The moonlight glimmered faintly on the polished stones of the Watcher's Path, where Yun now stood alone. The battle with the hybrid beast had left his body bruised and sore, but his mind was burning with questions. Why had the creature known his name? Why did it mention the "Second Gate"?
Before he could ponder further, a flutter of wings drew his gaze upward. A massive raven, black as shadow with glowing violet eyes, descended silently before him. Yun instinctively reached for his blade, but stopped when the raven spoke.
"You have awakened the seal," it croaked in a human voice. "Too soon."
Yun narrowed his eyes. "What are you?"
The raven chuckled. "A messenger. One who remembers the old bargains. One who served the First Guardian before you were even born."
"You knew my predecessor?" Yun asked.
"I did more than know him—I warned him, too. But like you, he refused to listen."
Yun's heart pounded. "Why are you here now?"
"To offer a bargain," said the raven. "You have power, Yun. Raw, unstable, and ancient. That is dangerous in the hands of the ignorant."
"I didn't ask for this power," Yun growled.
"And yet, it has chosen you," the raven replied. "Do you know what the Second Gate holds? Do you understand what stirs beyond it?"
Yun remained silent. The visions that plagued his dreams—cities consumed by flame, oceans boiling under red skies—suddenly felt less like nightmares and more like warnings.
"I can help you," the raven continued. "Give you knowledge of the gates. Teach you how to harness the energy that courses through your blood."
"And in return?" Yun asked warily.
"There's always a price," the raven admitted. "I want access. A small connection to your sight. Let me see through your eyes as you grow. Just a thread of perception."
Yun didn't trust it. The raven's aura was ancient, yes, but not evil. Still, bargains with talking birds never ended well in stories.
"If I refuse?" he asked.
"Then you will stumble in the dark, blind to the truth until it devours you."
The choice clawed at Yun's thoughts. He remembered the agony of the beast's attack, the helplessness, the fear. Could he afford to reject help?
"You can end the contract at any time," the raven added, almost kindly. "I ask only for a chance to guide."
After a long silence, Yun nodded once. "Fine. But the moment I feel something wrong, it ends."
The raven's eyes gleamed. "Wise… for a human."
With that, it vanished into a flurry of feathers, leaving behind a whisper of arcane warmth in Yun's chest. He didn't feel different—yet. But the world around him seemed just a little sharper, the air thinner, the distant stars brighter.
Yun looked toward the distant mountains. The Second Gate awaited.
And now… he had a guide.