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The scent of ash and earth clung to the air as Selena and her group journeyed deeper into the Witchwood. The trees twisted above them like silent watchers, their gnarled roots whispering through the soil. Even the wind here carried secrets — secrets that clawed at the edges of Selena's mind.
She walked in silence, her steps firm, her posture that of a queen-in-the-making. But inside, her thoughts raced.
Zack trailed behind her, quieter than usual. After their last argument, something had shifted — not just between them, but inside him. The trials had changed them all.
Ahead, Nyra raised a hand. "We're close."
They halted. In the center of a moonlit clearing stood a crooked stone altar, surrounded by glowing mushrooms and faintly humming symbols. Sitting atop the altar was a figure cloaked in moss and shadows.
The Forest Witch.
Her face was partly obscured by a woven mask of bark and vines, but her eyes gleamed like twin suns peering through centuries of dusk.
"You bring the blood of the cursed," the Witch rasped. "And the breath of the marked."
Selena stepped forward, unflinching. "I am Selena Virelai. Born of shadow. Chosen of flame. I seek what lies beyond the veil."
The Witch tilted her head, amused. "A child of secrets dares speak with certainty."
Zack glanced between them, tense. "Can we trust her?"
"No," Nyra said. "But we have no choice."
The Witch waved her hand, and the trees around them shimmered, revealing dozens of hidden doorways, each one carved from different bones — wolf, stag, dragon, man. "Choose your gate," she said, "but know that every path comes with a cost."
Selena's gaze settled on one archway — one veined with crimson stone and humming with a sound like heartbeats. "What cost?"
The Witch smiled, cruel and knowing. "A truth for a truth. A memory for a memory. A bloodline for a curse."
Before Selena could speak, the Witch's fingers reached toward Zack. "He carries something old. Something... bound."
Selena stepped in front of him, her voice sharp. "Touch him, and this forest burns."
The Witch laughed, a sound like leaves crumbling. "Fiery, like your father."
Selena stiffened. "You know who he is?"
"Oh, child. We all know. He who twisted the moon. He who howled and rewrote fate. KLADE."
Zack's eyes widened. "Your father... is Klade?"
Selena felt the weight of those words bury into her chest. "Yes," she whispered.
The Witch turned. "Then the forest grants you this: within the Vault of Whispers lies your next trial. But beware — for your blood calls to him. And he is listening."
The forest quaked softly, and the gates shimmered, one glowing brighter than the rest.
Selena nodded. "We're ready."
"Then go," said the Witch. "And remember... power without pain is a lie."
As the group stepped through the blood-veined gate, a howl rose in the distance — deep, monstrous, and familiar.
Klade was stirring.
And he knew... his daughter was coming.
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