The Third Fragment Of The Medallion (1)

Atlas frowned. His gut told him that Graham wasn't the type to cause trouble for nothing. Everything was a test, and he couldn't refuse.

–I'm ready. – Atlas said.

Graham nodded.

– Good. Come on, then. My test is simple, but if you can't pass it, say goodbye to the medallion forever.

At that moment, Graham quickly pulled out his dagger and darted forward. Atlas barely had time to jump out of the way, his reflexes triggered instantly. However, Graham, expecting nothing less, changed the trajectory of the attack and launched a counterattack, forcing Atlas to react faster and faster.

It wasn't just a fight, it was a test. Atlas realized that Graham didn't want to kill him. He wanted to see his reactions, his psychological fortitude, how he would act in the face of surprise.

And when Graham swung the dagger again, Atlas grabbed his arm and twisted it violently.

They were both on the ground, but Graham was already at a distance, preparing for the next move.

–You're not bad, kid. – he said, brushing the dirt off his hands: – But that's not all.

Atlas stood up, still watching Graham's movements. His body was on the verge of fatigue, but he felt that there was not only physical strength, but also spirit in this ordeal. And he was ready to endure everything.

– What's next? – Atlas asked, breathing heavily.

Graham grinned again.

– Now you have to prove that you understand the forest.

He took a step back and, without looking into Atlas' eyes, fell silent. Atlas immediately felt that he had disappeared. Suddenly he was gone.

Atlas stood surrounded by the silence of the forest. Graham disappeared as if he had never been there. Atlas felt his heart racing, and the adrenaline hadn't left his system yet. A moment ago, he was in a fight, and now there was silence again. But not the serene silence he knew. It was oppressive, as if the forest itself was watching him.

Sin, hovering nearby, made small noises, as if she, too, felt the change.

–Graham? – Atlas said aloud, but there was no response.

No footprints, no sounds. He felt as if the dark trees around him had become motionless, and the air was being squeezed. Everything felt like a trap.

"You should be smarter." – A thought flashed through his mind.

Atlas knew that Graham hadn't just disappeared. He threw him into the forest, leaving the test. It wasn't an accidental disappearance–it was a path that the hunter wanted him to take.

His intuition told him that Graham was testing him not only for reaction, but also for his ability to understand the forest, to read it like an open book. There was no room for straightforwardness here – you had to slow down, get into this rhythm, feel the hidden logic that the old hunter was trying to show.

He concentrated. He slowly inhaled and exhaled. The forest seemed to come alive. The light breeze that touched the leaves was not just an accident. Footprints could be seen on the ground–not fresh, but obvious.

Graham wasn't far away, his footprints didn't disappear, they just became as thin as the forest itself.

Atlas carefully brought his hand to the ground, touching it with his fingers. Sand, leaves, tree trunks – everything was connected in one stream. The forest was a complex grid, and Graham was part of it.

He moved to the side, following the barely visible signs that appeared in front of him. Soon he found the first evidence — the remains of a fire that had recently been extinguished. It was irrefutable. Graham was here, he left a mark.

–You wanted to test how I read footprints. –Atlas said, no longer doubting his intuition: – I'm ready.

But the forest did not respond. He was quiet and seemed to know everything about his movements.

Atlas continued to move, his steps becoming precise. Soon, he came across the hunter's footprints, but they weren't just footprints. It was a chain. It was relatively short, but there was something very striking about each part of these footprints-small markings left by Graham in order for Atlas to understand that it would be much more difficult next.

–He's doing it on purpose. – Atlas said aloud to himself.

He was in no hurry. Instead, he began to pick out every detail, wondering what Graham wanted to show him.

The tracking process became not just a game for him, but something that required concentration and patience. For an hour, Atlas moved along these tracks, studying the earth, looking for a connection between the elements.

At some point, when it seemed to him that he had taken all the tracks, he found himself in a small clearing. There was a tree in the center, old and blackened with age. There was a scratch cut into the trunk.

–He's waiting for me here.

That was clear. Atlas walked over to the tree, examined it, and found a small depression hidden in the cracks of the trunk. There, among the bark, lay the next fragment of the medallion.

[Fragment received: "Part of the medallion (2/3)"]

Atlas clutched the medallion in his hand and felt the cool metal fill him with power. There was only one piece left, and it was already so close.

Suddenly, there was a noise behind him. Atlas whirled around, ready for the next challenge.

Graham.

He came out from behind the trees, watching him with a quiet grin.

– Do you understand what you need? – the hunter asked, his voice was deep and calm: – You did everything right. But now I see that you understand more than just footprints. You understand the forest itself.

Atlas nodded.

–And you passed the test. –Graham said: –Now all you have to do is find the third fragment. But he's not in this forest. You must go to the place where shadow and light are intertwined. And be aware that not everyone who is looking is able to withstand everything. Good luck, man.

–"You'll tell me more?" – Atlas thought, but Graham had already disappeared, disappearing into the forest shadows, leaving him with the twice-found parts of the medallion and the mystery he had to solve.

Graham was gone. Atlas stood in the shade of an old tree, clutching the second part of the medallion in his hands.

Shadow and light. Those words echoed in his head.

Graham seems to have said that on purpose, as a hint. Atlas knew that everything always made sense to the old hunter. And there is something important in these words.

Everything around him, the forest, its nooks and crannies, seemed to be part of some more complex scheme than just trials.

These phrases: "Shadow and light", "Not everyone who seeks is able to withstand everything" – they had a different, hidden meaning.

"Where did you leave the last fragment?" – Atlas thought and immediately realized that his path would not be as easy as before.

Shadow and light.

He looked around, feeling strangely uncertain. Fragments of images flashed through his mind, but nothing came together. However, one thing was clear: he had to go to the place where these two elements intertwine.

He raised his head and looked at the clouds that covered the sky, half hiding the sun. Perhaps this was the moment when shadow and light literally intertwine.

"Light and shadow playing on the ground..."

//To be continued, please like and save…