Chapter 2 The Whispering Shadows

The figure, or creature emerged fully from the fog, tall and sinuous, its body shifting like smoke wrapped around bone. Its eyes burned like molten gold, cutting through the mist and fixing on Kael with unsettling intelligence. Fear tightened his chest, but instinct saved him. He rolled sideways just as the creature lunged, its claws slicing the air where his head had been a heartbeat before. Kael slashed upward with his dagger, feeling resistance as the blade met shadowy flesh.

The creature hissed sharply and retreated into the mist, leaving behind faint claw marks glowing dimly on the damp ground. Kael crouched and studied them. The markings pulsed with a pale light, warm beneath his fingertips. Magic... he realized, his pulse quickening. This forest was no ordinary place. It breathed, shifted, and now it bled light.

Soft whispers drifted between the trees, carried on a wind that smelled faintly of smoke and rain. The voices spoke his name in tones both gentle and sorrowful. They beckoned him deeper, calling to memories he wished he could forget.

Night descended too quickly, wrapping the forest in velvet darkness. His map was useless now-the paths twisted and moved like living things. Loneliness pressed into his chest, stirring regret and unresolved guilt. Yet something unseen urged him onward.

Through the fog, a silver glow appeared-a winding trail of light. The whispers grew louder, urgent now. Fear warred with curiosity inside him. In the end, the pull was stronger. Kael stepped onto the glowing path, unaware that each step carried him closer to the forest's hidden truth.