Chapter 08: The Path of Shadows

The path Ardyn took twisted deeper into the canyon, an ominous silence settling over the cliffs. Shadows clung to the walls like oil, shifting faintly with each step Trevor and Beatrice took. The light that crept in from above felt thinner now, weaker, as though the canyon itself sought to devour it.

Trevor led the way, his hand never far from his sword. Beatrice followed the close behind, her gaze darting warily between the jagged rocks and distant fissures. Neither of them spoke.

Finally, Beatrice broke the silence. "You're quiet."

Trevor's eyes remained forward. "We don't have time for conversation."

"I wasn't asking for one." She stepped around a loose stone, he tone softening. "You're thinking about him, aren't you? Ardyn."

"I'm not gay."

"But you're thinking about him."

Trevor didn't respond immediately. He had been thinking about him, more than he cared to admit. The way the Swordsaint moved, the way he wielded his power without hesitation, it all lingered in Trevor's mind like a splinter.

"He's dangerous," Trevor said finally. "Don't trust him."

"I wasn't planning to," Beatrice replied. "But we can't ignore him, either. If he knows what's happening here, we need answers."

Trevor's jaw tightened. "He's not the type to share."

"Then we'll take what we need," Beatrice said firmly.

Trevor shot her a glance, surprised by her resolve. "And here I thought you were the reasonable one."

Beatrice gave him a faint smile. "I'm reasonable until I'm not."

They found Ardyn an hour later.

He stood in a small clearing surrounded by stone spires, his sword resting against his shoulder as he surveyed something at his feet. Trevor and Beatrice slowed as they approached, wary of the scene.

Ardyn glanced up as they entered, his sharp blue eyes gleaming faintly in the dim light.

"You're persistent," he said, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "I'll give you that."

Trevor ignored the remark, his gaze dropping to what Ardyn had been inspecting. It was a body, twisted, blackened, its features frozen in an expression of pure terror.

"Probably on of the envoys my father sent," Beatrice said, stepping closer. "What happened to him?"

Ardyn tilted his head, his tone almost casual. "Demonic corruption. Poor soul wandered too deep and found something he shouldn't have."

Trevor frowned, kneeling beside the body. The corruption was unlike anything he'd seen before thick, cloying, and spreading outward in the jagged lines that cracked the earth like veins. He could still feel it, faint but alive pulsing beneath his fingertips.

"This was recent," Trevor said quietly.

"A week or so, very recent," Ardyn replied, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "And it's only going to get worse."

Trevor stood, turning to face him. "You know what's causing this."

Ardyn's smirk faded, replaced by something colder. "I know enough. But what I know isn't free."

Trevor stepped closer, his tone sharp. "This isn't a negotiation."

Ardyn raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it?" He planted his sword into the ground and leaned on it, his expression taunting. "I could leave you here, fumbling in the dark, and let this canyon swallow you whole. Or you could listen to what I have to say. Your choice."

Trevor frowned. "What makes you think we need your help?"

Ardyn smirked. "I don't think so, I know so."

"For a Swordsaint, you pretty much a devil than a saint."

"Is that so? I never realized"

Trevor's grip on his sword tightened. "Maybe, I'll have to beat it into your skull."

"I'd like to see you try." Ardyn replied, his eyes slightly crackling with lighting.

"Enough, both of you," Beatrice stepped between them, her tone calm but firm. "What do you want?"

Ardyn's gaze flicked to her, and for a moment, the faintest flicker of amusement returned to his face. "Smart. I like that." He straightened, pulling his sword free of the ground. "There's something deeper in this canyon, an old ruin, older than any kingdom on this continent. The corruption starts there."

Trevor's eyes narrowed. "And you know where it is?"

"I do," Ardyn replied. "But reaching it isn't easy. The corruption grows stronger the closer you get, and most people… well, they don't survive the journey.

Beatrice frowned. "Then how do you know about it?"

Ardyn's expression darkened slightly, though the smirk didn't fully disappear. "Because I've been there."

Trevor stiffened. "And you came back alive."

Ardyn's eyes gleamed faintly. "Still think you can beat me."

Trevor shrugged. "We won't know till we try."

Ardyn stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. "I can't wait to beat you up," he said, wiping his eyes. "Come on lets go."

The three of them moved together, though the silence between them was tense. Ardyn led the way, his movements deliberate and unhurried, as though he had all the time in the world. Trevor kept his distance, his gaze never straying far from the Swordsaint's back.

"Are you going to stare at me the whole way?" Ardyn said over his shoulder.

Trevor's tone was flat. "I don't trust you."

Ardyn chuckled softly. "Good. You shouldn't."

They descended into a narrow ravine, the ground slick with blackened stone. The air grew colder, the corruption stronger. Shadows flickered along the canyon walls, whispering faintly as they passed.

Beatrice shivered. "It's getting worse."

"Brace yourself," Ardyn said, his voice usually grim. "This is where the dead walk."

Trevor frowned. "The what?"

Before Ardyn could answer, the whispers grew louder, no longer faint, like voices speaking just behind them. Trevor turned sharply, his hand on his sword.

The canyon floor shifted.

Figures began to rise from the ground, humanoid shapes wrapped in shadow, their bodies twisted and broken. Their face were featureless voids.

Beatrice's breath caught. "What are they?"

"Echoes," Ardyn replied calmly, drawing his sword. "Corrupted souls bound to this place. Don't let them touch you."

The echoes turned toward them, their heads tilting unnaturally before they charged.

"Move!" Trevor barked.

The clearing erupted into chaos. Trevor's blade flashed as he met the first echo head-on, slicing through its form. It let out a soundless scream as it disintegrated, but two more took its place. Beatrice fought beside him, her divine blade glowing brightly as it cut through the darkness.

Ardyn was a blur. His great-sword carved wide arcs through the air, arcs of lighting crackling with every strike. Echoes fell around him like leaves in a storm, but his expression remained cold, focused.

"Don't stop moving!" Ardyn shouted. "They'll overwhelm you!"

Trevor grit his teeth, forcing himself to stay calm. The echoes were endless, crawling out of the earth like insects. One of them grabbed his arm, and a searing cold shot through him. Trevor roared, the energy within him flaring to life as he tore the creature apart.

"Trevor!" Beatrice shouted, her voice edged with panic. "We're surrounded!"

Trevor glanced at Ardyn, who stood at the far end of the clearing, his sword crackling with energy. The Swordsaint's gaze met his, and for a fleeting moment, Trevor saw something in his eyes, something cold and calculating.

"Find the source!" Ardyn shouted. "I'll hold them off!"

Trevor didn't trust him. Not for a second. But they had no choice.

"Beatrice, come on!" Trevor grabbed her arm, pulling her toward a narrow fissure at the edge of the clearing. The echoes swarmed behind the, but Ardyn stood his ground, his blade a wall of lighting as he cut them down.

"Go!" Ardyn roared, his voice echoing through the canyon.

Trevor and Beatrice disappeared into the fissure, the darkness swallowing them whole.