The forest grew darker as they ventured deeper into its heart, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves. The path had become less defined, and the trees, ancient and gnarled, pressed in on all sides, their twisted branches weaving a canopy that blocked out the moonlight. It was as though the world itself was closing in around them, as though the woods were alive and watching.
Kael led the way, his instincts sharp, his every sense on high alert. His mind was clouded with the power of the curse, the familiar heat that tingled beneath his skin, clawing at him as the shadows of the forest seemed to close in. His hands clenched around the hilt of his sword, the strange heat of the curse licking at his fingers, and his vision sharpened, the red tint creeping into the corners of his eyes as if the world itself was starting to bleed with his anger. He could feel the weight of Aurenya's presence behind him, her steps quiet, almost soundless. Silas flanked him to the side, his usual teasing demeanor replaced with palpable tension. He didn't like this place, and neither did Kael. There was something wrong about it. Something ancient. Something that didn't belong.
"Something's off," Silas muttered under his breath, his hand never straying far from the hilt of his sword. "I can feel it. We're being watched."
Aurenya didn't respond immediately. She had been quiet for much of the journey, her eyes distant, lost in thoughts Kael couldn't understand. But then, her voice broke the silence, soft and distant, as if she were speaking to herself rather than to them.
"Not watched," she said, her words carrying an odd, eerie calm. "We're being drawn."
Kael shot her a sharp look, his brows furrowing. "What do you mean?"
Aurenya's silver eyes gleamed in the dim light, her gaze distant as though she could see something Kael couldn't. "This place... it knows me. It calls to me."
Kael's grip tightened on the hilt of his sword, though he didn't draw it. Aurenya's words only deepened the unease that had been gnawing at him since they entered the woods. This wasn't just some random location. This was something personal for her. Something tied to her past.
"Do you know what we're walking into?" he asked, his voice low, controlled. He didn't like the idea of heading into danger without knowing exactly what it was they were facing. Aurenya had already been cryptic enough.
Aurenya's eyes met his, her expression unreadable. "I don't know. But I will."
Before Kael could respond, Silas stopped in his tracks, a low hiss of breath escaping his lips as he scanned the surrounding trees. "Wait. Look."
A shadow flitted between the trees. Quick. Silent. Barely noticeable.
Kael's hand instinctively went to his sword, but Aurenya held up a hand. "It's not what you think," she said quietly.
Silas raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but he held his tongue, letting Aurenya lead the way.
They pressed forward, cautiously now, the feeling of being drawn growing stronger with each step. The power of the curse flared in Kael, pulsing like a second heartbeat in his veins. His vision blurred red, his instincts screaming that they were being led to something more dangerous than they realized. It was as though the very forest had sunk its claws into him, its shadows twisting and pulling at his sense of self. He could feel it—whatever this place was, it was calling to him, too.
And then, they found it.
A clearing opened before them, bathed in an ethereal, haunting glow. At the center of the clearing, lying in a pool of blood, was a small figure. A child.
At first glance, Kael thought it was a trick of the light, or perhaps some cruel joke played by the forest. But as they drew closer, his heart dropped into his stomach.
The child was small, no older than six or seven, with wild, tangled hair and clothes soaked through with blood. Her skin was pale, almost too pale, and her eyes—when she opened them—were black as pitch, like a void in the center of her skull.
Silas stepped forward, his hand reaching instinctively for the dagger at his belt, but Kael stopped him with a firm grip on his arm.
"Don't," Kael said, his voice taut with caution. His body hummed with an unnatural energy, the curse stirring within him like a beast trying to claw its way free. His eyes burned red at the edges as the power grew more intense, but he kept his focus on the child. "She's not what she seems."
The child's gaze shifted toward them, her eyes locking with Kael's. She said nothing, but her expression was unnervingly calm, as though she had no idea what had happened, as though she were completely unaffected by the blood surrounding her.
Aurenya stepped forward, her face a mask of concern. She knelt beside the child, reaching out a hand, but the girl recoiled, her tiny body trembling slightly.
Kael's heart clenched. This wasn't right.
"What happened to her?" Silas asked, his voice strained.
Aurenya didn't answer immediately. Instead, she gently touched the child's arm, her fingers brushing lightly over her skin. The child flinched but didn't pull away.
"She's like me," Aurenya said softly, her voice almost a whisper.
Kael's stomach twisted at her words. What did she mean, like her? Aurenya wasn't... a child. She wasn't vulnerable like this. She wasn't bloodied and broken. And yet, Aurenya's words hung in the air like a cloud of dread, their meaning just out of reach.
"She's not of this world," Aurenya continued, her voice low and distant, as though she were speaking of something far removed from this moment. "She's... part of it. Part of what I was created to hold."
Kael didn't understand. He didn't want to understand.
The child's lips parted slightly, a soft, eerie hum spilling from her mouth. The tune was strange, alien, as though it came from a time long past—a time when the world was still young.
And then, without warning, the girl reached up and touched Kael's hand.
The moment her tiny fingers brushed against his skin, a jolt of energy shot through him, an electric charge that made his blood sing. The curse responded instantly, flaring to life, flooding his senses with raw, chaotic power. His eyes glowed red, a stark contrast to the dark forest around him, as his heart hammered in his chest. His veins burned as if fire had been poured into them. It was unlike anything he had ever felt—the connection was instant, overwhelming, and it took everything in him to keep from unleashing the full force of the curse.
Kael's heart skipped a beat, and the world around him seemed to freeze for a moment.
The child smiled.
"I know you," she said, her voice high and small, but it was her words that sent a chill down Kael's spine. "You're Kael Valen."
A chill ran down Kael's spine, his pulse quickening. He had never met this child before. There was no way she should know his name. No one should.
The girl continued, her voice barely more than a whisper. "You're not who you think you are."
Before Kael could respond, the girl shifted her gaze toward Aurenya, her black eyes narrowing.
"You're not who you think you are either."
Aurenya's face went white, her expression tightening with something close to fear. Kael saw her flinch, her fingers trembling ever so slightly as they brushed against the girl's face.
The girl smiled again, this time with more malice.
"I know what you are," she said softly. "I know what you've been hiding."
The world seemed to tilt on its axis as Kael felt something stir deep within him. The curse raged inside him now, raw and untamed. He could feel the power churning in his blood, his skin prickling with energy, the red-hot surge of emotion ready to explode. He fought to keep himself under control, but the child's words had struck something deep within him—something he didn't yet understand.
The Hollow King's influence was growing. The darkness was reaching further than they had ever realized.
The child's voice lingered in the air, cold and chilling:
"You are already too late."