Shadows and Whispers

The deeper they ventured into the northern woods, the more unnatural the silence became. The trail of footprints remained clear, but the eerie stillness gnawed at Tharion's instincts. It felt as if the very air around them was waiting—watching.

Ceyla kept her bow drawn, her eyes sharp. "I don't like this," she muttered.

"Neither do I," Tharion replied. His grip tightened around his sword.

Then, a whisper.

Soft, fleeting—like a voice carried on the wind.

Tharion froze. "Did you hear that?"

Ceyla nodded, shifting uneasily. "We're not alone."

The Phantom in the Mist

A heavy fog began to creep through the trees, obscuring their path. The moment it touched Tharion's skin, a chill ran through him—not from the cold, but from something deeper. Something wrong.

Then, through the mist, a figure appeared.

Unlike the masked attackers they had faced before, this one was unarmed, cloaked in dark blue robes, with a hood pulled low over their face.

Tharion immediately raised his sword. "Show yourself."

The figure stopped, then slowly lifted their head. Beneath the hood was a woman, her eyes glowing faintly silver. She looked directly at Tharion, her gaze piercing.

"You walk a path that does not belong to you," she said. Her voice was calm, yet carried weight. "Turn back before it is too late."

Ceyla exchanged a wary glance with Tharion. "Who are you?"

The woman didn't answer. Instead, she stepped forward, extending a hand toward Tharion. "The power inside you is not meant for this world. If you continue, you will awaken something far worse than you can comprehend."

Tharion frowned. "Then tell me what it is. What am I?"

The woman hesitated, as if considering whether to answer. Then, in a barely audible whisper, she said, "The last remnant of a forgotten god."

A sudden gust of wind tore through the forest, making the mist swirl violently. When Tharion blinked, the woman was gone—vanished as if she had never been there.

Ceyla exhaled sharply. "Okay. That was officially terrifying."

Tharion didn't respond. His mind was racing. A remnant of a forgotten god.

What did that mean?

A New Threat Emerges

Before he could process the revelation, a bloodcurdling scream rang through the trees—far ahead, but close enough to set them on high alert.

Ceyla turned toward him, urgency in her eyes. "That came from the direction of the villagers."

Tharion didn't hesitate. "Then we move. Now."

They sprinted through the woods, the fog trailing behind them like grasping hands.

Whatever awaited them ahead, Tharion knew one thing for certain—

The time for questions was over. The battle was about to begin.