Night drapes over Eldren Hollow like a velvet shroud, thick and suffocating. The village seems to hold its breath, waiting.
Kael's mind races as he retraces his steps from the library. Jaren's warning echoes in his ears, sharp and chilling.
Not everyone wants the darkness sealed.
He knows he must find out the truth before the shadows claim more than just the forgotten corners of the village.
A knock at his door breaks the silence.
Kael opens it cautiously. Lyra stands there, eyes dark and serious.
"We need to talk," she says. "Now."
Inside, she pulls a folded piece of parchment from her cloak. Unfolding it reveals a crude map of Eldren Hollow—marked with symbols he doesn't recognize.
"This was found near the old chapel," she explains. "It shows places where the seal is weakest—where the darkness might slip through."
Kael studies the map, heart pounding.
One mark is dangerously close to the village center.
"Jaren knows more than he's letting on," Lyra says quietly. "I fear he's been touched by the darkness."
Kael clenches his fists.
Betrayal is a poison more lethal than any shadow.
"We have to confront him," Kael says.
Lyra nods. "But be careful. The darkness corrupts from within."
Together, they slip through the rain-soaked streets toward the blacksmith's forge.
The door creaks open before they knock.
Jaren stands amid the glow of embers, his face shadowed but eyes burning with a conflicted fire.
"You shouldn't have come," he says.
"Why are you helping the darkness?" Kael demands.
Jaren's expression crumbles. "I didn't choose this. It chose me."
He pulls from his pocket a small shard—dark and pulsing with eerie light.
"The shadow found me years ago, promised power and protection. I tried to resist... but it's too strong."
Kael steps forward, determination hardening like steel.
"There's still time. Fight it with me."
Jaren looks away, pain flickering across his face.
Suddenly, a violent tremor shakes the village. The ground splits near the chapel, and from the crack, a dark mist spills out like ink in water.
The shadow is breaking free.
Kael and Lyra exchange a glance.
The battle for Eldren Hollow has begun.