Night fell over the village, but sleep was a fragile thing. Even in the quiet, the air seemed charged, heavy with anticipation. Liora stood at the edge of the marsh, the Beast beside her, antlers catching the moonlight like jagged silver. Their bond pulsed softly, a quiet reassurance, but beneath it thrummed something darker—an echo of distant power that pressed against the Circle.
Maren joined her at the water's edge, cloak wrapped tightly against the chill. "It begins," she murmured, eyes scanning the shadows. "The Sleeper stirs. You can feel it too, don't you?"
Liora nodded. "Far off… like a heartbeat in the marrow of the world. It's massive, older than anything I've felt before. And it's waking."
The Beast growled low in her mind, a deep vibration that rolled through her chest. Its presence reassured her, yet carried warning. The marsh itself seemed to lean inward, fog swirling in restless eddies.
Dren's patrols returned, reporting strange disturbances near the marsh: frost that appeared and vanished in moments, glimpses of massive shadows slipping between the trees, and an unnatural stillness that blanketed the land. Whispers spread among the villagers, a mixture of awe and fear. Liora could feel it all through the bond—every tremor, every heartbeat of panic, every ripple of uncertainty.
"They're frightened," Maren said softly. "Fear makes the land bleed energy. The Sleeper will sense it."
"I can't let that happen," Liora said, fists clenched. "We've strengthened the Circle. We can hold it back—if we act carefully."
Maren shook her head. "Carefully is no longer enough. The bond will be tested. You will be tested. And so will the village."
The first signs of the Sleeper's awakening came shortly after midnight. A tremor ran through the ground, subtle at first but growing. Trees shivered violently, reeds snapping as if caught in a storm. The waters of the marsh churned unnaturally, sending waves of mist across the path to the shrine.
Liora's heart thudded. "It's coming closer," she whispered to the Beast.
A scream echoed from the village—a woman fleeing from the western gate, pointing at the treeline. Shadows shifted among the trees, but these were different from the Shades. Massive, undulating shapes moved with purpose, their forms blurred and indistinct. They were like fragments of darkness, yet larger, more coherent, as if the very night had taken shape.
Corren appeared at her side, torch in hand, breath ragged. "We need to warn the village!"
Liora shook her head. "No. The bond has to hold first. We can't risk drawing the Sleeper's full attention. We need to contain it at the Circle."
The Beast crouched beside her, muscles tensing. Its eyes glimmered golden, reflecting her own resolve. Through the bond, she could feel its thoughts: It senses fear. Stay calm. Stay ready.
The Shadows approached the Circle in waves, but unlike before, they moved with coordination. Some hovered above the water; others prowled along the reeds. Then came a low rumble, deep and resonant, shaking the stones of the shrine itself.
The air grew icy, breath frosting with each exhale. Liora felt the Circle's energy flare within her, pulsing through her veins like molten ice. She raised her hands, extending them toward the incoming darkness.
"By the bond, by the Circle, by the Beast," she intoned, voice firm. "You shall not pass!"
The Shadows hesitated, twisting unnaturally as the Circle's energy washed over them. But the rumble grew louder, echoing in her bones. The Sleeper was waking fully, and the fragments were only the first wave.
Maren appeared behind her, chanting softly, hands moving in intricate patterns over the ground. Lines of light unfurled from the shrine's stones, intertwining with Liora's power. Corren positioned himself at the outer edge, spear at the ready, blocking the first humans who panicked and tried to flee.
The bond flared stronger, responding to Liora's determination. She could feel the Beast's essence flowing through her, its instincts guiding her movements, its awareness filling in the gaps her human senses could not reach. Together, they became something greater than either one alone—a conduit for the Circle's ancient power.
The first true strike of the Sleeper's influence hit when the water at the center of the marsh boiled upward, mist forming grotesque shapes that mimicked the villagers' worst fears. Liora staggered backward, vision blurring, heart racing. Shadows took human forms—faces of those she loved twisted in terror, reaching toward her.
The Beast roared, an ear-splitting sound that shook the air. The illusions shattered. Liora steadied herself, heart hammering. Through the bond, she could feel the intelligence behind the attack—the Sleeper probing, testing, feeling for weaknesses.
Maren's voice cut through the chaos. "Do not falter! Trust the bond! Trust yourselves!"
Liora's hands burned with energy, the Circle radiating outward, creating a protective dome that kept the fragments at bay. She felt the bond tighten, the Beast's essence intertwining with her own, reinforcing her will.
"Together," she whispered into the bond. We are together.
A pulse of light erupted from the Circle, washing over the marsh and piercing the mist. The fragments shrieked, recoiling into the water. The trees trembled but held. The ground steadied. For the first time, Liora felt the Sleeper hesitate.
But the pause was temporary. From the far edge of the marsh, a new, more massive ripple spread through the darkness. The mist parted slightly, revealing a colossal silhouette—broad, twisted, impossibly tall. The Sleeper itself, or at least part of it, had emerged. Its form was jagged and black, with glowing veins of frost running across its surface. Every step it took pushed waves of water and mist outward, sending panic through the village.
Liora's stomach knotted. She could feel the raw force pressing against her mind, probing, testing. The bond pulsed violently, nearly too much to bear. She gritted her teeth, focusing on the rhythm of the Beast's essence beside her, letting it anchor her.
Maren's chanting grew louder, the lines of light from the Circle intensifying. Corren shouted instructions, herding terrified villagers to the center of the square, keeping them away from the edges of the marsh.
"This is it," Liora whispered. "The real test begins now."
The Sleeper's first strike collided with the Circle. Shadows and water erupted outward in a violent surge. Liora felt herself pushed back, knees sinking into mud and frost. The bond flared, countering the attack, but the sheer weight of the Sleeper's presence pressed on her lungs, her mind, her soul.
The Beast lunged beside her, claws digging into the stone, antlers brushing the edges of the Circle. Through the bond, it spoke not in words but in thought and feeling: Do not let it overwhelm you. Stand firm.
Liora drew in a deep breath, letting the bond fill her entirely. I will not falter. She let the Circle's energy flow outward in a concentrated beam of golden light. The Shadows screamed as the light struck them, disintegrating the fragments, forcing the Sleeper to recoil.
For a brief, breathtaking moment, the marsh was still. The wind stilled. Even the mist held its breath.
Then the Sleeper let out a sound like the cracking of mountains and surged forward again, testing the Circle from another angle.
Liora's grip tightened. "We will hold," she whispered. Together.
The bond pulsed in answer, and the Circle flared brighter than ever before, a radiant shield of light and power, holding back the darkness.
And somewhere beyond the marsh, unseen by humans, something stirred with intent, watching, learning. The Sleeper had awakened, but it had met resistance. And it would remember.