Chapter 13: Shadows in the Dark

The journey back from the Forest of Shadows was different. The trees loomed as threateningly, and the fog clung to the ground, yet between Saga and Lysandra, there was a quiet sense of victory-they had survived the trial, defeated the Guardian, and gotten the artifact the System had tasked them to find. But with the re-tracing of their steps, tension hovered in the air, the nagging feeling that something dark lay but out of sight.

Saga's fists clenched over the artifact in his pocket. It was small and warm against his palm, pulsing faintly with some energy he didn't quite understand. Though the System guided him through the process, he couldn't help the notion that this object was more than some mere tool-it felt alive to him, like it watched him as much as he held it.

Lysandra walked beside him, her eyes piercing as they scanned their surroundings. "We're not out of the woods yet," she said, barely above a whisper.

"I know," Saga replied, his senses on high alert. "Something feels… off."

The two continued in silence for a few more moments before Lysandra paused, her head tilting slightly. "Did you hear that?

Saga's breath caught; he froze, stock-still. The forest was silent for several seconds. Then, a soft rustling, leaves brushing against leaves, filtered through to his ears. It wasn't the wind-it was too rhythmic, too deliberate.

Lysandra's hand went immediately to the hilt of her blade, falling into a defensive posture in an instant. Saga followed suit, senses heightening as the System hummed to life inside him.

System Alert: Unknown hostile presence detected.

The rustling turned louder, closer. Shadows danced between the trees, dodging in and out of sight. They were not alone.

"Keep close," Saga said in an undertone, tension from expectation clear in his subdued tone.

But before Lysandra could answer, a figure emerged from the shadows, stepping into the faint light filtering through the trees. A goblin it was, but not like any Saga had ever fought. Larger, more grotesque, its skin a sickly green and its eyes glowing with an unnatural light, while behind it more goblins appeared, their twisted forms barely distinguishable in the darkness.

They're surrounding us," Lysandra muttered low, her gaze darting to the figures that encircled them in every direction.

Saga's heart was racing as the System began feeding him information-points of weakness, suggested maneuvers, tactical advantages. But there were too many. Even with his gained power, this was not a fight they could win head-on.

"We need to move. Now!" Saga ordered, his gaze already scouring the horizon for an avenue of escape.

Lysandra nodded, and the two exploded into a run in tandem, cutting their way between narrow openings the trees afforded them. The goblins shrieked in return, their grotesque forms charging after them in terrifying speed.

All those pathways and coming dangers had flashed within Saga's mind as he ran, while his body moved almost on instinct-thrusting away low-slung branches and leaping over roots snaking across the forest floor. Goblins were fast, but the System was much faster, guiding him through the maze of trees.

"Where do we go?" Lysandra panted out, her feet pounding beside him.

"There!" Saga pointed ahead, to a thick, gnarled tree whose substantial roots brought with them some sort of natural barrier. "We can lose them in the undergrowth!"

They ran for the tree, the goblins closing in. At the towering roots, Saga dove into the thick tangle of vines and bushes, pulling Lysandra with him. They crouched low, scarce breathing, as the goblins skittered past, their glowing eyes scouring the ground.

For some painful moments, Saga and Lysandra sat hidden as their hearts stroked in their chests. The goblins sniffed at the air, growling out in frustration, searching for their prey.

One of them crept uncomfortably close to where they were hiding; the smell of its rank breath came up from its sniffing in the roots. Saga caught his breath as all his muscles seemed to tighten up. His hand was on the artifact in his pocket, ready if its power became needed.

Just as the goblin was peering closer, something in the distance caught its eye-noise, movement, something that drew its focus away from them. With a low growl, it turned and rejoined the others, melting into the shadows once more.

Saga slowly exhaled as his body relaxed a bit from the immediate danger now passed. Lysandra let out a shaking breath beside him, her eyes wide with adrenaline.

That was close," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Too close," Saga agreed, his heart still racing. He glanced around, making sure the goblins were truly gone before rising to his feet.

"We can't stay here," Lysandra said, standing likewise. "They'll come back.

Saga nodded. His mind was already racing with the possibilities. The System had kept them alive, but they were in hostile territory now, and the artifact in his possession seemed to be attracting more than just goblins.

"We need to get out of the forest," Saga said, glancing at Lysandra. "But I have a feeling this artifact is going to bring more trouble than it's worth."

Lysandra's eyebrow arched. "You think it's cursed?"

"I don't know. But whatever it is, it's powerful, and I'm not the only one who wants it."

They began to move once more, keeping low and staying near the thickest parts of the undergrowth. The Forest of Shadows was enormous, but with the System to guide him, Saga felt they might be able to navigate their way out-if they were quick enough.

As they walked through the forest, Saga's mind wandered to the artifact. What was it? The System had assigned him the job of fetching it, yet it hadn't given him even a single clue as to what it was or what for. He could feel its power-a constant, pulsing energy that seemed to grow stronger the closer they got to the edge of the forest.

The farther they ran, the more apprehensive Saga felt. It wasn't just goblins-they weren't alone in this chase. He could feel it in the air-the definite feeling of a presence lurking just beyond his senses and biding its time until it would strike.

"We're not alone," Saga whispered, scanning the trees.

Lysandra tensed; her hand rested on her weapon. "I know. Something's watching us."

They quickened their pace, but no matter how fast they moved, the presence was always there, out of sight. It was if the shadows themselves were alive, following them, waiting for the opportune moment to close in.

And then, without warning, it struck.

A figure launched themselves at Saga from the shadows, moving too fast for him to register their form fully. There wasn't much time to react as the System sent his mind racing with warnings to get his arm instinctively up for blocking.

The force of the blow sent him scrambling backward, and it was only then, when he regained his footing, that he finally saw his attacker.

It was not a goblin, nor some other beast that he had ever seen. It was something far worse: tall, cloaked in shadow, with glowing red eyes and an aura of malice which chilled him to the bone.

Saga's heart was racing as the figure stepped forward, its presence suffocating.

This was no ordinary foe; this was a demon.