Chapter 31: Echoes of the Forsaken

A Shattered Silence

The world was too quiet.

Jorath could still feel the remnants of the whisper crawling through his veins, an unseen force that had left a stain on reality itself. He clenched his fists, forcing his breathing to steady. The night sky above looked normal once more—its stars distant, cold, and indifferent. But he knew. He knew.

Something had watched them.

Something had reached for them.

And it wasn't finished.

Beside him, Eryndra stood rigid, violet eyes narrowed, lips slightly parted as if she had tried to say something—but the words had died before they could form.

Thalos exhaled slowly.

His golden gaze remained locked on the heavens, unblinking. Calculating.

What did he see?

A gust of wind whispered through the trees, but it was absent of life—hollow. A reminder that something had brushed against their world. Something that should not be.

Finally, Thalos spoke.

"This place is tainted now."

His voice held no emotion, yet the weight of his words sent a chill through Jorath's spine.

Eryndra turned to him, her voice barely above a whisper. "What was it?"

A long silence followed. Then, finally—

"A Forsaken One."

Jorath felt his chest tighten.

Even Vauron, who had been eerily silent, let out a strangled breath.

No.

That name was forbidden.

Forsaken Ones were not supposed to exist.

Not anymore.

Not after what happened centuries ago, when the gods themselves had purged them from existence.

Yet Thalos had spoken the name so easily.

Like he had always known the truth.

Like he had always expected this moment to come.

Jorath's pulse pounded in his ears. His instincts screamed at him—run. But something deeper, something colder inside him, whispered otherwise.

He turned to Thalos.

"You're not telling us everything."

Thalos didn't respond immediately. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, golden eyes unreadable. Distant.

Finally, he murmured:

"No, I'm not."

And that was all.

---

The Eternal Dominion – The Fractured Divine

The Council was in chaos.

Lysara's silver eyes blazed with celestial light, her hands trembling as she clutched the edge of the crystalline table. "This cannot be."

Callis Veradin, the Lord of Wisdom, let out a long breath, his gaze sharp. "It is."

The rift had touched the mortal realm.

The Forsaken Ones—those who had been banished beyond existence itself—had whispered once more.

Sovaren, the Radiant King, sat upon his throne, fingers steepled beneath his chin. Unlike the others, he did not panic. He did not rage.

He simply watched.

And then, in a voice cold and absolute, he spoke:

"The Ashen King has returned."

The words sent shockwaves through the chamber.

The gods did not breathe.

But in that moment, they all felt the weight of something terrifying.

---

A Truth Unveiled

Jorath's head throbbed.

Thalos had led them away from the site of the rift, but the unease had only grown.

Eryndra walked beside him, arms crossed, eyes sharp. But her usual air of control was missing. She was rattled.

Jorath didn't blame her.

Finally, she broke the silence.

"A Forsaken One?" she repeated, voice tight. "Do you even understand what you're saying?"

Thalos paused.

Slowly, he turned toward her, his expression unreadable.

"Yes."

Eryndra took a step forward, frustration flashing in her gaze. "Then explain it to the rest of us, because I'd love to know why you're acting like this is normal."

Vauron scoffed, rubbing a hand down his face. "Shit, maybe it is for him."

Jorath swallowed the dry lump in his throat. He knew Vauron was half-joking, but…

Something about Thalos had always been different.

And now—

Now it was undeniable.

Thalos turned back toward the road, his voice impossibly calm.

"The world isn't what you think it is."

The weight of his words pressed against them, suffocating.

Then, for the first time—he hesitated.

A flicker of something in his expression. Something… human.

But it was gone before Jorath could grasp it.

"We keep moving."

And just like that, the conversation was over.

---

The Shadow's Warning

Night fell.

The group had set up camp deep within the forest, but rest was impossible. The unease still clung to the air, thick and suffocating.

Jorath sat by the fire, gaze locked on the flames. He should have been exhausted. He should have felt something.

Instead, there was only emptiness.

A rustling of leaves made him tense.

He turned sharply—only to find Eryndra standing nearby, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then—

"You don't trust him."

Jorath exhaled slowly. "No. And neither do you."

Eryndra's lips pressed into a thin line.

Silence stretched between them, heavy and unspoken.

Finally, she stepped forward, lowering her voice. "If he's hiding something... we need to know."

Jorath met her gaze, his chest tightening.

She was right.

But something inside him hesitated.

Because if they started down this path—

If they truly sought the truth—

There would be no turning back.

---

Beyond the Veil

The moment Jorath closed his eyes that night—he saw it.

A place that should not exist.

A vast expanse of nothingness, stretching infinitely in all directions.

The air hummed with whispers, an eternal song of voices never meant to be heard.

And standing in the distance—

A lone figure.

Cloaked in shadows.

Watching.

Waiting.

Jorath's pulse pounded. His body refused to move.

Then, without warning—

The figure turned.

Their eyes met.

And in that instant, Jorath understood.

It was calling to him.

A truth buried in the depths of his soul—something he had forgotten.

Something that had been erased.

The moment he realized it—

He woke up.

Gasping.

Heart pounding.

And for the first time in his life—

He was truly afraid.