra raised her hands. Her magic flared bright gold.
Light.
She threw a blast forward. The wraiths screamed as the light tore through them, their bodies flickering violently.
Kael whistled. "Yeah, that works."
Valtherion didn't hesitate. He moved fast, cutting through them while Elyndra's magic weakened them. The battlefield was chaos—shadows twisting, energy crackling, steel flashing.
One of the wraiths lunged for Lucian, but Valtherion intercepted, his blade slicing upward. The creature let out a strangled noise before Elyndra's light engulfed it, erasing it completely.
The others didn't last much longer.
Within minutes, the clearing was silent again. The last remnants of the wraiths faded, their forms dissolving into nothing.
Kael exhaled, wiping his brow. "That was fun. Let's never do it again."
Lucian sheathed his sword, scanning the area. "They were waiting for us."
Elyndra nodded. "Guarding something."
Valtherion looked down at his wrist.
The mark was faintly pulsing.
He exhaled. "The Archives."
The Ruins of Eredane
It took another few hours before they saw it.
The ruins stretched before them, massive stone structures half-buried in the earth, covered in vines and age. Faint traces of magic still lingered in the air, humming softly against the wind.
Kael let out a low whistle. "Yeah, this place definitely isn't cursed at all."
Lucian ignored him, stepping forward cautiously. "Stay alert."
The ruins were silent. No animals. No wind. Just silence.
Valtherion felt the pull again. Stronger now.
They moved carefully through the ruins, stepping over broken stone and shattered columns. The deeper they went, the heavier the air became.
Then—
A door.
Massive. Ancient. Covered in glowing runes.
Elyndra touched the stone. "This is it."
Lucian frowned. "Doesn't look open."
Kael crossed his arms. "So… magic password? Secret handshake?"
Valtherion stepped forward.
The mark on his wrist flared.
The door responded.
The runes ignited, glowing with the same eerie blue as the flames from before.
Then—
The door slowly began to open.
A deep, echoing groan filled the ruins as the stone shifted.
Beyond the doorway—
Darkness.
And something waiting inside.
Kael took a step back. "I already hate this."
Valtherion exhaled. There was no turning back now.
They stepped inside.