Mary's boots sank into soft, spongy turf the moment she crossed the threshold. The air here was impossibly still, heavy with the scent of blooming nightflowers—an aroma both intoxicating and unsettling. The sky above, a bruised tapestry of violet and gray, offered no hint of sun or moon. A silence so profound pressed in on her that every footstep felt like a thunderclap.
Behind her, Lela and Loosie followed closely, eyes darting to every rustle of shadow. Lela's spear was at the ready; Loosie's knife glinted faintly in the dim light. Each of them understood the stakes: the first fragment of the Codex was hidden somewhere in this realm, and without it, the world they knew would remain fractured, vulnerable to the darkness they had fought so hard to seal.
"Stay together," Mary warned, her voice a quiet anchor in the hush. "This place shifts. We can't risk losing each other."
Lela nodded. "Agreed. Watch the ground—sometimes the safe path changes beneath your feet."
They ventured forward. At first, the ground was littered with bioluminescent mushrooms that glowed like lanterns beneath their boots. Then the mushrooms gave way to pale grass that bent unnaturally, as if whispering secrets. Mary reached out and brushed her hand against a stalk; it recoiled, snapping to attention, as though aware of their presence.
A distant sound made her pause—the faint tinkle of windchimes. But there was no breeze, and no chimes hung anywhere visible. The noise seemed to drift from all around them, echoing through the vale.
"What was that?" Loosie whispered, tension tightening her grip on the knife.
"Distraction," Lela replied, her eyes flicking from shadow to shadow. "Whatever's here doesn't want us to find the Codex."
They pressed on until the terrain fell away into a shallow ravine, its sides curved unnaturally smooth. Iridescent water pooled at the bottom, reflecting the broken sky. Across the ravine stood an arch of stone, its surface carved with runes that shifted subtly, as though alive. Through that arch lay the first fragment—Mary was certain of it. The glow in the distance matched the hue she had seen in her dreams.
But the ravine was too wide to leap, and the stone arch stood just out of reach.
"How do we cross?" Loosie asked, her voice trembling.
Mary knelt and dipped her hand into the water. It ran cool over her skin, but when she withdrew it, droplets floated in midair, defying gravity. The logic of the realm was broken; water ignored physics here.
Lela studied the runes. "Maybe we have to walk through the arch—like stepping into a doorway, not crossing the ravine."
Mary nodded. "Let's try."
One by one, they approached the arch. Mary led, stepping into the rune-carved frame. For a heartbeat, nothing happened—then the air rippled, and she staggered forward as if caught in a breeze. She blinked and found herself on the opposite side, standing before the ravine's edge.
Lela and Loosie followed; they emerged one by one, hearts pounding. Behind them, the arch's runes pulsed, as though exhaling steam.
"We're through," Lela said, steadying herself. "Now where's that fragment?"
They crept toward a pedestal carved of the same pale stone as the arch. Upon it rested a single page—ancient parchment inscribed with glowing runes, the edges singed and brittle. This was the first fragment: the Rune of Binding, essential for piecing the Codex back together.
Mary reached out. The runes danced beneath her fingertips, pulsing in time with her heartbeat. "I can feel its magic," she whispered. "We have to be careful."
As soon as her fingers brushed the page, the vale trembled. The pale grass rippled like water, and the water at the ravine's base surged upward, forming a column of liquid that twisted into a towering figure—a guardian of the realm. It rose, its shape uncertain—part water, part shadow, eyes glowing like molten silver.
Loosie froze. "A guardian. We need to fight it."
Mary shook her head. "No. I think we… have to calm it."
The creature roared—a sound like rushing rapids—and advanced. Each step it took stirred the water around its feet. Mary's heart thudded. She recalled the binding rune's power: not to destroy, but to pacify. She lifted the page and spoke the words etched upon it, her voice clear and steady despite the fear rising in her chest:
"By ancient word and steadfast hand,
I calm your wrath, I still your land.
In peace we stand, as one we keep,
The waters hush, the shadows sleep."
The guardian halted mid-step, its roaring fading to a low hum. The water body rippled with the echo of the binding words, then collapsed gently back into the ravine. The shadow dissipated, like mist in sunlight, leaving only the silent column of water returning to the pool.
Lela exhaled in relief. "You did it."
Mary nodded, breath trembling. "We have what we came for. Let's go."
They sheltered the rune-fragment in a leather pouch. As they turned to retrace their steps, the vale around them shifted once more. The arch they had crossed was gone, and the ravine's waters remained still. The world had changed, as if the ritual of binding had rewritten this corner of reality.
Behind them, a disembodied whisper drifted on the air, faint but unmistakable:
"You have bound the first. But the vale demands three—three sacrifices of light, three tests of heart. Proceed, and face the next trial."
Mary's pulse quickened. The fragment glowed in her pouch, warm against her side. She exchanged a glance with her friends. The first test was complete, but two more awaited—and each promised to push them beyond the limits of their courage.
Loosie squared her shoulders. "We knew this wouldn't be easy."
Lela gripped her spear. "Then let's not waste time. Where to next?"
Mary scanned the vale. The mist curled ahead, revealing faint traces of an overgrown path. "The Path of Echoes," she said softly—the name was seared into her mind from Lela's tales. "The second fragment lies beyond. We need to go."
Together, they pressed on, footsteps echoing in the silent vale. The first binding had been won. The final Codex piece was still out there, hidden in the realm's depths—and with each trial, they were forging their own legend, one that would echo through time.
And as they vanished into the shifting fog, Mary carried the Rune of Binding close to her heart, a reminder that even the darkest places could be tamed by courage—and by light.