The dawn was thin and cold, grey light dripping slowly through the forest canopy like water seeping through cracks in stone. Mist lay heavy along the ground, muffling the crunch of pine needles underfoot as Aeris led the way deeper into the forest, the ember within him a faint warmth pulsing beneath the chill of the morning air.
He moved quietly, each step measured, each breath held for a heartbeat longer than usual, as though the forest itself was holding its breath. Even the trees here seemed wary, their branches curling and twisting toward the sky like skeletal hands reaching for something just out of reach. Occasionally, a leaf would fall, spiraling slowly through the mist before landing with a sound too soft to break the hush.
Liora walked close to Aeris, her small hand occasionally brushing against his robes, the silver bell at her waist chiming softly in the stillness. She was quiet today, eyes wide and watchful, storm-grey irises reflecting the dim light with an almost spectral glow.
Mira trailed a few steps behind, her shawl tucked tightly around her shoulders, eyes scanning the underbrush for herbs that might still grow in the Blight's shadow. Her lips moved in silent prayers, fingers brushing against the pouches at her waist as she checked for poultices and herbs, counting them by touch alone.
Evin walked at the rear, every step quiet despite the weight of his armor. His sword was strapped to his back, within easy reach, his green eyes constantly sweeping the trees, the shadows, the mist. His presence was like a quiet promise in the heavy air.
They moved like this for hours, deeper into the Forest of Whispering Leaves, the mist never fully lifting, the shadows never fully fading. Occasionally, they would pause, Mira checking Liora's hands for cold, Evin adjusting the straps of Aeris's pack when the mage's breath grew too shallow to hide.
The ember within Aeris felt restless today, flickering in odd rhythms, sometimes warm, sometimes cold, always reminding him that it was there.
⸻
They reached a clearing around midday, where a small stream cut through the earth, the water dark and sluggish beneath the thick canopy. A fallen tree lay across the stream, its bark blackened, its branches stripped bare by some past fire.
"We'll rest here," Evin said quietly, scanning the tree line.
Mira set down her pack, kneeling to scoop water into a small clay bowl, whispering cleansing spells as she worked, the surface of the water glowing faintly before settling back into its dark sheen.
Liora wandered to the edge of the clearing, kneeling in the moss, her small fingers tracing patterns into the dirt, humming softly under her breath. The sound was thin, trembling, as though it might break at any moment.
Aeris sat down beside the fallen tree, resting his back against the charred bark, letting the ember's warmth seep into his tired limbs. He closed his eyes, listening to the quiet, the hum of insects, the soft sound of water moving around stones, the whisper of leaves overhead.
It was then that Liora's hum stopped.
Aeris opened his eyes, glancing toward her.
Liora's small body was tense, her hands digging into the moss, her head tilted as though listening to something only she could hear.
"Liora?" Aeris called softly.
The girl's eyes snapped up, storm-grey and wide, shimmering with tears that had not yet fallen. "They're here."
⸻
The first growl was so low it was felt before it was heard, a vibration that shivered through the ground, through Aeris's bones, through the ember, which flared in warning, hot and cold all at once.
Evin was moving instantly, drawing his sword in a fluid, practiced motion, stepping between Liora and the treeline.
Mira's hands moved, herbs and crystal beads slipping between her fingers as she whispered protective wards that shimmered around Liora like faint auroras.
Aeris stood, the ember in his chest burning bright now, a flame that ached with every heartbeat. He raised a hand, summoning a small flame to his palm, letting it dance and flicker, feeding it just enough to burn without consuming.
The shadows beneath the trees shifted.
Then they stepped forward.
Blight-touched creatures, their forms twisted and wrong, like animals half-remembered in a nightmare. Their eyes glowed with a sickly green light, their bodies shifting, dripping with black ichor that hissed when it touched the ground.
A deer, or what had once been a deer, stepped forward, its antlers twisted into thorny branches, its fur matted with darkness, one of its eyes gone, replaced by a pulsing green flame.
Behind it, shapes moved—wolves with twisted limbs, a bear with patches of fur missing to reveal cracked, blackened skin, smaller creatures that skittered between them with shrill, broken cries.
Evin lifted his sword, its blade catching what little light there was, reflecting it in a cold gleam. "Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice calm.
Liora clutched her bell, tears now spilling down her cheeks as the whispers pressed into her mind. "They're screaming," she sobbed, "they're in so much pain."
Mira's eyes narrowed, her hands lifting as she began to chant, weaving healing and protection into the air, her words a soft counterpoint to the hiss of the Blight creatures.
Aeris stepped forward, the flame in his palm growing, sparking, embers drifting up like tiny fireflies. The ember inside him flared, hot and painful, but he did not flinch.
"You don't belong here," Aeris whispered, and the flame grew.
⸻
The deer charged first, its hooves tearing up the moss as it lunged, mouth open in a silent scream.
Evin met it head-on, his sword flashing, slicing through one of its twisted antlers, ichor spraying across the clearing with a hiss. The deer staggered, but it did not fall, turning to lunge again.
Mira's hands moved, and a wave of soft golden light burst outward, striking the deer and halting its charge, the creature shrieking as the light burned through the Blight clinging to its flesh.
The wolves attacked next, moving in from the sides, their bodies twisting unnaturally, jaws snapping, green eyes burning.
Aeris lifted his hand, the flame in his palm bursting outward in a wave of fire that swept across the clearing, catching the wolves and driving them back. The fire burned, but it was a soft flame, controlled, burning the Blight without touching the forest.
Each burst of flame pulled at Aeris's strength, the ember within him flaring painfully, each breath coming harder than the last.
A wolf lunged past the flames, jaws snapping toward Mira. Evin was there, blade slicing down, cutting the creature down with a single strike.
"Hold the line!" Evin shouted, moving to block another wolf.
Liora stood frozen, tears running down her face, the bell in her hand ringing softly as she trembled.
Then her eyes rolled back, and she fell to her knees.
⸻
The world around Liora faded, the forest dissolving into darkness, the sounds of battle becoming echoes, distant and strange. She stood in a vast space, empty and cold, the ground beneath her feet black and cracked, glowing faintly with veins of sickly green light.
In the distance, she saw a tree, massive and ancient, its branches twisted and blackened, flames burning cold blue along its limbs. Beneath the tree, a figure stood, cloaked in darkness, their face hidden, but she knew him.
"Aeris," she whispered.
The figure lifted his head, and in the darkness, two grey eyes glowed, rings of gold around the irises, flickering like embers.
"Little light," Aeris whispered, his voice soft, sad.
Liora stepped forward, reaching out. "Don't go," she begged.
The boy lifted his hand, and a small flame appeared in his palm, flickering weakly, trembling in the cold wind that blew across the dead ground.
"Even light fades," Aeris whispered, his form beginning to dissolve, ash drifting away into the darkness.
Liora screamed, reaching out, but her hand passed through the ash, the ember in Aeris's palm flickering once, twice, and then going dark.
⸻
She woke with a gasp, the world rushing back in—a wolf lunging for her, its jaws wide.
Before she could scream, a wall of flame erupted between her and the creature, driving it back, the creature's scream echoing through the clearing before it fell, twitching, the Blight burned away, leaving only a charred husk.
Aeris stood there, his arm outstretched, flames licking across his skin, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, dark against his pale skin.
The ember inside him was burning bright, too bright, like a star about to collapse.
"Aeris!" Mira shouted, reaching for him.
Aeris turned, a soft, tired smile on his lips. "It's alright," he whispered, "I'm still here."
He closed his hand, and the flames vanished, leaving only drifting embers that floated upward, fading into the mist.
The clearing fell silent, the last of the Blight creatures lying still, the hiss of burning ichor the only sound.
⸻
They tended to the wounded in the quiet that followed, Mira's hands moving with practiced calm as she pressed herbs against Aeris's wounds, forcing him to drink a bitter tonic that smelled of rosemary and iron.
Evin cleaned his blade, his hands steady, though his eyes never left Aeris for long, watching the mage with a soldier's silent worry.
Liora sat beside Aeris, her small hand clutching his, her eyes red from crying.
"You saw it, didn't you?" Aeris asked softly, his voice hoarse.
Liora nodded, unable to speak.
Aeris squeezed her hand gently. "It's alright," he said again, though his eyes were distant, his skin pale, the ember's glow faint but constant beneath his robes.
"Even if light fades, it leaves warmth behind," he whispered.
⸻
That night, they camped beside the dark stream, the water reflecting the glow of their small campfire, the flames dancing in the cold breeze. Mira hummed softly as she worked, grinding herbs into poultices, her voice carrying through the night like a lullaby.
Evin stood guard, his silhouette framed by the firelight, his sword across his knees as he watched the shadows.
Liora fell asleep with her head in Aeris's lap, the bell at her waist chiming softly with each breath.
Aeris sat quietly, watching the embers drift upward, his thoughts distant. He reached into his satchel, pulling out his small leather journal, opening it to a fresh page.
He began to write, his hand shaking slightly, each word a promise, a memory, a piece of himself left behind.
"If I am to fade, let me leave behind light for those who follow."
He closed the journal, pressing it to his chest, feeling the ember within him answer with a soft, tired warmth.
Before he slept, Aeris stood, placing another small, glowing stone at the edge of the camp, the ember within it flickering softly in the night.
A promise.
A marker.
A reminder.
⸻
As the first light of dawn touched the world with pale gold, Aeris whispered to the wind:
"We are still here."
And for now, that was enough.