After the shadow dissolved into mist, the forest fell silent once more.
But it was not a peaceful silence—it pulsed with the rhythm of hearts still racing, echoing the clash that had just ended.
Prava pressed a trembling hand against her chest, feeling the echo of fear and strength still colliding within her.
"That wasn't just an enemy… it felt like a test," she whispered.
Rafael's brow furrowed. Sweat traced his temple, though his stance remained steady.
"Yes… and it won't be the last."
He reached out, resting a firm hand on Prava's shoulder. The warmth steadied her breath, reminding her she was not alone.
Allara stepped closer, her gaze lingering on the mist curling between the trees. There was sorrow in her eyes, but also understanding—like someone who recognized an old song others could not hear.
"This mist is no mere nature," she murmured. "It is a fragment of the force binding this world together."
She drew in a breath, her voice quiet yet firm.
"And it is calling us… toward its heart."
The words hung between them. For a moment, none spoke.
Prava turned to Rafael, and in his eyes she saw both doubt and unshaken trust.
Their silence became an unspoken vow: whatever awaited them, they would face it together.
The forest itself seemed to sense that vow.
As they walked deeper, the path narrowed, roots twisting like veins of something ancient.
A faint sound joined their steps—the trickle of a stream, soft and persistent, as though guiding them onward.
Prava slowed, kneeling by the water's edge. She dipped her fingers into the clear surface. The coolness soothed her skin, but then—
Light rippled across the water, and a sudden vision pierced her mind:
a woman's sorrowful eyes, and a whisper, fragile yet urgent— "Do not forget…"
Her breath caught. She pulled her hand back sharply, eyes wide.
Rafael knelt beside her, catching her trembling fingers in his strong grasp.
"What happened?" His voice was gentle, but tense.
Prava's lips parted. "…I saw something."
Allara's eyes narrowed, but her tone was calm, resolute.
"That was no illusion. It was an echo of the past. It will guide us—if we do not turn away."
The three exchanged glances. Their breaths steadied, hearts falling into rhythm with one another.
In that silent pact, they understood—
this journey was no longer about survival alone.
It was about unraveling the hidden truth of the world…
and of their own intertwined souls.