Cassandra and Rainne sat in silence at the edge of the clearing, their backs against the gnarled trees, both of them struggling to catch their breath after the ordeal they had just escaped. The oppressive weight of the dead clearing still hung heavy around them, like a nightmare that clung to the edges of their consciousness. Rainne leaned her head against Cassandra's shoulder, her breathing ragged and shallow, her body drained by whatever dark force had lurked in the center of that cursed clearing.
Cassandra, her mind still racing, kept her senses sharp. The world had grown darker, more hostile. The night was silent, too silent, save for the occasional rustle of leaves far in the distance. It felt like the entire forest was holding its breath, waiting for something. Waiting for *them* to move.
And then she heard it—something snapped in the darkness, close by.
Cassandra's hand instinctively went to the hilt of her sword. Rainne stirred, forcing her exhausted body upright, her own dagger trembling in her weakened grip.
Another snap. Footsteps, uneven and dragging.
"Someone's coming," Cassandra whispered, her voice tense. "Be ready."
Out of the gloom, a figure emerged, stumbling toward them, the faint moonlight revealing an almost unrecognizable man. His clothes were tattered, his once sharp and commanding demeanor gone, replaced by a wild, desperate look. His hair, raven-black, hung limp and unkempt over his pale face. His skin was ashen, his lips dry and cracked, and his eyes, though still a striking pale blue, were hollow, filled with exhaustion and something akin to madness.
It was Alastair Clemonte.
"Cassandra," Rainne breathed, her eyes widening. "Is that—?"
"Clemonte," Cassandra said grimly, watching as the nobleman staggered closer, clutching a heavy bag to his chest like it was his lifeline. The bag was stuffed full, bulging at the seams with what looked like papers, maps, and crumpled documents.
Clemonte reached the edge of the clearing and collapsed to his knees, panting heavily. He looked half-dead, as if he hadn't slept or eaten in days. His once impeccable attire was torn, stained with dirt and dried blood, and his eyes had the frantic look of someone who had seen things that had shattered his sanity.
"Clemonte?" Cassandra called out cautiously, rising to her feet but keeping her distance. Her sword remained in her hand, just in case.
The nobleman raised his head slowly, his breath labored. He blinked, as though struggling to recognize them. Then, after a moment, his cracked lips twisted into a bitter smile.
"You… you made it out," Clemonte rasped, his voice raw, as if he'd been screaming. "I didn't think… anyone would."
"What happened?" Cassandra demanded, stepping forward but keeping a careful eye on him. "How did you escape the city?"
"The city…" Clemonte's voice broke, his hands shaking as he clutched the bag tighter to his chest. "It's gone. Everything… everyone… it's all gone."
Rainne, still weak but more alert now, shifted beside Cassandra. "We know. We barely made it out ourselves. What do you know about the creatures? And what's in the bag?"
Clemonte's grip on the bag tightened, his eyes darting nervously toward the clearing behind them, as though expecting something to leap out of the darkness at any moment. "The creatures… they're not just beasts. They're… something else. Something ancient. Something… summoned."
"Summoned?" Cassandra's heart skipped a beat. "By who?"
Clemonte laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. "That's the question, isn't it? I don't know for certain. But I've found *pieces* of the truth. The papers… they contain clues. Old texts. Maps. Rituals. I've been collecting them for months. It's why I threw that damned party—to gather information, to bring the right people together. But I was too late."
Cassandra's mind raced, trying to piece together what Clemonte was saying. "You knew about the creatures? Before the attack?"
"I suspected," Clemonte admitted, his voice thick with regret. "I didn't know they'd come so soon. I thought… I thought I had more time. But something went wrong. Or maybe it went exactly as someone planned."
Rainne sat up straighter, her face pale but determined. "You mean someone *wanted* this to happen? Wanted the city destroyed?"
Clemonte nodded weakly. "There are forces at play here, forces beyond our understanding. Whoever—or *whatever*—summoned those creatures… they're not done. The city was just the beginning."
Cassandra's blood ran cold. "What do they want?"
Clemonte's pale blue eyes locked onto hers, the desperation clear in his gaze. "They want everything. The creatures—they don't just kill. They consume. They drain the life from everything they touch. They're spreading, and they won't stop until there's nothing left."
Cassandra felt a weight settle in her chest. The clearing, the dead earth, the way the creatures seemed to devour life itself—it all made sense now. Whatever had been unleashed in Liconermo wasn't just a force of destruction. It was something far worse.
"Why didn't you warn anyone?" Cassandra's voice was sharp, anger flaring. "Why did you let this happen?"
"I tried," Clemonte croaked. "But no one would listen. They thought I was mad, a fool chasing shadows. By the time I had enough evidence… it was too late."
Cassandra glanced at Rainne, who was watching Clemonte with a mix of wariness and pity. They had both seen too much destruction, too much death, to trust easily, but Clemonte's ragged state and the bag he clung to seemed to tell the truth. Whatever had happened, whatever he had discovered, he had paid a price for it.
"We need to see those papers," Cassandra said firmly. "If there's anything in there that can help us stop this…"
Clemonte hesitated for a moment, then, with a shaking hand, he opened the bag. Papers spilled out—ancient scrolls, maps with strange symbols, and letters filled with hastily scribbled notes. Cassandra knelt beside him, picking up one of the maps. It showed an area deep within the forest, marked with the same sigils she had seen in the clearing.
"This…" Clemonte whispered, his voice trembling. "This is where it all started. The first summoning. If we can find the source, maybe… maybe we can stop it."
Cassandra clenched the map in her hand, her mind racing. The forest around them seemed to grow darker, as if the very trees were closing in.
Rainne, though weak, pulled herself up beside Cassandra, determination in her eyes. "We need to move. Before the creatures come back."
Cassandra nodded. There was no time to waste. Whatever had been unleashed was far from finished, and if they didn't stop it, the world as they knew it would be consumed, just as Liconermo had been.
"Let's go," Cassandra said, helping Rainne to her feet. She turned to Clemonte. "You're coming with us. You're not getting out of this."
Clemonte nodded, his face pale and drawn, but a flicker of hope in his eyes. Together, they turned toward the forest, the dark path ahead filled with danger—and the only hope they had left