The chase led them deeper into the forest than Lee Jun had ever gone before.The once-familiar trees of Goblin's Grove gave way to gnarled, towering trunks draped in black moss, their roots curling from the ground like skeletal hands. The air grew colder with each step, and the sounds of the forest—birds, insects, even the rustle of leaves—vanished completely.
Nyxwraith was retreating, but not in panic. It moved with a predator's grace, weaving between shadows, its form slipping in and out of sight.
Draksra's sharp eyes caught something the others missed—a narrow crack in a cliff face, half-hidden behind a curtain of tangled vines."There," the goblin thief hissed, pointing. "An illusion. I can smell the magic."
Jun stepped closer. The air shimmered faintly where the vines hung. Passing through felt like stepping into another world.
They emerged into a narrow, stone corridor. The walls were slick with moisture, etched with strange symbols that pulsed faintly like the heartbeat of something ancient. Moji's runes flared briefly in response, his eyes widening in alarm."This place…" the shaman whispered. "It's the Tomb of Shadows. A burial site for an ancient darkness."
The warning came too late.From the walls, the floor, even the air itself, shadowy forms oozed into being—faceless wraithlings, their bodies no more than twisted silhouettes.
"Form ranks!" Godon roared, his spear spinning into position.
The creatures struck without sound, phasing through weapons to latch onto their victims. One goblin screamed as his body was swallowed whole by darkness, his cry cut short in an instant. Another vanished under a tide of shadowy claws.
Jun's grip on his sword tightened. We're losing too many already.
Moji raised both hands, runes spiraling from his staff and burning into the wraithlings. The light carved a narrow path forward."This way! We must reach the heart before they overwhelm us!"
They pushed deeper, finally stumbling into a chamber where the walls were covered in murals. Faded colors told the story of a horned, cloaked figure being bound by glowing chains and sealed within a pillar of light.Jun traced one of the chains with his fingers."This is it. This thing—Nyxwraith—it's tethered to a source. Cut the thread, and we can weaken it."
Moji nodded grimly. "The Shadow Core. It must still be here."
A sudden chill swept the chamber. The light from their torches flickered… and died.
From the darkness beyond, slow, deliberate footsteps echoed.
Nyxwraith stepped into view—not as a shifting blur this time, but as something far more real. Its form was half-corporeal, half-smoke, its skeletal fingers curling around a blade made from pure shadow. Its eyes, two burning voids, locked on Jun.
No words were spoken. None were needed.They both knew the fight was inevitable.