The night stretched on, the forest cloaked in an eerie stillness. Kael sat beside the small fire Vasra had built, its flickering light casting long shadows against the towering trees. The warmth should have been comforting, but all he felt was the weight of the emissary's words pressing down on him.
Vasra sat across from him, sharpening a curved dagger with slow, deliberate strokes. Her face was unreadable, but Kael could sense the tension in the way her hand gripped the hilt. She had been on edge since their encounter with the emissary.
"Can you tell me what the sanctuary really is?" Kael finally asked, breaking the silence.
Vasra looked up, her sharp eyes meeting his. "A place of knowledge. A place of refuge. And most importantly, a place where you'll learn to control what's inside you."
Kael instinctively glanced at his hand. The mark had stopped glowing, but he could still feel it, like an ember buried deep beneath his skin. He swallowed hard. "And if I can't control it?"
Vasra's gaze darkened. "Then it will control you."
A shiver ran down Kael's spine. He had already felt the power slipping beyond his grasp when the mark first appeared. What if next time, he couldn't stop it?
Vasra seemed to read his thoughts. "That's why we're leaving now. We can't afford to wait. The longer the mark remains unchecked, the stronger its pull becomes."
Kael nodded, pushing aside his doubts. He didn't have a choice. He stood, brushing the dirt from his cloak. "Then let's go."
Vasra doused the fire with a swift kick of dirt. "Stay close. The woods aren't safe at night."
They moved through the dense underbrush, the towering trees stretching like sentinels above them. The path was narrow, barely more than a deer trail winding through the thick foliage. Kael's footsteps were light, but Vasra's were silent, as if she were part of the shadows themselves.
After nearly an hour of walking, Kael heard something—a rustling in the trees above them. He froze, his instincts screaming at him. "Did you hear that?" he whispered.
Vasra had already drawn her dagger. Her posture shifted, her muscles tensed. "We're being followed."
Kael's pulse quickened. He turned, scanning the darkness, but he saw nothing. "Who is it?"
Vasra's voice was barely audible. "Not who. What."
Before Kael could ask what she meant, a sudden gust of wind sent a cascade of leaves spiraling around them. Then, from the treetops, a low, guttural growl echoed through the night.
Kael barely had time to react before something lunged from the darkness.
A monstrous shape crashed into the ground before them, its eyes glowing like molten gold. It was unlike anything Kael had ever seen—a beast with elongated limbs and a hunched back, its body covered in sleek, black fur. It moved with an unnatural grace, circling them like a predator assessing its prey.
Vasra took a step forward, positioning herself between Kael and the creature. "A Shadowborn," she murmured. "I was afraid of this."
The beast let out a guttural snarl, its claws digging into the earth. Kael could feel its presence pressing against him, a suffocating aura of darkness.
"Stay behind me," Vasra ordered, her grip tightening on her dagger. "If it charges, don't run. Running will only make it hunt you faster."
Kael swallowed hard, his fingers twitching. The mark on his hand began to burn, reacting to the creature's presence. The pain was sharper this time, as if something inside him was waking up.
The Shadowborn lunged.
Vasra moved like lightning, dodging the beast's attack and slashing her dagger across its flank. A thin line of dark liquid oozed from the wound, but the creature barely flinched.
Kael took a step back, his mind racing. He had no weapon, no way to fight. The mark burned hotter, and suddenly, he heard something—whispers. Faint, distant voices, speaking in a language he didn't understand.
The Shadowborn snarled, snapping its jaws at Vasra, but she was faster, ducking and rolling to the side. "Kael!" she shouted. "The mark—focus on it!"
Kael clenched his fist. The whispers grew louder. His vision blurred for a moment, and then—
A pulse of energy erupted from his hand.
The air around him crackled with unseen force as a shockwave radiated outward. The Shadowborn howled, stumbling back as if struck by an invisible hammer. The energy twisted and coiled like living fire, seeping into the ground beneath them.
Kael gasped, the sudden surge of power leaving him lightheaded. He stumbled, his legs nearly giving out beneath him.
Vasra seized the opportunity, driving her dagger deep into the creature's chest. The Shadowborn let out a final, shuddering growl before collapsing in a heap. Its body twitched once, then went still.
Silence fell.
Kael breathed heavily, his body trembling from the aftershock of whatever had just happened. He looked down at his hand—the mark was still glowing faintly, but the pain had faded.
Vasra pulled her dagger free and wiped the blade clean. "That," she said, turning to face Kael, "is why we need to get you to the sanctuary."
Kael nodded weakly. He didn't understand what had just happened, but one thing was clear: the mark's power was growing. And he had no control over it.
"We need to move," Vasra said, sheathing her weapon. "If there's one Shadowborn, there could be more."
Kael took a deep breath and steadied himself. He had survived the first attack. But something told him this was only the beginning.
With one last glance at the fallen creature, he followed Vasra deeper into the forest, toward whatever awaited him at the sanctuary.