Chapter 9: Journey to Ashenwood

The early morning mist clung to the earth like a veil, shrouding the landscape in a soft, ethereal blanket. Elara stood at the edge of the palace grounds, her cloak billowing behind her as the wind whispered through the trees. Cassian stood by her side, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. The journey to Ashenwood was one they could not delay any longer.

"Are you sure about this?" Cassian asked, his voice low and steady.

Elara turned to him, her expression determined but laced with uncertainty. "There's no other choice. If what Eryan said is true, the shadows are being drawn from something far deeper than we could have imagined. And if we're to stop this, we need to understand who is behind it—and why."

Cassian nodded, his jaw tightening. "I understand. But Ashenwood is no ordinary forest. The magic there is ancient and unpredictable. We'll need to be prepared for anything."

Elara glanced at him, her heart thudding in her chest. The thought of venturing into Ashenwood—where the trees whispered in tongues and the very air hummed with magic—filled her with a sense of awe and dread. But the Moonstone pulsed softly against her chest, a reminder of the bond she shared with it, and of the power she had yet to fully understand.

"We're as prepared as we can be," she said, her voice resolute. "We have no time to waste."

With one last glance toward the palace, Elara set her eyes on the path ahead. The world around her felt heavier than it had before, as if the weight of the unknown was pressing down upon her shoulders. But she wouldn't back down—not now. Not when the fate of Eldrath was at stake.

The journey was longer than they anticipated. Ashenwood was a forest unlike any Elara had ever seen—ancient trees with twisted, gnarled roots towered above them, their bark dark as though it had absorbed centuries of secrets. The air grew thicker the deeper they traveled, and the whispers of the wind took on a strange, almost eerie tone.

As they walked, the Moonstone's pulse grew stronger, but it was erratic—fluctuating with the rising tension in the air. Cassian kept a vigilant watch, his sword drawn, ever ready for the dangers that might lurk within the shadows of the forest.

They had been walking for hours when they came upon a clearing, and in the center of it stood an ancient stone temple, its surface worn by time but still standing proudly against the backdrop of the forest. The structure was not grand in its appearance, but there was something undeniably powerful about it. Elara could feel it in her bones—the air around the temple thrummed with magic.

"This is it," Elara whispered, her voice reverberating in the stillness. "This is where the answers are."

Cassian stepped forward cautiously, his eyes scanning the temple. "It doesn't look like anyone has been here in years. Are you sure it's safe?"

Elara's hand instinctively went to the Moonstone, which now glowed faintly against her chest, guiding her steps. "I can feel it," she said. "The answers are inside. We need to go in."

They approached the temple with caution, each step echoing through the quiet clearing. The entrance was a set of stone double doors, inscribed with intricate runes that seemed to shimmer as they moved closer. Elara reached out, her fingers brushing against the cold stone, and the doors creaked open, revealing a dark interior.

The inside of the temple was vast, with tall stone pillars reaching upward toward a ceiling lost in shadow. The air was thick with the scent of old magic—familiar, yet foreign to Elara. The walls were lined with faded murals, depicting figures in flowing robes, holding ancient symbols and glyphs that Elara didn't recognize. In the center of the room stood an altar, ancient and covered in dust.

"Do you feel that?" Cassian murmured, his voice tense.

Elara nodded. "There's something here. Something waiting."

She stepped forward, her boots echoing on the stone floor as she approached the altar. The Moonstone in her chest pulsed more rapidly now, as if urging her closer. Her hand hovered over the altar, and for a moment, it seemed as though the world around her held its breath.

Then, with a soft hum, the stone beneath her hand began to glow, and a faint, ghostly image appeared before her. It was a figure—a woman draped in robes of midnight blue, her face hidden in shadow, but her presence was unmistakably powerful. The air around Elara seemed to crackle with energy, and she could feel the weight of history pressing in on her.

The woman's voice, low and resonant, echoed through the temple, though her lips did not move. "The Moonstone is not the only key, child of the moon. The path you walk is fraught with peril, but only through understanding will you find the truth."

Elara's breath caught in her throat. The voice was both soothing and commanding, a voice that seemed to reach into the very marrow of her bones. "Who are you?" Elara asked, her voice barely a whisper.

The figure seemed to shimmer, the image flickering like a flame caught in a breeze. "I am a keeper of the past. The time has come for the Moonstone to reveal its true power. But beware, for the shadows are not all that they seem. Trust in the Moonstone, but trust in yourself more."

The image began to fade, and Elara's heart raced. The warning was clear—though the Moonstone was her guide, she could not rely solely on it. She would need to trust her instincts, her heart, and the strength she had yet to fully unlock within herself.

The room grew silent once again, and the image of the woman disappeared completely. But Elara was not the same. The words she had spoken echoed in her mind, and Elara understood something crucial—her journey had only just begun.

"We're not done here," Elara said, her voice firm. "We need to find out more. We need to learn everything we can about this order and the power they once held."

Cassian nodded, his expression hardening. "Whatever's coming, we'll face it together."

Elara took a deep breath, steadying herself. They weren't just here for answers anymore. They were here to stop the darkness before it consumed everything.