The moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie silver glow over the dense forest. Kael stood at the edge of a clearing, eyes narrowed as he surveyed the path ahead. His body was sore from the battle earlier, and his mind was still racing from the strange creature they had encountered. What had it been? The very air around him seemed charged, heavy with the weight of something ancient, something forgotten.
"Kael," Deyric's voice cut through the silence, his tone low and serious. "We're getting close, aren't we?"
Kael nodded slowly, stepping forward. "It feels like we're walking right into the heart of something that's been buried for centuries."
The group had been traveling for hours now, following the path the creature had taken before it vanished into the depths of the forest. Despite their best efforts, the creature hadn't left a single trace. Not a footprint, not a mark on the trees. It was as though it had never existed.
Seris, who had been walking silently behind Kael, spoke up. "Whatever that thing was, it wasn't natural. It wasn't like anything we've faced before."
Kael glanced back at her, his eyes briefly meeting hers. There was a quiet intensity in her gaze, a fierceness that mirrored his own. They were in this together, and the bond between them was growing stronger with every step they took.
"I don't know what it was," Kael said, his voice calm but filled with determination. "But I know one thing—it's connected to whatever curse is plaguing our village. And that's something we need to uncover."
Deyric stepped closer to Kael, his face grim. "You're not planning on confronting whatever's out there alone, are you? This thing, it's not like the bandits or wild animals we've fought before."
Kael didn't respond immediately. His eyes remained focused ahead, scanning the shadows between the trees. It was as if the very forest itself was watching them, waiting for something.
"We won't be alone," Kael said finally, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "I've got you both."
Seris gave him a knowing look. "You're always too confident for your own good. But I'll follow you anywhere."
The trio moved forward together, their steps measured, cautious. The moonlight grew dimmer as they ventured deeper into the forest, the canopy of trees above them blocking most of the light. A cold breeze stirred the leaves, sending them rustling across the ground.
Then, a strange sound broke the silence.
It was faint at first, almost imperceptible. A whisper carried on the wind. But it grew louder, until it was unmistakable—a voice. It wasn't speaking in a language Kael recognized, but the tone was chilling, filled with an unsettling sense of urgency.
"Did you hear that?" Deyric asked, his hand instinctively moving toward his weapon.
Kael held up a hand to stop him. "It's coming from over there," he said, pointing toward a cluster of rocks at the far side of the clearing.
The voice continued, the words still unintelligible but now more distinct. It was as if the very ground was speaking, echoing with the remnants of forgotten souls.
Without a word, Kael began to move forward, the others following close behind. As they approached the rocks, the air grew colder, the atmosphere thick with an unnatural tension. Kael's heart began to race as the whispering voice seemed to draw nearer, closer, until it felt like it was coming from within his very chest.
Suddenly, a flash of light erupted from the ground in front of him, blinding Kael for a moment. When the light faded, he found himself standing before a massive stone tablet, ancient and covered in strange markings. The tablet seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy, and the air around it hummed with power.
Kael reached out, instinctively placing his hand on the tablet. The moment his skin made contact with the stone, the world around him seemed to shift. Visions flashed in his mind—images of a distant past, of battles long forgotten, of a curse that had been sealed away for centuries.
He stumbled back, shaking his head to clear the images from his mind. "What… what was that?"
Seris rushed to his side, her hand on his shoulder. "Kael, are you okay?"
Kael didn't answer immediately. His eyes were still wide, his breath shallow as the weight of what he had seen settled in. "That… that wasn't just a vision. That was a memory—someone else's memory. But it's not just any memory, it's tied to the curse."
Deyric stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
Kael looked up at the tablet, his eyes filled with a mixture of awe and fear. "I don't know, but this is bigger than us. Whatever's happening in our village—it's not just a curse. It's the result of something far older, something that's been buried for a reason."
The wind picked up again, and the voice returned, louder this time, almost deafening. Kael turned back to the tablet, his heart pounding.
"Kael!" Deyric shouted, grabbing his arm. "We need to get out of here. Whatever that is, it's not safe."
But Kael stood frozen, his gaze fixed on the tablet. The whispering voice continued, but now he could make out a few words.
"The soul will rise, and the curse will fall."
A chill ran down his spine as the words echoed in his mind.
"Too late," Kael muttered under his breath, the weight of his destiny now clearer than ever before.