WHISPER OF THE NIGHT

The Mythic Base had fallen quiet. A blanket of night wrapped around Lumisgrave, and the hum of distant crickets echoed faintly beneath the soft glow of moonlight. The wind brushed gently against the windowpanes, making a low, melodic whistle. Shadows danced quietly on the stone walls of Arslan's room, cast by the bluish wall lamps flickering faintly.

Arslan stood near his metallic locker, slowly buckling the last strap of his chest armor, though he knew he wouldn't need it yet. His eyes were distant—focused, but stormed with thought.

From the silence, Kar'Thæl's voice emerged from within him, laced with calm and curiosity.

Kar'Thael (whispering): "You're thinking about the Farmlands site."

Arslan (low, steady): "Yes. The one near the old river bend, just behind the wheat fields."

Kar'Thæl didn't respond at first. The silence stretched for a moment as if even he was feeling the weight of unease in the air.

Kar'Thael: "We go tonight."

Arslan (nodding): "I was waiting for you to say that."

A soft creak came from the wooden floor as Arslan stepped toward the window. Outside, he could see the fields in the far distance — a faint silver strip beneath the moonlight, too far to notice anything unusual. But both he and Kar'Thæl had sensed something.

Kar'Thael: "Second Demon Site. Near Farmlands. That place was once sacred… centuries ago, it held elemental springs under the soil. Now twisted, corrupted."

Arslan (sharpening his gauntlet edges): "Then it makes sense the demons chose it. They always corrupt what once held life."

There was a short pause.

Kar'Thael: "The first site near the Lake had… fire residue. Crystalline flames, ruins shaped like Gates… but no movement. This one… I feel it'll be different."

Arslan (quietly): "You think something's waiting?"

The torchlight flickered across the stone walls as a gust of wind whistled faintly from the cracked window. The room dimmed briefly before returning to its soft glow.

Kar'Thael (serious tone): "They're watching. Maybe not with eyes. But they know we're coming. They're waiting to see how far we'll go."

Arslan clenched his fists.

Arslan: "Then we don't wait either. Tonight. We end the guessing."

He walked across the room, placed the Requiem Shard—his recently forged blade—back in its resting case. He wouldn't take it tonight. This wasn't a battle. Yet.

Kar'Thael (teasing tone): "Look at you, thinking ahead. Are you finally becoming wise?"

Arslan (half-smirking): "I've always been wise. You were just too loud to hear it."

A quiet chuckle echoed within his mind—Kar'Thæl's rare laugh.

Kar'Thael: "Touché. But tonight… go light. We observe. We do not provoke. If something moves… we watch. If something speaks… we listen."

Arslan (nodding): "Got it."

There was a pause again. Outside, a distant wolf's howl echoed through the farmland edge. The wind picked up slightly, brushing the trees. The whistle it made through the nearby pipes gave the room an eerie chill.

Kar'Thael (low and cautious): "But keep your senses sharp. The second site… the earth beneath it cries. You might not hear it, but I do."

Arslan: "Then I'll listen through you."

He moved to the window again and stared at the horizon.

Arslan (murmuring): "Do you think we'll find a gate this time? Or another dead ruin?"

Kar'Thael: "I don't know. But I know this: the demon lords didn't open these gates just to play with crystals. Something is forming. Something old. And something… smart."

A beat passed. The moon climbed higher in the sky.

Arslan (resolute): "We leave in an hour. We'll be in the fields by midnight. No one follows us."

Kar'Thael: "As it should be."

Another quiet gust of wind brushed through the room, almost like the world itself was holding its breath.

Kar'Thael (firmly): "Arslan… be ready. Not everything born from the demon world walks on claws or breathes fire. Some… whisper."

Arslan's fingers clenched slightly.

Arslan: "Then I'll whisper back with steel."

As the candle near the door flickered and faded into nothing, Arslan reached for his cloak. He fastened it silently, then looked out once more toward the shadowed farmlands. Somewhere in the dark… the second site waited.