Ah! l:
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Chapter 19 – Shadows Stir
The forest had grown quiet in a way that was almost unnatural. The horn's echo, though long faded, still lingered in Kaelen's chest like a stubborn drumbeat. Every step he took through the moss-covered path felt heavier, as if the earth itself resisted him.
Lysera walked beside him, eyes constantly scanning the trees. Her hand never strayed far from the dagger at her belt, and yet Kaelen could feel her tension radiating through her posture.
"Do you feel it?" she whispered, barely audible over the crunch of dead leaves.
Kaelen nodded slowly, swallowing hard. "Something's… watching us. I can feel it."
It wasn't just instinct. Shadows pooled in the corners of the forest, thicker than they should be, moving against the wind. Leaves rustled though no breeze touched them, and the distant hoot of an owl sounded like a warning.
Suddenly, a low hiss cut through the silence. Kaelen dropped into a crouch instinctively, Lysera mirroring him without hesitation. Two figures emerged from the darkness—not fully formed, more like silhouettes stitched from shadow and smoke, their movements jerky, unnatural.
Kaelen's hand went to the sigil over his chest, and for the first time, he felt its heat flare up on command. The mark glowed faintly beneath his skin, tracing lines like molten light along his veins.
"They're… drawn to it," he said, voice tight with fear and awe.
Lysera's eyes narrowed. "Then we make them regret it." She moved first, dagger flashing in the dim moonlight, slicing through one shadow before it could fully solidify. The attack drew a hiss that echoed like breaking glass.
Kaelen followed, his fists glowing with the first sparks of sigil energy. He struck at the other shadow, feeling it resist, shifting and flowing like liquid smoke. Every hit he landed scattered fragments, but the being reformed instantly, faster than his reaction could track.
The fight was brief, but intense. Kaelen realized quickly that these weren't mindless creatures—they were probing him, testing his limits. Every strike he delivered was met with a counter, as if the shadows were learning from him in real-time.
Lysera called out, her voice sharp: "Kaelen! Use the mark! Don't just fight, control it!"
He clenched his fist harder, willing the sigil to respond. Lines of silver fire erupted outward, forming a jagged barrier that forced the shadow back. It shrieked, a sound like metal scraping stone, before dissipating into mist.
Kaelen's chest heaved, sweat stinging his eyes. Lysera leaned on one knee, catching her breath, dagger still ready.
"Not many could survive that first encounter," she said finally. "If they were testing you… the real ones are coming."
Before Kaelen could ask what she meant, the forest around them shifted subtly. Branches curled unnaturally, and the shadows that had been scattered began pooling again, slower this time—but larger, denser. Something ancient and purposeful moved toward them.
Lysera straightened, blade gleaming. "We need to move. Now."
Kaelen nodded, the glow of his mark pulsing brighter. For the first time, fear and power intertwined within him. Whatever was hunting them, he realized, was only the beginning.
And far above, in the void of the Watchers' Sanctum, eyes unseen followed every movement. Their whispers threaded through the planes, quiet and deliberate: The mortal awakens. The Flame burns. Let the game begin.
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