The forest was too quiet to be trusted.
Kael moved along the narrow trail beneath silver-lit trees, their bark etched with ancient carvings that shimmered faintly in the mist. The air pulsed with energy—cool and fragrant like winter wind mixed with incense. Above him, ghostly stars shimmered between twisted branches, forming constellations he didn't recognize.
He heard it again.
A howl—not a cry of pain or hunger, but something deeper. Mourning. Warning.
Then came the rustle.
He spun around.
Figures flickered in and out of the mist—vague outlines of humanoid shapes with hollow eyes and rippling forms. No flesh. No weight. Just cold presence.
They chased, not with footsteps but with pressure. A spiritual pull that made Kael's breath tighten in his chest.
He ran.
The trail narrowed into a shallow stone corridor, a maze of broken totems and slabs buried in the moss. Every step he took, the symbols on the stones glowed dimmer, like something was devouring their light.
He ducked through a ruined arch—and the pressure stopped.
He found himself in front of a shallow cave glowing with a strange bluish-green light. Within its circular chamber, three cages shimmered in the darkness—formed from bone and braided smoke.
Two villagers floated inside one cage—still alive, but bound by something ethereal.
In the second: a massive white wolf. Proud. Muzzled by spectral chains, her fur matted but eyes sharp and golden.
Kael took a step forward.
The ground groaned.
From the shadows rose a tall figure—a spectre, gaunt and faceless, its form wrapped in the robes of a corrupted shaman. Hollow horns curved from its shoulders. Its voice didn't speak—it invaded.
"All that is lost belongs to us."
Kael dropped low, readying his stance. No weapon. Just instinct and footwork.
The spectre lunged.
It was fast.
He barely dodged—elusive reflexes saving him as he weaved past claw-like strikes. Each swipe left trails in the air, warping the cave's light.
I can't win like this.
Then a voice cut through the chaos—clear, fierce.
"They fear fire!" the wolf howled. "The torch—find it!"
Kael dove to the far side of the cave, sliding past bone fragments and ruined idols. There—a small bundle of blackwood sticks and flintstone. A half-burned ritual torch.
He struck flint to stone. Once. Twice.
A spark caught. Flame flickered. Then roared to life.
The spirits recoiled instantly. The spectre shrieked.
Kael held the torch like a weapon, advancing toward the cages. He thrust it toward the smoke bindings—watching them unravel with violent, ghostlike screams.
The wolf's cage collapsed first.
She landed hard, then rose, fangs bared.
The other cage dropped second. The villagers fell to the stone, gasping for air.
The spectre screamed again—this time summoning more spirits from the cave walls.
The wolf leapt.
Kael swung the torch in wide arcs, scattering lesser spirits as the guardian tore through the larger ones. A blur of white, blood, smoke, and flame.
The spectre tried to flee—but Kael surged forward, slamming the torch into its chest.
It burst into ash and silence.
The spirits faded.
The cave dimmed.
Only the wolf and Kael remained, surrounded by flickering carvings that now glowed with steady golden light.
The wolf stepped forward.
"You saved more than just them," she said.
She nosed a small bundle wrapped in faded cloth toward Kael.
He knelt and opened it.
Inside: a tiny spiritual wolf pup, its form pulsing faintly with inner light.
"My child," she said softly. "Taken by them. Hidden. Now returned. Let her guide you when the path is dark."
Behind them, the cairn's altar lit once more—this time with flames of sky-blue.
Trial Complete: The Watcher's Cairn
Stat Gained: +5 Willpower
Ability Unlocked: [Spirit Walk] – Allows temporary travel between physical and spiritual overlays
Hidden Quest Completed: Seal the Gate to the Underworld
Additional Reward: +10 Willpower
Talent Unlocked: [Spirit Sense] – Perceive spiritual energy and entities
Item Gained: [Kam's Bracelet] – Wards off evil spirits; +3 Willpower
Bonus Companion: [Spiritual Wolf Pup – unnamed]
Kael exhaled.
The gate pulsed one last time, then sealed.
The wolf guardian turned to him.
"The spirits are quiet. For now. I must return to the cairn. My place has not changed."
A new voice echoed—soft, male, human.
Kael turned. The shaman from before stood at the edge of the cave, smiling faintly.
"You have done more than complete a trial," he said. "You have honored a story."
He faded with the light.
Kael walked with the two men in silence.
They moved slowly through the misted forest until the shimmer of the real world returned and the spirit realm faded behind them.
"Your chief's waiting for you," Kael said as they descended the final ridge toward Kara-Doruk.
The older man looked at him. "You're not coming?"
Kael paused.
"It's getting late," he said, shifting his pack. "Might as well."
That night, the village came alive.
A fire was lit in the square. Goat meat sizzled over the flame. Rice and foraged herbs were passed around in chipped bowls. Someone brought out fermented yak's milk and offered it to Kael with both hands.
Children laughed. The air smelled like smoke and survival.
Kael smiled politely, eating quietly at the edge of the gathering while the villagers told stories about their ancestors and spirits.
When the fire burned low, a quiet space was offered to him in one of the side houses. A thin cot. A stone lamp. A wool blanket.
He lay awake for a while, staring at the rafters.
Then he sat up.
He pulled open his map interface, setting it to full projection mode.
Dozens of glowing dots lit up the world.
Red. Blue. Black. Gold.
He pulled up the chart interface and began drafting a list.
The room was quiet, lit only by the soft pulsing glow of the spirit pup curled beside his cot.
Kael sat cross-legged, watching it sleep. Its form flickered faintly—part fur, part smoke, part something older. It had curled into a tight circle like a wind coiled inward.
He reached out and gently brushed a hand over its fur. It was surprisingly warm.
"You have a name?"
The pup's ears twitched. One glowing eye opened, then the other. It looked up at him—curious, alert.
Kael smiled faintly.
"How about… Gale?"
The moment the word left his lips, the air in the room shifted. A quiet chime echoed in the corner of his vision, and a new window opened.
[Companionship Interface Unlocked]
Companion Name: Gale
Type: Spirit Beast – Lesser Wind Guardian
Visibility: [Hidden] – Only visible to those with [Spirit Sense]
Abilities:
– Spiritual Pulse: Grants temporary spiritual resistance or insight boosts
– Treasure Nose: Can detect hidden relics, spiritual anomalies, and trial secrets
Loyalty: Bonded
Sync: 14%
Kael stared at the screen for a long moment, then closed it with a small grin.
"Looks like I'm not walking alone anymore."
The next morning, Kael awoke to a wet nose nudging his cheek.
He groaned slightly, eyes blinking open to see Gale's tail swaying excitedly, tongue lolling. The little spirit let out a breathless, silent bark—and then vanished just as Rahim poked his head in.
"You're up early."
Kael swung his legs off the cot and grabbed his gear.
"It's time."
Outside, the village gathered loosely in the morning light. Some brought warm flatbread or small bundles of dried goat. Rahim clasped Kael's forearm firmly.
"You don't have to go so soon."
Kael slung his pack over his shoulder and offered a half-smile.
"Wherever the wind takes me," he said. "Thank you. For the food. The room. And the trust."
He mounted a borrowed horse—lean, quick-footed, built for mountain travel.
Behind him, Gale bounded in slow, ghostlike circles, only visible in the shimmering edge of light.
Kael didn't look back.