Chapter 7: The Road to Eldrin

**Chapter 7: The Road to Eldrin**

Jack adjusted the straps of his backpack as he stepped away from the abandoned train yard. His mind still buzzed with the whispers from the sigil, the name **Eldrin** echoing through his thoughts like a ghostly reminder that he was nowhere near the end of this mystery. If anything, this was just the beginning.

Shadow trotted beside him, ever watchful, his ears twitching at the slightest sound. Jack had learned to trust his instincts—if Shadow sensed something, it was usually best to be on high alert. 

The streets of the town were eerily quiet. It was still early morning, but even then, something felt… off. The usual hum of distant traffic was missing, the wind carried no voices, no signs of people stirring to start their day. It was as if the world itself had taken a deep breath, waiting.

Jack shook the thought away. He had to focus. **Find Eldrin.** But how? The vision from the sigil had been fragmented, a blur of unknown places and ancient symbols. He had no map, no clear direction—just a name and an urgency that refused to let him rest.

His first step was finding more information. If Eldrin was a place, someone in town had to know about it. If it was a person… well, that was a different problem altogether. He needed resources, guidance, maybe even an ally. The only place that made sense to start was the town's old library. It wasn't much, but it held records that dated back further than most people cared to look.

Jack quickened his pace, his boots crunching against the gravel as he took a shortcut through an alleyway. Shadow stiffened suddenly, his fur bristling. Jack followed his gaze, heart pounding.

At the alley's end stood a figure—a woman, cloaked in deep navy robes, her face hidden beneath a hood. She made no move, no sound. Just stood there, as if she had been expecting him.

Jack's grip tightened on the **Emberfang Crowbar** strapped to his side. "Who are you?"

The woman raised her head slightly, revealing only the lower half of her face. A smirk tugged at the corners of her lips. "You ask the wrong question, Jack Frost."

His blood ran cold. She knew his name.

Jack took a cautious step forward. "Then what's the right question?"

She tilted her head. "Not **who** I am. But **why** I am here."

Shadow growled low in his throat, his golden eyes locked onto the woman. Jack didn't like this. He had spent enough time around danger to recognize it when it stood before him. 

"And why are you here?" he asked carefully.

The woman's smirk deepened. "To warn you. Eldrin is not a destination—it is a fate. And you are already walking its path."

Jack's fingers twitched at his side. He didn't trust cryptic messages, and he definitely didn't trust people who appeared out of nowhere speaking in riddles. "What does that mean?"

She sighed, as if he was supposed to already understand. "You carry the mark of the sigil now. That means you are seen. You are heard." Her voice lowered. "And you are hunted."

The air seemed to thin around him. Jack straightened his stance, resisting the urge to glance over his shoulder. "By who?"

A pause. Then, the woman spoke a single name.

**"The Veilborn."**

The moment the word left her lips, the shadows in the alley deepened unnaturally. Jack felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. Shadow let out a sharp bark, stepping in front of Jack protectively.

The woman took a step backward, melting into the darkness behind her. "Find Eldrin before they find you."

And then she was gone.

Jack stood motionless, his mind racing. **The Veilborn.** He had never heard that name before, but something about it made his stomach twist. The way the alley darkened, the way the air turned heavy with unseen weight—it was as if the name itself carried power.

Shadow nudged his leg, urging him to move. Jack exhaled slowly. He had wasted enough time already. He needed to get to the library, now more than ever.

By the time he reached the old brick building, his pulse had steadied, but his thoughts remained restless. The library was nearly empty, save for an elderly librarian sitting at the front desk, flipping through a newspaper. She barely glanced up as Jack walked past.

He headed straight to the archives. Dust coated the old wooden shelves, and the faint scent of parchment filled the air. Jack pulled book after book, scanning for any mention of Eldrin.

Then, finally—

His fingers froze on a worn leather-bound book titled **"The Lost Cities and Their Legends."**

Jack flipped through the brittle pages until his eyes landed on a passage that sent a chill through him:

*"Eldrin, the Forgotten Bastion. A place unseen, existing between worlds. Said to be the last refuge before the descent into shadow. Its doors do not open for all—but once marked, the path is inescapable."*

Jack shut the book with a sharp breath.

The woman had been right. He wasn't looking for a place on a map. Eldrin wasn't somewhere he could just **go.** It was something bigger, something connected to him in ways he still didn't understand.

And if the **Veilborn** were real—if they were after him—then he had less time than he thought.

Jack tucked the book under his arm and turned toward the exit. He had more questions than ever, but one thing was certain.

His journey had only just begun.

**To be continued…**