Echoes in the night

Night descended upon Ashenfall, casting the land into a deeper darkness that seemed almost tangible, as if shadows bled from the very ground. The low mist grew thicker in the absence of light, curling like serpents around skeletal trees and broken stones. The silence took on an oppressive weight, wrapping itself around the squad members as they stopped, realizing that continuing through Ashenfall under these conditions might be too risky. 

As the air chilled, the landscape around them seemed to deepen in mystery, every silhouette stretching into monstrous forms. The ground glistened faintly in the dim light, faint traces of iridescent minerals sparking like stars on the blackened earth.

Eli's voice crackled over the communicator. "Squad, check in. Should we hunker down for the night?"

A chorus of static-laced affirmations came through from each pair. Though seasoned in tough missions, the members of Squad Three were no strangers to caution. Ashenfall's night was no place for the unprepared.

#### Aira and Kaizen

In a hollow beneath a sloping ledge, Aira and Kaizen settled into their camp. Aira pressed her palms to the earth, murmuring soft words as her powers flowed, coaxing roots and twisted vines to form a natural barrier around their temporary shelter. The plants responded sluggishly, tainted and reluctant, but enough life remained in them to create a sparse, organic wall. 

Kaizen stood on the edge of their campsite, scanning the darkness. The mist seemed thicker here, clinging close and swirling around his boots as though drawn by his presence. His eyes narrowed as he observed the shadows moving unnaturally, almost pulsing in time with some unseen rhythm.

"Do you sense it, too?" he asked, glancing at Aira as she finished the barrier. 

She nodded, wiping sweat from her brow. "It's like the air itself is poisoned," she murmured. "These plants… they're corrupted to their roots, full of chaotic energy that fights my control. I can feel it trying to—" She broke off, casting a wary look around, feeling the oppressive energy tugging at her thoughts. 

Kaizen's expression darkened. "Whatever did this to Ashenfall left its scars deep. This place isn't just a battlefield—it's a wound that never healed."

Aira hugged her knees, the somber atmosphere pressing down. "If someone… or something caused this, they wielded enough power to twist the very life here. That's terrifying."

Kaizen's gaze softened. He was always stoic, but he seemed to understand the weight of her thoughts. "Try to rest," he advised, though he didn't look away from the shifting shadows. "We'll need our strength."

Aira nodded, settling into the tangled foliage, her heart uneasy. Her powers gave her an awareness of the land's suffering, and tonight, it felt as though Ashenfall itself was whispering to her in muted agony.

#### Taiyou and Ryojin

On the other side of the valley, Taiyou stretched out with a groan. "I'm starving!" he announced, sprawling back against a massive tree, its bark blackened and twisted like something out of a nightmare.

Ryojin, who had been pacing their small camp, rolled his eyes. With a flick of his wrist, a shadow elongated from his feet, creeping along the ground toward Taiyou. It materialized into a small, dark bag, and with a sigh, Ryojin tossed it at his partner.

Taiyou grinned and eagerly opened it, finding a modest amount of dried meat and bread. "Finally! You know, I think you're warming up to me," he teased, chomping down enthusiastically.

Ryojin crossed his arms. "Don't get used to it. That's all we have until we reach the rendezvous. Pace yourself."

Taiyou waved a dismissive hand, though he did slow down his eating. Between bites, he watched Ryojin, noticing the wary way he watched the shadows around them. "You're not usually this cautious," Taiyou observed, swallowing a mouthful of bread. "This place is really getting to you, huh?"

Ryojin's gaze flicked to him, a flicker of something almost vulnerable in his eyes before he masked it with a stoic expression. "Of course it would, we literally saw giant beetle like creatures and men in robes disappear into thin air right in front of us," he replied quietly. "Ashenfall isn't like any place we've seen before. The shadows here… they feel sentient. And not just the natural shadows." 

"Sentient shadows? You don't say," Taiyou joked, though a part of him shivered at the thought. 

Ryojin held his gaze. "I'm serious, Taiyou. The chaos here is… active. It's not just lingering energy from a battle. It feels purposeful, like it's maintaining itself."

Taiyou fell silent, suddenly feeling the weight of Ryojin's words. In the uneasy quiet, he finished his meal, setting the empty bag aside before shifting to lie down. Ryojin continued his watch, his silhouette blending into the night as Taiyou drifted into an uneasy sleep, feeling a gnawing unease.

#### Daichi and Eli

Perched on the ridge, Daichi and Eli surveyed the twisted landscape below. Eli huddled under her cloak, her breath misting in the cold air as she shivered slightly. The temperature in Ashenfall had dropped rapidly, making the night feel bitter and hostile.

"This isn't ideal," Eli muttered, scanning the valley below. "If it gets any colder, we'll risk hypothermia out here."

Daichi nodded, shifting uncomfortably. "We should find some cover," he agreed, scanning the nearby rocks. "Maybe under that outcropping."

They moved swiftly, settling beneath a low, rocky ledge. Daichi positioned himself to block the entrance from the wind, watching Eli as she extended a hand, forming a thin barrier of frost around them that helped insulate against the biting cold. She huddled beside him, quiet for a moment before speaking.

"You don't seem rattled," she observed, her voice muffled by her cloak. "Doesn't this place bother you?"

Daichi gave a faint shrug. "It does," he admitted, his voice low. "But we're here for a reason. I don't have the luxury of fear."

Eli nodded, appreciating his calm resolve. "Let's just hope the others are as lucky. I'm not sure everyone is taking Ashenfall seriously." She hesitated, a spark of worry crossing her face. "Taiyou…"

Daichi chuckled softly. "He's resourceful. A bit reckless, but he'll manage. Ryojin's there to keep him grounded." 

"It's true nothing can happen to anyone as long as it's my precious ryojin who is protecting them" Eli said

They lapsed into silence, each lost in their thoughts. The valley stretched out before them like an endless sea of shadows, and for a fleeting moment, Eli thought she saw figures moving in the mist, their forms tall and dark. But when she blinked, they were gone.

---

#### Morning in Ashenfall

Dawn came slowly, a reluctant pale light that seeped through the mist like diluted ink. The shadows retreated, but the mist remained, thick and cloying, winding around the group as they roused themselves.

Taiyou stretched, rubbing his eyes and muttering something about nightmares, while Ryojin observed him, a knowing look in his eyes. 

"You alright?" Ryojin asked, almost gently.

"Yeah, yeah… just had some weird dreams," Taiyou replied, waving him off. "Guess Ashenfall got into my head."

In the valley, Aira and Kaizen emerged from their shelter, exchanging a brief look as they surveyed the morning fog. "Ready to move?" Kaizen asked, his voice low but steady. 

Aira nodded. She felt drained, as though Ashenfall's energy had seeped into her very bones during the night. But she pushed that thought aside. They had a mission.

The squad set out, each pair moving forward with renewed determination, though an unspoken understanding hung in the air—the realization that Ashenfall was more than a forsaken battleground. There was a presence here, a lingering force that seemed to ripple through the very air.

As they moved, Daichi and Eli noticed faint symbols carved into the stones, half-erased and weathered by time. Eli ran her fingers along one, feeling a faint pulse beneath the surface. "These are… recent," she murmured, eyes narrowing. "Not just relics. Someone's been here. There may be people who still exist or live in ashenfall"

Taiyou and Ryojin, too, found signs of recent activity. Strange, jagged formations of rock bore signs of exposure to chaos energy, raw and potent, as though left as a warning. "This place was broken intentionally," Ryojin concluded, a grim note in his voice. "Someone wanted it this way."

The gravity of their findings weighed on each of them as they moved closer to the northwest, piecing together a picture more horrifying than they had imagined. Ashenfall wasn't just abandoned; it was *condemned*, locked in a loop of destruction by a force that wanted it to remain in chaos.

And as Aira and Kaizen finally reached the structure in the northwest, a towering, crumbling monolith half-shrouded in mist, they paused. The weight of their journey—and the revelations along the way—pressed down on them.

"Here we are," Aira whispered,