The whispering wind sent a chill down Louis's spine. The eerie murmurs weren't natural—there was intent behind them, a presence just beyond their perception. He clenched his fists, steadying his breathing as his eyes darted around the Shadow Glade's twisted trees.
"Something's here," Betty muttered, her fingers tightening around her bowstring.
Locob remained crouched near the monolith, his hands hovering over the glowing symbols. "The energy is… shifting," he whispered, his voice laced with unease. "It's reacting to us."
Louis took a step closer, carefully inspecting the jagged stone. Faintly pulsating veins of black ran through its surface, contrasting against the unnatural glow of the runes. This wasn't just an old artifact—this was something alive, something feeding off the world around it.
"Can you tell what kind of magic this is?" Louis asked Locob.
The young mage hesitated. "It's old magic, older than anything I've studied. Corruption isn't just clinging to the beasts—it's seeping into the land itself." He traced a rune with his fingers, and for a brief moment, the glow flared. "Someone must have reawakened this."
Betty exhaled sharply. "Which means we have an enemy. And they might be closer than we think."
A rustling sound echoed from the trees, and all three of them tensed. The forest, which had been eerily silent moments ago, now pulsed with an unseen energy.
Then came the whisper.
A low, guttural voice—more of a feeling than a sound—scraped against their minds.
You are not welcome.
Louis's heart pounded. "Who's there?" he called out, his hand instinctively reaching for his weapon.
The whisper did not answer. Instead, the air grew heavy, pressing against them like an unseen force. The glow of the monolith intensified, and the surrounding trees seemed to twist inwards, as if drawn to the dark power.
Then the ground beneath them trembled.
Locob scrambled back from the monolith. "It's responding to something!"
A deep, echoing growl cut through the air. From the shadows, a shape emerged—a beast, unlike any they had seen before. It was massive, its body covered in jagged blackened fur, but its most terrifying feature was its eyes. They glowed with the same unnatural energy as the monolith.
The creature was corrupted. And it was watching them.
Louis didn't hesitate. "Betty, Locob, move!"
The beast lunged.
Betty loosed an arrow, but as it struck the creature's hide, it barely flinched. The corruption had made it stronger. Louis dodged to the side as its massive claws tore into the ground where he had stood moments before.
Locob's hands ignited with flames. "Stand back!" He thrust his palms forward, sending a torrent of fire toward the beast. The flames washed over it, but instead of retreating, the creature roared, its body absorbing the energy like a sponge.
Betty's eyes widened. "Magic's not working!"
Louis gritted his teeth. "Then we'll have to get creative."
He dashed toward the monolith, drawing his weapon. If the beast was tied to the corruption, then destroying the source might be their only chance. He raised his sword, aiming for the glowing runes—but before he could strike, the air around him thickened, as if invisible hands were restraining him.
The whisper returned, louder this time, vibrating through his bones.
You are not ready.
Louis struggled against the unseen force, his muscles straining. "I don't care! Whatever this thing is, we're stopping it!"
A sharp pain stabbed through his head, a sudden rush of images flashing through his mind. A ruined temple. A shadowy figure standing before a shattered monolith. A name, barely discernible, echoing in the void.
And then, silence.
The force released him, and he staggered backward, gasping. The beast had stopped moving, its glowing eyes locked onto him. Then, without warning, it turned and bolted into the darkness, vanishing as swiftly as it had appeared.
Betty ran to Louis's side. "What the hell just happened?"
Louis shook his head, his vision still swimming. "I… I don't know. But I saw something. A temple, a figure—someone was there."
Locob frowned. "A temple? That could be important. If the monolith is just one part of a larger structure, then we might be dealing with something much bigger."
Louis clenched his fists. "Then we find it. We figure out what this thing is before it's too late."
The monolith's glow had dimmed, but the unease in the air remained. Whatever force was behind this corruption, it had just given them a warning.
And Louis knew that the next time, it wouldn't let them leave so easily.
To be continued…