The mist clung to Aeris's robes as he stood in the hush before dawn, the forest breathing in slow, quiet drafts around him. The ember inside pulsed softly, a reminder of everything that had come before and the promise of everything still to come.
They had left the old ruins behind at first light, stepping into a world that felt grayer than before, the trees heavy with dew, branches bending under the weight of secrets and the hush of distant whispers. Each step deeper into the forest felt like sinking, the world growing quieter except for the soft crackle of the ember in Aeris's chest.
Evin led them, sword strapped across his back, scanning every shadow with green eyes that had seen too many dawns like this. Liora walked close to Aeris, her bell silent, her small fingers brushing against her skirt as she counted steps under her breath, trying to calm the trembling in her shoulders. Mira followed behind, her shawl drawn close around her as she whispered prayers that drifted on the cold morning air.
They stopped to rest near a fallen tree, the forest clearing just enough to let in a thin sliver of morning light. Mira knelt near Liora, checking her pulse, brushing her hair back, her movements gentle as water. Evin moved further out, scanning the treeline with the careful silence of a man who had long ago learned what it meant to keep others safe.
Aeris sat down, pulling out his journal, hands trembling as he opened to a clean page. The ember hummed, a soft vibration beneath his ribs, as if it, too, was waiting for what he would write next. His pen scratched softly against the page.
"The forest feels different here, closer somehow. The ember is restless, showing me flashes of places I do not know yet feel familiar. Liora's humming keeps the fear away, even as she grows quiet. Mira's hands are steady, even when her eyes are not. Evin's silence is a promise, though I know he fears what waits ahead. If I falter, let this ember remind me that we are not alone in this."
He closed the journal, pressing it to his chest. The ember pulsed, a soft warmth that felt like a reminder of dawn, of what light could mean even when the shadows pressed close.
They resumed walking, the forest closing around them again, mist and the scent of damp earth their constant companions. The deeper they went, the more the trees seemed to lean, their branches clawing at the sky, at the mist, at the silence.
It was Liora who stopped first, her small hand clutching at Aeris's sleeve. Her storm-grey eyes were wide, reflecting the pale light filtering through the branches above.
"I hear them again," she whispered.
Aeris knelt before her, brushing a strand of hair back from her face, feeling the ember flicker in response to her trembling. "What are they saying?"
Liora shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "They're crying. They're lost. It's so loud."
Evin stepped closer, eyes scanning the trees. "Are they close?"
She nodded, pressing her hands to her ears, the bell at her waist chiming softly. Mira stepped forward, laying a hand on Liora's shoulder, whispering prayers that wrapped around the girl like a quiet shield.
Aeris felt the ember burn brighter, warmth radiating outward, reminding him of the promise he had made to protect her, to protect all of them. He closed his eyes, letting the ember's rhythm match his heartbeat, drawing in a breath that tasted of mist and coming rain.
They kept moving, slower now, the forest thickening around them, the whispers growing louder in the hush. Shapes moved between the trees, dark and crooked, but they did not approach, merely watched, flickers of green light shifting in the gloom.
They found a place to camp as the sky dimmed to twilight, the light bleeding away into deep blue. They set up near a narrow stream, the water dark and slow, reflecting the pale glow of the moon above. Evin gathered wood in silence, stacking it carefully as Mira arranged stones into a ring. Aeris knelt by the stream, letting the ember's warmth seep into the chill in his bones, breathing slowly as he watched the water slip past.
That night, the camp was quiet, the fire crackling softly, the warmth drawing out the damp from their clothes. Mira sat near the flames, grinding herbs into paste for poultices, the scent of lavender and iron mixing in the air. Liora lay curled up in her cloak, her head resting on Aeris's lap, the bell at her waist chiming softly with each breath she took.
Evin moved away from the camp, his sword in hand, stepping into the shadows at the edge of the clearing. He began to move, slow at first, each swing measured, deliberate, a dance of steel and silence. His breaths were steady, his eyes distant, lost in memory as the blade cut the air, silver glinting in the moonlight.
Aeris watched him, feeling the ember inside pulse with each movement, as if recognizing something in Evin's focus, his silent discipline. He opened his journal, pen in hand, letting the ember guide his words.
"Evin trains alone, his movements like water, like wind. I can see the weight in his shoulders, the silence he carries, the promise he keeps even when no one is watching. The ember sees him, understands him, as I do. We are all carrying something, and it is heavy."
Liora stirred in her sleep, murmuring softly, and Aeris set the journal aside, brushing her hair back gently, letting the ember's warmth soothe her dreams. Mira looked up from her work, meeting Aeris's gaze, and for a moment there was nothing but quiet understanding between them, a shared promise in the hush of the night.
Evin returned to the camp eventually, sweat glistening on his skin, his breath visible in the cold air. He sat down near the fire, cleaning his blade with careful hands, the silence wrapping around him like a second cloak. Mira handed him a cup of warm tea, and he took it with a nod, their eyes meeting briefly before returning to the fire.
The flames flickered, casting shadows that danced across their faces, across the trees, across the small space they had carved out for themselves in a world that felt too big, too dark, too heavy.
Liora woke just before dawn, sitting up slowly, the bell chiming softly as she rubbed her eyes. Aeris offered her a piece of dried fruit, and she took it with a sleepy smile, leaning against him as she chewed slowly.
"They're quieter today," she whispered.
Aeris nodded, feeling the ember inside respond with a soft warmth. "We'll keep moving. We'll find the heart of this Blight, and we will end it."
Evin stood, adjusting the straps of his armor, his sword sheathed across his back once more. Mira packed the last of the herbs, her hands steady even as her eyes betrayed the exhaustion beneath.
They stepped back into the forest as dawn broke, the sky a pale wash of gold and grey, the mist lifting slowly from the ground. The trees watched them as they passed, the whispers fading into the hush, the forest holding its breath as they moved deeper, each step taking them closer to the heart of the Blight, to the place where everything would change.
The ember inside Aeris pulsed, steady, strong, warm against the cold that pressed in around them. It was a promise, a reminder, a quiet song in the hush of dawn.
They kept moving.
And for now, that was enough.