A sign in the dark

Next Chapter – "A Sign in the Dark"

The forest was unusually still. No birdsong, no rustling leaves—only the cold wind whispering between the tangled branches. The silence was strange, but it wasn't comforting.

Darius walked behind Lotfi without saying a word. There was no need to ask; he knew now was not the time. The path they followed wasn't random. It was as if Lotfi knew exactly where he was going, carefully choosing each step, as though the very ground held secrets that should not be disturbed.

After a considerable distance, Lotfi stopped before an ancient tree—older than any other in the area, with roots entwined like petrified serpents. At first glance, there was nothing remarkable about it—just another tree in the vast forest. But it carried an eerie presence… a feeling that someone, or something, was watching them from within.

Lotfi said nothing. He simply reached out, pressed his palm against the bark, and whispered words too soft for Darius to catch. Moments later, something unexpected happened—the roots slowly withdrew, as if they were alive, responding to an unheard command, revealing a dark opening within the trunk.

"Go inside," Lotfi murmured, before adding a warning:

"And do not speak unless spoken to."

Inside the tree, the place was nothing like Darius had expected.

It wasn't just a hollowed-out cavity; it felt more like a cavern carved within the wood itself. The air was strangely warm, and the wooden walls bore subtle, pulsing patterns—as if the tree was breathing ever so slowly.

The dim light came from black candles placed carefully in the corners, their silent flames flickering, more like sentinels guarding the space than sources of illumination. On aged shelves, glass vials held unfamiliar liquids, tattered books lay in disarray, and from the ceiling, small bones dangled from thin strings, swaying slightly with every movement.

And at the center of it all sat the mysterious figure.

Cloaked in black with a hood that concealed most of their face, they were not human. Darius felt it immediately. It wasn't their appearance that gave it away—it was something deeper, something oppressive, like a shadow unseen but unmistakably present.

Lotfi did not hesitate. He spoke directly:

"You already know why we are here."

No immediate response. But when the figure finally spoke, their voice was quiet, hushed—words that required no force to be heard:

"Of course… He saw the nightmare, didn't he?"

Darius didn't move, but he felt a slight tightening in his chest.

"His name is Darius, isn't it?"

The figure turned slowly toward him. Though their face remained shrouded, the weight of their attention was undeniable.

"I can sense something… unusual in his blood."

Darius didn't understand what they meant, but the tone wasn't hostile. It was… curious.

"He resembles that person."

Lotfi gave a small nod.

"Doesn't he? Even I can feel the similarity… But that is not why we're here now."

A moment of silence passed before the figure responded, their voice as steady as before:

"I know… But there is something else. Something more important."

The air in the room felt heavier.

"There is something in his heart…"

Darius instinctively touched his chest for a brief moment.

"Something yet to be understood, but powerful… and I wonder how he hasn't been consumed by it already."

Lotfi didn't seem surprised, but he was tense. Darius felt the conversation was still centered around him, yet he couldn't grasp the full picture.

"That's not what matters right now," Lotfi interjected, trying to steer the discussion back.

But the figure ignored his attempt and continued, their tone sharper—though still eerily quiet:

"You don't understand… That heart is calling for something."

A strange sensation crept over Darius, as if the air had grown slightly warmer for a moment.

"Something far greater than him."

Darius remained silent, but his heartbeat quickened slightly. The mark that appeared after his nightmare… was it the cause of this?

"The thing you encountered in the nightmare…" The figure spoke more slowly now, as if carefully choosing their words.

"It wasn't the mist."

Darius felt a coldness spread through his fingers. The revelation wasn't entirely unexpected, yet hearing it aloud made it more real.

"That thing… was not just an illusion. It was watching you."

The air in the room grew thick. Darius didn't respond, but an unseen pressure settled on his chest.

"It was trying to read your mind… searching for answers."

Lotfi didn't reply, but he shot a quick glance at Darius, as if checking to see if he was holding himself together.

"And you're fortunate…" The figure paused briefly before continuing:

"That Lotfi woke you up in time."

Darius swallowed silently.

"That entity obtained a fragment of what it sought… but not everything."

A heavy silence followed.

Then, the figure added, voice as even as before:

"But now… it knows who you are."

The words were simple, but they struck like thunder in Darius's mind.

Lotfi cursed under his breath.

Darius wasn't sure what that meant, but the figure left no room for speculation.

"And more importantly…"

Their voice was slower now, as if ensuring Darius absorbed every word:

"It is coming for you."

The room was unnervingly quiet. Darius couldn't tell if this was a warning… or simply a truth he wasn't ready to face.

"You don't have much time."

Darius could feel his pulse pounding in his chest. The mark that had appeared after his nightmare—was that the reason?

The figure studied him, as if truly seeing him for the first time, then spoke one final sentence, slow and deliberate, carrying a weight deeper than the words themselves:

"It is not just a mark…"

Darius said nothing, but he felt an instinctive dread about what was coming next.

"It is a signal."