Chapter 29 : Whisper's in the Darkness

The campfire crackled softly, its flickering light casting long shadows over the group. The Spirit Fox was curled up next to Ryn, its glow steady once again. It rested peacefully, but Ryn couldn't. His gaze was fixed on the fire, his thoughts consumed by the voice he'd heard during the ritual.

"The corruption is not your enemy. It is your evolution."

The words echoed in his mind, twisting his stomach into knots. Was it just a hallucination? A side effect of the Rift Core's energy? Or was there something—someone—behind it?

"You've been staring at that fire for an hour," Mira said, breaking the silence. She sat across from him, her bow resting against her knee. "What's on your mind?"

Ryn hesitated, glancing at the Spirit Fox. The bond pulsed faintly, a warm reminder of their recent victory. But the voice lingered like a shadow at the edge of his thoughts.

"During the ritual," he said finally, his voice low, "I heard something."

Mira frowned. "What do you mean? Like a sound?"

"A voice," Ryn said. "It spoke to me. It... it knew about the Codex. About the corruption."

That caught Bryn's attention. He was sharpening his sword nearby, but now he straightened, his scarred face darkening.

"A voice?" he repeated, his tone sharp. "What did it say?"

Ryn swallowed hard. "It said the corruption wasn't the enemy. That it's... evolution."

Mira and Jek exchanged uneasy glances.

"That's... not normal," Mira said cautiously.

"No kidding," Jek muttered, his smirk absent for once.

Bryn stepped closer, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "And you didn't think to mention this sooner?"

"I wasn't sure it was real," Ryn said defensively. "I still don't know if it was."

"It's real," Bryn said flatly. "The rifts mess with your head. They make you see things, hear things—but it's not random. If you heard a voice, it means something."

"Like what?" Ryn asked, his chest tightening.

Bryn shook his head. "I don't know. But whatever it is, it's not good."

The conversation hung heavy in the air as the group prepared for the night. Jek took the first watch, leaning casually against a tree with his daggers in hand. Bryn and Mira sat near the fire, talking in hushed tones, while Ryn lay beside the Spirit Fox, staring up at the dark canopy of trees above them.

The bond pulsed faintly, a steady rhythm that lulled him toward sleep. But just as his eyes began to close, a faint sound broke the silence.

A whisper.

Ryn sat up sharply, his hand going to his knife. The Spirit Fox stirred beside him, its fur bristling as it let out a low growl.

"What is it?" Mira asked, rising to her feet.

Ryn held up a hand, motioning for silence. The whisper came again, faint but insistent, like the rustle of leaves in a nonexistent breeze.

"You're being watched..."

Ryn's blood ran cold.

"I heard it again," he said, his voice barely audible.

Mira's eyes widened. "The voice?"

Ryn nodded, his gaze darting toward the shadows at the edge of the camp.

The Spirit Fox growled louder, its glowing eyes fixed on a patch of darkness just beyond the firelight.

Jek straightened, his posture tense. "Something's out there," he said, his voice low.

Bryn drew his sword, the blade gleaming faintly in the firelight. "Stay close," he ordered. "And don't let your guard down."

The whisper came again, louder this time.

"You cannot escape..."

The shadows at the edge of the camp shifted, coalescing into a hulking shape. Two glowing red eyes appeared in the darkness, followed by a guttural growl that sent a chill down Ryn's spine.

"What is that?" Mira whispered, her bow drawn.

The creature stepped into the light, its massive form twisting unnaturally as it moved. It was unlike any beast Ryn had seen—a towering mass of sinew and shadow, with jagged claws and a mouth full of serrated teeth. Its body pulsed with the same green energy as the rift, and the air around it seemed to ripple with corruption.

"A Stalker," Bryn said grimly. "But bigger. Stronger."

"It's not alone," Jek said, his gaze darting to the shadows. More red eyes appeared in the darkness, each pair accompanied by the low growls of corrupted beasts.

Ryn's heart pounded as he gripped his knife, his mind racing. "We can't fight all of them," he said.

"We don't have to," Bryn said. "We just need to survive long enough to get out of here."

Mira nodded, her bowstring taut. "Stick together. If we lose each other, we're dead."

The Spirit Fox let out a sharp cry, its fur flaring brightly as it stood protectively in front of Ryn. The bond pulsed sharply, filling him with a surge of adrenaline.

"Let's move!" Bryn shouted, swinging his sword as the first Stalker lunged toward him.

The camp erupted into chaos as the corrupted beasts attacked. Ryn and the Spirit Fox moved in sync, their bond guiding them as they dodged and countered the relentless strikes of their enemies.

The Spirit Fox's claws glowed brightly as it slashed through the shadowy forms, each strike leaving trails of light that burned away the corruption.

"Stay close!" Mira shouted, loosing an arrow that pierced the eye of a charging beast.

Ryn followed her lead, his knife flashing as he struck at another Stalker that lunged toward him. The bond pulsed again, filling him with the Spirit Fox's strength and agility.

But the beasts kept coming.

"There's too many!" Jek shouted, his daggers flashing as he fought off two Stalkers at once.

"We need to retreat!" Bryn barked, cutting down another beast.

"Where?" Ryn shouted, dodging a swipe from a massive claw.

Bryn pointed toward the river. "The water! They won't follow us there!"

"Go!" Mira shouted, covering their retreat with a volley of arrows.

Ryn didn't hesitate. He grabbed the Spirit Fox and ran, the bond pulsing fiercely as he pushed through the chaos.

The whispers followed them, growing louder and more distorted with every step.

"You cannot run..."

"You cannot hide..."

Ryn gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus. The bond pulsed brighter, and the Spirit Fox's presence steadied him.

"We'll make it," Ryn said, his voice filled with determination. "We have to."