The deeper they ventured into the forest, the more unsettling it became. The trees were no longer the majestic, towering giants they had been at the forest's edge. Instead, they seemed twisted, their bark gnarled like the fingers of long-dead creatures, clawing at the very air. Strange, ethereal mists began to rise from the ground, curling around their ankles like unseen hands, whispering in a language none of them understood.
Jiang Yan's senses were on edge, every instinct screaming that they were being watched. The forest felt alive, as though the trees themselves were aware of their presence. And then there were the sounds—soft, haunting whispers in the wind, the occasional rustle in the underbrush, the sound of something following them just out of sight.
Li Yuan's hand never strayed far from his weapon, and even Moria's usual calm seemed to waver. She was more alert now, her golden eyes flickering like twin flames in the shifting shadows. Despite the chill in the air, her skin seemed to shimmer, a faint aura of power clinging to her like a second skin.
"You can feel it too, can't you?" Jiang Yan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Moria nodded, but said nothing, her gaze never wavering from the path ahead. The silence between them spoke volumes. The forest was not just haunted by its own ghosts. No, there was something far darker lurking in these woods—a presence that could never be fully understood, but that everyone feared.
Li Yuan's voice broke the silence. "Moria, what exactly are we walking into? This place—it doesn't feel like just any forest."
Her lips curled into a thin smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "This is the Forest of Lost Souls. It's said that those who enter are never quite the same when they leave. It is a place of judgment, where the echoes of the past are forced to confront the present. It's a place where those who seek the Flame Lotus must prove their worth."
Jiang Yan frowned. "Prove their worth?"
Moria's eyes glinted with an unreadable emotion. "This forest is a trial. To find the artifacts we seek, we must face the ghosts of our pasts. The forest will show us our deepest fears, our most hidden regrets, and force us to confront them. Only then can we continue."
Li Yuan scoffed, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword. "This is nonsense. We're not here to face ghosts. We're here for the artifact."
Moria's gaze turned cold, her voice low and dangerous. "You may not believe in ghosts, Li Yuan, but they believe in you. They are real. And they will not be ignored."
There was no room for argument in her voice, and Li Yuan wisely fell silent. The tension among them thickened, and Jiang Yan couldn't help but feel the weight of Moria's words. The forest felt oppressive, like a living thing, and it was as though it knew every secret they had buried.
They continued forward, their pace slow and deliberate, the silence only broken by the occasional rustle of leaves or the soft groan of the trees. Jiang Yan couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them, its eyes following their every move. It was only when they reached a clearing that the atmosphere seemed to shift, a stillness settling over the group as if the world itself was holding its breath.
At the center of the clearing stood a large stone archway, weathered and ancient, covered in strange runes that glowed faintly with an eerie light. The air around it seemed to hum with a strange energy, and the ground beneath their feet felt alive, pulsing with an unsettling rhythm.
"This is it," Moria said quietly, her voice distant. "The first trial."
Before they could move any closer, the ground trembled beneath them. A low, guttural growl echoed from the depths of the forest, followed by the sound of something heavy moving through the underbrush. Jiang Yan's heart raced, and he instinctively took a step closer to Moria.
From the shadows emerged a creature—large and hulking, its form a blend of man and beast. Its body was covered in dark fur, and its face was a grotesque mask of twisted features. It snarled as it stepped into the clearing, its eyes burning with a feral hunger.
Jiang Yan's stomach churned. "What is that thing?"
Moria's lips curled into a smile, but it was filled with malice. "A guardian of the forest. It's here to test us. To see if we are worthy of the Flame Lotus."
The beast lunged forward with a snarl, its claws aimed directly at Jiang Yan. Before he could react, Moria moved in a blur of motion. Her hand was outstretched, and a burst of golden light erupted from her fingertips, slamming into the beast's chest. The creature howled in pain, staggering backward, but it didn't fall.
Jiang Yan watched in awe as Moria stood her ground, her eyes glowing with power. The beast's growls turned into a low, menacing rumble as it recovered, its eyes locking onto her. It was clear that it wasn't just attacking them—it was testing them.
"You've been chosen to face me," Moria said, her voice steady and filled with a strange, intoxicating calm. "But I will not fall so easily."
The ground beneath her feet cracked, and the air itself seemed to crackle with the force of her power. The creature charged again, its teeth bared in a vicious snarl, but Moria moved faster than Jiang Yan could follow.
In the blink of an eye, she was behind the creature, her hands glowing with a dark energy. The beast froze, a pained howl escaping its throat, as Moria's power surged through it, binding it in place.
"Not all tests are meant to be won by strength alone," Moria whispered, her voice cold and unforgiving. "Sometimes, it's about proving you have the will to overcome."
The beast roared, thrashing in her grip, but it was futile. With a final, devastating strike of energy, the creature collapsed to the ground, motionless.
Jiang Yan stood there, stunned. "How did you…?"
Moria turned to him, her expression unreadable. "Strength alone is not enough. If you can't control your fear, if you can't face what lies within you, then you will never succeed."
As the creature's body dissolved into the air, leaving only faint traces of its dark essence, Moria turned her gaze to the glowing archway. "The trial is over. But the path ahead will only grow more difficult."
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