Kael stepped out from the thick mist and into the shadowed forest.
The world shifted around him—the fog faded, replaced by towering trees whose twisted branches blocked the weak light from above.
The air was thick with damp earth and the faint scent of decay.
Silence pressed in on him, thick and unnatural.
His fingers brushed the rough bark of a nearby tree, grounding himself.
This place is alive
Every step felt heavier than the last, like the forest was weighing him down.
His breath was steady, but his heart raced.
Where was lyra?
The forest's oppressive quiet made his ears itch for any sound—any sign she might be near.
Ahead, a glistening pool caught his eye. Its surface was unnervingly still, reflecting the dense canopy above like a dark mirror.
Kael approached cautiously, eyes scanning.
Suddenly, without warning, icy fingers wrapped around his ankle from beneath the water.
He yelped, struggling, but the grip was fierce, dragging him down toward the cold depths.
Panic flared, but Kael forced himself to think.
His hands scrabbled for something—anything—to pry the grasping claws off.
His fingers found a jagged branch lodged beneath the water's surface.
He grabbed it, jabbing blindly at the unseen attacker.
The grip loosened.
Kael twisted, kicking hard with his free leg, breaking the surface and gasping for air.
As he floated, trembling, a shape swam toward him from the depths.
At first, the figure was familiar—a girl with jet-black hair and glowing emerald eyes.
His heart leapt.
Lyra
But the face soon twisted into something monstrous.
Eyes blackened and hollow, leaking mist.
Skin cracked, revealing dark veins pulsing with unnatural life.
The mouth stretched into a cruel grin, filled with jagged teeth.
Kael stumbled back, terror clenching his chest.
Behind the creature, glinting faintly on the pool's bottom, was the Veil Shard, pulsing with cold light.
Kael's eyes locked on it, feeling its pull.
But his limbs were weak, his breath shallow.
Not yet
It was futile, the creature tightened its grip and pulled Kael deeper and deeper into its dark depth as he meekly struggled
The surface of the water rippled and then become still as if no one was there