Chapter 17 – Tension and Revelation

The air was thick with unease as Jin's name hung between them like a stormcloud, his presence casting a long shadow over Aria and her party. Aria's grip tightened on her bow, but she didn't release the string. Something about the way Jin moved, the way he spoke, felt like a warning. She could feel her pulse thudding in her throat, the sense of danger deepening with every passing second.

Aelius took a cautious step forward, his hand still resting on the hilt of his sword. The tension in the air was almost tangible, like the calm before a battle. "Jin," Aelius repeated, his voice cautious, as though trying to place the name. "You say you know this forest. But you're not from Caelundra. What do you want?"

Jin's gaze shifted to Aelius, and for a moment, the forest seemed to still, the distant screech of creatures fading into the background. "What I want?" Jin repeated, his voice steady, but there was something dark simmering beneath the calm. "What I want is irrelevant. This forest... and I… we have always been connected. But what you want is what matters now."

Aria's brow furrowed. She could hear the weight in his words, but she didn't understand them. She could feel the strange energy radiating from him, the unearthly power that hung in the air like a fine mist. There was something ancient in him, something that didn't belong in their world.

"You're not here by accident," Aria finally said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. "No one enters this forest by mistake. So, why are you here?"

Jin's eyes flickered with something unreadable, but his lips barely curled into a smile. "It's not why I'm here that matters. It's why you're here."

Aria's heart skipped a beat. The way he said it made her feel like she had already stepped into a trap—one that had been waiting for her and her party all along.

Caris shifted nervously behind her, his voice barely above a whisper. "We came to hunt a creature… but we're lost."

Jin's gaze flicked to Caris, and for the briefest moment, Aria could have sworn she saw a flash of sympathy—or perhaps understanding—pass through his eyes. But it was gone almost as soon as it appeared.

"You're lost," he said quietly, his voice taking on a mournful edge, "and so is this entire forest. Lost in time, lost in purpose. And you… you've stumbled into something you don't fully understand."

Aelius took another step forward, his face hardening. "Enough of the riddles. If you know something, tell us. We don't have time for this."

Jin's eyes darkened, and the air around them seemed to hum with power. "You want answers?" His voice lowered, like a growl that reverberated deep in her bones. "Then listen carefully, for there may not be another chance to hear them."

Aria stiffened, instinctively preparing for a confrontation. Aelius's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. But they didn't move. Not yet.

Jin's gaze swept across them all before his eyes settled back on Aria. "The creature you're hunting is not what it seems. It's a manifestation of the forest itself, an extension of its will. It's been watching you, drawing you deeper, waiting for you to come. But it's not the true danger."

Aria swallowed, trying to process his words. "Then what is the danger?"

Jin's lips twitched again, but this time, the smile was colder, almost predatory. "The danger is what's already here." He gestured to the darkness around them, as though the forest itself was alive, listening, watching. "The forest, the beasts, the whispers in the shadows—this place has a way of consuming those who stay too long. And those who enter… they become part of it."

The words sent a chill through Aria. She had heard tales of the Dark Forest's cursed nature, but to hear it spoken so plainly, so knowingly, made it feel far too real.

"You've been here too long, haven't you?" Aria found herself asking, her voice low but steady. She wasn't sure if it was a question for him or for herself.

Jin's eyes flickered with something like amusement, but it was gone too quickly for her to interpret. "Long enough to understand it. Long enough to see what's hidden in the depths. And long enough to know when someone is about to become lost."

Aelius's hand finally left the sword hilt, his posture softening, though his wariness never left. "What do you mean by 'lost'? You keep speaking as if there's something in this forest that's more than just its beasts. What are we missing?"

Jin tilted his head slightly, as though considering Aelius's question, before stepping closer. Aria instinctively moved to block him, but Jin's aura pressed against her, an invisible force that made her hesitate.

"It's not the beasts or the creatures," Jin said quietly, his voice almost a whisper now. "It's what lives in the hearts of those who enter. It's the choices you make. The darkness that's always been there, waiting. This forest has a way of drawing it out of you."

Aria felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She wasn't sure if he was warning them or if he was speaking from experience. Either way, it didn't make her feel any safer.

"We need to leave," Aelius said sharply, his voice cutting through the tension. "Now."

But Jin didn't move. Instead, he reached out, his fingers brushing the air in front of him like he was weaving something invisible. "Leaving isn't as simple as it sounds."

Aria's bow was still drawn, her arrow aimed at the ground, but her eyes never left Jin. "What do you mean? We've been lost for hours, we can't stay here."

Jin's smile returned, but it was as cold as ever. "The path out isn't always where you think it is. And sometimes… the forest doesn't let you leave at all."

With that cryptic statement, Jin stepped back, fading into the shadows like a ghost. For a long moment, no one moved, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the air.

"What the hell was that?" Caris finally broke the silence, his voice trembling.

Aelius glanced at the others. "We need to get out of here. Now."

But as they turned, Aria felt it—a flicker in the air, a whisper in the shadows. And for the first time, she realized that they weren't alone.

The Dark Forest had begun to close in around them.