Shadows on the Road

The cursed mist had vanished, and the air in Veilwood Forest was clear once more. The trio stood in the eerie silence left behind, the scent of charred magic lingering from Cynus's golden flames. The monolith—once pulsing with dark energy—was now nothing more than a heap of blackened stone, its ancient runes reduced to meaningless cracks.

Ren nudged a piece of the rubble with his boot. "So… we burned the creepy magic rock, freed some ghost people, and yet—still no sign of the actual caravan."

Lyric adjusted her gloves, scanning the area. "The monolith was keeping the souls trapped. But it didn't take the caravan itself. Something else did."

Cynus exhaled, the fragment in his satchel still faintly warm against his chest. "Then we keep moving."

The last recorded sighting of the caravan was half a day's journey deeper into the forest. If they didn't find answers soon, the trail would go cold.

With one last glance at the ruins of the monolith, the trio pressed forward.

For hours, they followed the faint remnants of the wagon tracks, weaving through the dense undergrowth. The deeper they went, the more unnatural the silence became.

No birds. No rustling leaves. Just an overwhelming stillness.

Ren twirled his dagger, his tone casual but eyes sharp. "So, uh… anyone else getting the feeling that we're being watched?"

Cynus didn't answer. He had felt it too.

Lyric suddenly raised a hand, signaling them to stop.

They froze.

The trees ahead were scarred—deep gashes cut into the bark as if by massive claws.

Then—a faint groan.

Cynus's breath hitched. Not the sound of the wind. Something else.

Lyric narrowed her eyes. "There's something up ahead."

Cautiously, they moved forward, emerging into a small clearing.

There it was—the missing caravan, its wagons overturned, crates and barrels scattered across the ground. The wheels were shattered, as if something had attacked with overwhelming force.

And then they saw the bodies.

Ren swore under his breath. "Well, that explains why they never made it to Ravenspire."

The traders and guards hadn't been taken. They had been slaughtered.

Lyric knelt beside one of the fallen, her expression grim. "No wounds from swords or arrows."

Cynus clenched his fists. "Something tore them apart."

Ren's eyes darted around. "Okay. So where is it now?"

As if in answer, the trees behind them shifted.

A deep snarling growl rumbled through the clearing.

And then—it moved.

A massive shape emerged from the shadows—a hulking, four-legged creature with midnight-black fur and glowing silver eyes. Its body rippled unnaturally, almost as if it were shifting between forms, its presence distorting the air around it.

Cynus instinctively took a step back. "That's not a normal beast."

Lyric's voice was low, controlled. "It's tainted. Corrupted by magic."

Ren spun a dagger in his hand. "Right. So, plan?"

The beast snarled, lowering itself into a stance. It was about to pounce.

Cynus ignited his flames, the golden fire casting a sharp glow across the battlefield.

"We hold the line."

The beast lunged—faster than anything its size should have been able to move.

Cynus barely had time to throw up a barrier of flames, the creature tearing through it like smoke, its massive claws swiping toward him.

At the last second, Lyric blasted it sideways with a surge of compressed wind, forcing it to skid across the dirt.

Ren darted forward, moving faster than the eye could track. His dagger slashed against the beast's side—only for the blade to pass through empty air.

No resistance. No wound.

Ren's eyes widened. "It's shifting!"

Cynus gritted his teeth. "Then we burn it before it can!"

He launched a blast of golden fire, the searing heat illuminating the beast's unnatural form.

For the first time, the creature let out a pained screech.

"It's working!" Lyric shouted.

The beast twisted in agony, but instead of fleeing—it attacked with greater fury.

The creature's body distorted, its limbs elongating as it lashed out wildly. It smashed into a tree, sending shards of splintered wood flying.

Ren barely dodged a claw swipe, rolling to the side. "We need a way to pin it down!"

Lyric's eyes flashed. "I have an idea—buy me time!"

Cynus and Ren rushed forward, drawing the beast's attention. Golden fire and flashing steel clashed against shifting shadows, forcing it into defensive movement.

Meanwhile, Lyric planted her hands to the ground, wind energy swirling around her fingertips.

Not just air. Pressure.

The moment the beast leapt again, Lyric slammed her hands down.

A massive burst of air pressure detonated around the battlefield—collapsing the ground beneath the beast's feet.

It fell—just for a second.

And that was all Cynus needed.

Golden flames swirled around his hands, the fragment pulsing in sync with his heartbeat.

"Burn away."

He hurled the fireball—not just at the beast, but inside its distorted form.

The golden fire engulfed it completely, seeping into every shifting shadow, forcing it to take full form.

The creature screamed, its silver eyes flashing—

Then, in a final burst of light, it was no more.

Only ashes remained.

The clearing was silent once more.

Cynus exhaled heavily, his flames dimming. Ren stretched, wincing. "Well. That was awful."

Lyric studied the remains of the beast, her expression dark. "That thing was unnatural. Corrupted by something old."

Cynus stared at the caravan wreckage.

The monolith, the mist, and now this beast…

"This wasn't just a simple attack."

Ren wiped sweat from his brow. "So, uh… what do we tell Emberlight?"

Cynus clenched his fists. "That something is happening in the kingdom."

Lyric nodded. "And we need to find out what."

With that, they turned back toward Ravenspire, carrying more questions than answers.