The Unseen Threat

Chapter 22: The Unseen Threat

The village remained silent, but the air was thick with unseen tension. Tara and Kael stood frozen, their minds reeling from the cryptic warning left by the spectral figure. The gods were never the true rulers of this world. They were merely its wardens. The words echoed in Tara's mind, sending a chill through her bones.

Kael finally broke the silence. "We need to tell Emrick."

Tara nodded, her thoughts swirling. "And the others. If something worse is coming, we can't be caught unprepared."

They hurried back to the village, where the few survivors were beginning to stir. Emrick was by the fire, sharpening his blade, his expression unreadable. When he saw them approaching, he frowned.

"You both look like you've seen a ghost," he muttered.

"We might have," Kael said grimly.

Tara quickly recounted their encounter with the shadowed figure. As she spoke, she watched Emrick's face carefully. His grip on the blade tightened, but he said nothing until she finished.

"So the gods were keeping something at bay," he murmured, staring into the fire. "And now that they're gone…"

"Whatever it is, it's waking up," Tara finished.

Silence fell between them. The implications were terrifying. They had fought so hard to free the world from the grip of the gods, only to learn that the gods had been the only barrier between humanity and something far worse.

Kael shifted uneasily. "We need more information. If this thing was imprisoned by the gods, there has to be something left behind—something that tells us what it is and how to stop it."

Emrick nodded. "Agreed. We should start at the ruins of the last temple. If there are any answers, they'll be there."

Tara exhaled sharply. "Then we leave at dawn."

As they dispersed to gather supplies, Tara glanced back toward the darkness beyond the village. The whispers had faded, but the unease in her chest remained. She had thought the battle was over. She had thought the gods were the greatest challenge she would ever face.

But something else had been waiting in the shadows.

And now, it was free.