CHAPTER SIX
The Dead of Night
"Grandeur the Great swung his sword like an animal to attack the hooligan with such force it cleaved the criminal in two with rage. The few remaining bandits retreated, knowing they could not defeat such a warrior. Grandeur opened the dungeon cell to see a woman rush toward him with haste and fear. Her name was Veltress Meldronia. A noble from the kingdom of Gredorass. Their eyes met, igniting a shared passion like a roaring fire." Kaida read from a book and paused her reading to look out the window at the distant lightning flashing in the night sky. The candle that lit Quinn's room flickered from a draft.
Quinn's snoring filled the room's silence. Kaida heard Tina's footsteps creak above her as she played upstairs. She turned the page and suddenly put her finger in her mouth. The taste of blood left a foul taste in her mouth. She looked at the cut with dislike but felt a tingling feeling come over her, like a warmth she had never felt before. The cut glowed but, in an instant, began to close and heal rapidly.
Kaida looked with curiosity, but was interrupted by Tina's voice upstairs. Tina sounded like she was talking to someone. Kaida placed the book on the nightstand. She went upstairs to Tina as quietly as possible. The creaking of the steps made it hard for her to hear as Tina went silent. She opened the creaking door.
Kaida looked around the room and then directly at Tina. "Who are you talking to?"
"I'm just playing."
Kaida felt like Tina was lying to her. "Okay, well, don't be too loud. Papa's asleep." Kaida looked around the room once more before closing the door.
Tina listened to Kaida's footsteps go downstairs. She turned to the dark corner of the room where a shadowy figure of a little girl hunched over.
Tina smiled and whispered. "I'm glad you came to see me. Now that you're free, you can stay here with us, and we can be a family, Alivia." She watched as the shadow's eyes lit up a bright yellow. "Come on, let's play."
The crystals on the light poles lit the streets as the night moved on. Rosetta dragged Dison along the road. They came to an old wooden cabin-looking pub, crowded with loud customers.
Rosetta looked at Dison and winked. "You gonna buy me a drink?"
Dison looked with a confused smirk. "Uh, sure. I guess I…" Rosetta pulled him into the pub before he could finish his sentence or thought.
As they entered, the smell of smoke from pipes filled Dison's nose, burning his sinuses. He looked around with anxiety and at Rosetta, who was beaming with excitement.
She took a big inhale. "Just like home." She looked and saw Talbis and Rivera at the bar counter, laughing and talking. "Of course, those two would be here." She turned to Dison. "Well, let me introduce you to the team. Come on." Rosetta led him to the others.
Talbis rose out of his seat. "The recruit!" he said, sticking his hand out for a handshake. "I'm happy to meet you, you know, afficially. Or is it efficially."
"It's officially, you big dumb glug." Rivera interrupted, giggling."
"Anyway, it's good to meet the man who makes Rosetta blush like a five-year-old with a crush." He grabbed Dison's hand and shook it aggressively.
Dison felt like his hand was being crushed, but tried to keep a straight face. After pulling back, he finally freed his hand and massaged it.
"One more word. No one will save you. Not even Rivera." Rosetta's eyes burned with rage as she raised her fist.
"Gone for a few minutes, and the teams trying to kill each other." Urision said as he approached from behind Dison and Rosetta. "Well, I see you found him. Only took you all day, sis."
Rosetta put her arm around Urision. "Dison, meet Major Urision Greystone. Second in command of the Scarlet Scorn!"
Urision rolled his eyes. "I told you were not naming the garrison that."
"Oh, come on. Okay, the Crimson Raids." Rosetta said.
"Nope. Think of something better and I might consider it." Urision chuckled, then took a drink of ale.
Dison laughed, but then went silent as he saw Kale aggressively chugging ale in the corner. He noticed the deadpan look on Kale's face.
Talbis glanced over at him as well. "Yeah, poor guy has been here a while. He's going through some stuff. Best to leave him alone."
Dison nodded and turned back to the group, but then he noticed three men circling him. He looked at them with a severe expression. "I guess news travels fast."
One man knocked the drink out of Kale's hand. "Are you going to run away again, coward? Your little brother was twice the man you were," the large man in the group taunted. Dison walked toward them while Talbis watched with excitement. The group leader raised his fist as if he were going to punch Kale.
Dison grabbed his arm. "I think you all have drunk enough, Dramus." He could smell the powerful scent of alcohol on their breath. "You alright, Kale?"
"Just leave me alone." Kale murmured.
Dramus jerked his arm away from Dison's grip. "You with this coward, Orphan? He ran like a weakling while his father and brother died."
"You weren't there. You didn't see what we were up against. Leave Kale alone. He's been through enough today." Dison said.
"I don't need your fucking pity, Dison." Kale slurred his words as he tried to stagger to his feet. "I can handle these pigs myself." He threw a punch but missed by a wide margin.
The group laughed as Dramus pushed Kale onto the table. Then he turned to Dison. "You heard him. He can handle himself," he chuckled.
Dison punched Dramus in the face, suddenly, knocking him into a chair. "That's a warning," Dison said.
The large man charged at Dison, but Talbis tackled him unexpectedly. "Now the proper party's starting!" Talbis shouted as he shoved the large man through the tables and chairs while people cleared the area, cheering. The large man interrupted. Talbis looked up at him, surprised. "Got some fight in you, huh?" He dodged the large man's punch, backing away swiftly. "This is going to be fun!" Talbis charged in, swinging his fists as the two brawled.
Dison walked to Kale. "You gonna be..." He said before being tackled over a table by Dramus.
"Never better." Kale smirked and reached for an ale, grabbed it from a chair, and took a drink. He watched Dison and Dramus tussle. Kale raised his mug. "Get him, yeah." He murmured before drinking more.
Rosetta moved toward Dison but got cut off by a third man who was thin and ugly. He smiled with his yellow teeth. "I can't let you do that, sweetheart, " the man said, smiling and revealing his yellow teeth. "My name's Relan. It's nice to meet you, gorgeous."
Rosetta looked in disgust. "Yeah, no way. Get out of my way before I knock out those terrible teeth." She noticed his missing teeth more closely. "More of them."
"Now come on, sweetheart, don't be like..." Relan felt her fist strike him in the nose. He grabbed it as blood ran down his face. "You broke my nose, bitch."
"Should've moved." Rosetta walked past Relan, ignoring him.
Relan pulled a knife from his belt. "I'll show you..."
Urision grabbed his arm and slammed him on the counter. "Were you really attempting to stab my sister in the back? You can't treat a woman like that."
"Not really," Relan said fearfully as he struggled. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"I don't think you mean that." Urision pulled back on Relan's arm as he begged. "You made this personal. Just remember, you brought this on yourself." Urision snapped his hand suddenly as Relan let out a cry. Urision looked over to see Rosetta standing over Dison. "Let him deal with it! It's his fight!"
Rosetta smiled and dismissed him casually. "Come on, Dison. You got this," she cheered him on, encouraging him as they continued to tussle.
Talbis wandered to the bar, grabbed an ale, and chugged it. His face got covered with bruises.
Urision looked at Talbis. "Well, did you win your make-out session?" he chuckled, looking back to see the large man knocked out on the ground.
"Fuck… you." Talbis and Urision laughed out loud.
"My big, muscular man," Rivera said as she smiled and grabbed Talbis's face, directing him to her before intensely kissing him.
"Uh, save that for later, you two." Urision took a drink.
Rosetta helped Dison to the counter after he got up, bruised and cut up. "We have a winner. Good job, Newbie."
Talbis raised his mug. "Yeah. Welcome to the seventh garrison, kid!" He handed him an ale. "Here, a man's drink for a man's victory." He glanced at Dramus as he lay on the ground, trying to recover. "Dumb ass."
The bartender handed them some cold rags. "This will help with swelling—especially that shiner you have, kid. Alright, you all know the rules of the pub! Losers get kicked out!" The crowd cheered as they picked up and carried the losers out, tossing them onto the street.
Rosetta looked closely at Dison. "You'll have to show me how to get my ass kicked like that." She laughed.
"Oh, that's funny," Dison said, a hint of amusement in his voice. He gazed at her, his eyes lighting up with curiosity. She smiled playfully, her lips caught between her teeth, and swayed softly from side to side, a subtle dance that drew him in further. The surrounding air filled with a lighthearted warmth.
The air grew frigid as Kaida pulled the covers over Tina. She blew out the candles in the room before exiting. "Goodnight, little sis," Kaida said as she left. Tina heard a voice come from the corner.
"Tina." it said in a low whisper.
Tina rose. "Yeah. It's time for bed," she whispered.
Alivia's dark shadow came into the little light from the window. "Follow me," she whispered as she went out the window.
Tina opened the window and climbed out slowly, not making a noise. She followed Alivia to the roof, stood beside her, and looked over the town. "Why are we out here? It's cold."
"Do you hear it?"
Tina listened but heard nothing. "Hear what?"
"Shhh. Close your eyes and concentrate."
Tina closed her eyes and focused on hearing what Alivia was talking about. The noise disappeared for that moment, and she fell into a calm silence. A scream in the distance caught her attention as it drew closer and louder. It got so loud that she covered her ears in pain, fell to her knees, and felt dizzy. The lights of the town flickered. "What is that?"
"It's coming." Alivia said with a sense of dread.
Tina removed her hands and realized something was wet in her ear. She rubbed and looked at her finger, which had blood on it. "What's coming?"
"You need to leave," Alivia spoke sincerely. "There's someone you need to meet."
Tina looked out over the town. "What was that disturbing sound?" she wondered.
"Come with me, now. You're not safe here." Alivia suggested.
The light flickered in Elayne's room at the town barracks, briefly capturing her attention. She settled back into her chair, the dim light flickering again overhead as she immersed herself in the pages of her book on necromancy. The ancient words before her eyes, each sentence igniting intrigue deep within her. As she turned the pages with eager anticipation, one particular title leaped out at her: "The Curse of the Banshee." Her heart raced, and her eyes widened in fascination as she delved deeper into the chilling details that awaited her.
Elayne hurried out of the room, her high heels clicking on the empty hall floor. She knocked on Rosan's door repeatedly until he opened it.
Rosan opened it with a look of surprise. "What's going on?"
She rushed into his quarters. "I think I've found something."
Rosan shut the door. "What's this about?"
Elayne showed him the book page. "I know why the high order would kill everyone here. This is but one of these forbidden curses. Pure destruction." She looked at Rosan with serious eyes.
Rosan's eyes widened. "The high order would not take any chances if they used this..." He grabbed his swords. "We need to get the guard ready."
"Do you think this is what they are going to do?"
"The others were distractions," Rosan said, his tone grave. With a firm grip on the door handle, he pushed the door open and stepped into the dimly lit corridor, which led to the captains of the guard's quarters. He paused and looked at Elayne in realization. "The battlefield of Dulmaris." The flickering light cast shadows across his face, highlighting the tension in his jaw and the deep furrows of worry on his brow.
"It's a massive burial ground. Thousands died there." Elayne couldn't shake the unease growing inside her. Rosan's stern expression only heightened her anxiety as they moved forward, each step heavy with unspoken fears.
All Kaida heard was the scraping echo as she washed the dishes in the quiet kitchen. The water she heated on the wood stove warmed her up in the chilly house. Tears filled her eyes as she scrubbed the pan harder. Her thoughts drifted back to earlier that night when she saw Dison and Rosetta walking past the house, laughing and enjoying themselves.
Kaida took a deep breath. "At least he's getting things off his mind, " she thought as she calmed down. Curious, she looked at the finger from earlier, then returned to finish the dishes.
After washing the dishes, Kaida entered Quinn's room to extinguish the candles for the night. She smiled peacefully at him, walked toward the door, and turned back. The silence caught her attention, prompting her to approach him once more. The snoring had stopped. She leaned down to press her ear against his chest, hoping to feel a heartbeat, but there was none. "No. No. You can't leave us like this, Papa," she sobbed, resting her head on him before sliding off and sitting next to the bed, covering her face. "Don't go, please. Please."
Later, Quinn's door squeaked as Kaida dragged herself out. Her face was flushed with tears. She glanced up the stairs, contemplating whether to wait and allow Tina a restful night. As she walked into the shop, the floorboards creaked with every step she took. She put on a cloak and stepped outside to find Dison.
A chill wind swept the street as Kaida walked, clutching her cloak tightly. Sensing someone behind her, she turned to see two women in cloaks approaching. Kaida looked at them with unease. "You're Eliza, right? You used to work at the diner down the street. Where have you been? I haven't seen you in years."
"Kaida, was it?" Eliza asked, her eyes filled with sorrow. "You were always so lovely and so kind to me." She gestured for the other woman to follow her as they walked past Kaida, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Leave this town, Kaida. Go far away. This is your only warning."
Kaida stood in confusion and turned to confront her, but they were nowhere in sight. She gripped her cloak as the wind blew and continued her search for Dison with concern.
Kale glanced around at everyone enjoying themselves in the bar and then looked at Dison and the others. He gulped down a mug of ale and approached the counter. He could taste the bitterness on his tongue as he slammed money on the bar. "I need another, Lem. What a stupid name."
The bartender, Lem, looked at Kale with concern. "I think you've had enough, lad. You need to go home and sleep it off."
"Shut up and give me another." Kale demanded.
Lem shook his head. "No, you've had too much. You've been through a lot. Go home."
Kale looked around the room as people kept laughing and cutting up. He looked at Lem in anger. "Fuck you." He said as he staggered outside, catching the attention of Dramus.
Dramus dunked his head in a barrel of water at the side of the pub, then looked at Kale with anger. "Relan, Jar, ready for a little payback?" He turned to the others.
Relan held his hand. "I think I need to go to the healer."
"That can wait. That little coward will pay for this shit."
They followed Kale down the road before noticing two cloaked women. Flashing crystal lights illuminated the night, casting an eerie glow over the street.
Relan locked eyes with Eliza. Smiling, he rushed to her. "Hey pretty lady, do I know you?"
Dramus got aggravated. "Relan, now's not the damn time, Moron!"
"Oh, come on. We can get that piece of shit anytime." Relan placed his hand on Eliza's shoulder. "You and your friend here can make our night better. We've had a rough one."
Eliza swatted his hand away and said, "Don't you dare touch me." Her hood came off, revealing her face.
Relan looked at the person with a mix of anger and nostalgia. "Don't I know you?"
Eliza smiled menacingly. "I know what you did to my sister, Relan."
Relan pulled out his knife. "What are you on about?" He placed the knife against her neck and grinned. "I've done lots of things." The other woman seized his arm. "Wait your turn. Let go, you dumb bitch." He said this while attempting to pull away.
Jar laughed out loud. "Hey, are you getting manhandled by two women?
"Do you need a hand?" Dramus and he burst out laughing.
"Oh, piss off. And you let go, before I get mad." Relan struggled and grabbed the woman's hood, revealing her face. A look of fear came across his face. "You." His heart pounded in his ears. "You're supposed to be dead." He stared into her lifeless, pale eyes. He fought with all his strength, but he couldn't break free. "You're dead. You're dead."
"What are you going on about?" Dramus walked closer until he could see the woman's face. In shock, he said, "What? You." He turned and ran past Jar.
"Where are you going?" Jar said.
"Help. Help me, you big mindless brute!" Relan yelled as he looked at the woman's pale, cracked face. Her rasping breath terrified him even more.
"You remember my sister, Juliana, don't you?" Eliza said as she approached Relan. "She remembers you."
Relan felt overwhelmed by fear, and his eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry. Please, I'm sorry." A sharp pain struck him as he coughed up blood. He looked down at Juliana's other hand as it reached through his stomach. He looked up again, filled with terror. "Please." Juliana grinned and licked the blood from his mouth. Relan cried out, "No. NO!" as she ripped off his arms. He collapsed and died instantly from the intense pain.
"Oh, shit." Jar drew a long dagger. "What the fuck are you?"
"I hoped to wait until we reached the monastery, but now is as good a time as any. How fortunate we were to meet you three here." Eliza looked at Juliana. "Do it."
Juliana rasped as she flew over the buildings. She edged her head around, extending her mouth to let out a shrieking scream that echoed throughout the town and into the forest.
Dison, Rosetta, and everyone else in the bar covered their ears in pain after the scream pierced through the air. Once it ended, Dison leaned against the counter, his head and ears ringing. He looked at Rosetta, who was speaking to him, but couldn't hear her words at first. As he focused more, though, the sound became more apparent.
"Dison, come on! We need to move!" Rosetta ran toward the exit.
Talbis and the others grabbed their weapons and followed Rosetta. "Is this an attack? Let's move, everyone!"
Dison pulled himself together and followed everyone outside. He looked at Juliana, who was still flying overhead. "What is that?"
"I don't know. Who is that?" Rosetta looked at Eliza.
Dison looked at her in surprise. "Eliza? What are you doing?" He looked at her cloak with contempt. "Where did you get that?" He asked hastily.
"I'm sorry, Dison. I was hoping you left and went on your adventures like you used to talk about. But I won't let anyone stop me," Eliza said as she ran off down the street.
Dison ran after her, but Juliana blocked him. He looked at the woman's face with confusion. "Who are you?" The bells ringing throughout the town interrupted his train of thought. He looked at the gate. "CLOSE THE FUCKING GATES!" He heard one guard yell. Dison turned back to Juliana, but she was gone.
"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! GET TO THE GATE!" Talbis yelled as he, Rosetta, Rivera, and Urision ran to it.
People living outside the town walls ran toward the gates in panic. Townspeople screamed throughout the streets. Dison watched through the gate but couldn't see what was happening.
One guard rushed through the gate and grabbed the lever to shut it. Talbis stopped him. "What are you doing? We need to let these people in!"
"No. We can't wait!" The guard said in panic.
"Don't be a coward." He paused at the thought, eyes fixed on one attacker rushing toward the gate. It was a lifeless monstrosity, shrieking, clad in armor, and mercilessly killing men, women, and even children, anyone in its path. Its eyes glowed a bright blue. Talbis watched as more lifeless horrors poured in behind it like a flood. "Oh, shit." He said to himself.
"We need to give the people time to get in the gate. Come on!" Rosetta said while she and Urision ran out without hesitation.
"Help whoever you can!" Urision ordered the guards.
Talbis ran past the others, taking the front lines. "Undead zombie soldiers. Isn't this going to be fun?!" He exclaimed as he swung his great sword at one of them, cleaving it in two.
Dison ran out of the gate. The sound of swords clanged as the fight continued. People ran screaming and groaning, trying to flee inside the gates. An undead creature charged at Dison. He looked in confusion, but Rosetta rushed in and intervened. The crystal in her hand glowed brighter as the force of her punch amplified. The monster's head burst.
"Get back to the gate. We'll take care of this part." Rosetta winked at him and ran back into the battle. Attacking with strikes and kicks fiercely, tearing the enemy asunder.
"Come on, you sons of bitches!" Talbis sliced and chopped but made no progress as the zombies he struck down reformed. "This isn't going well!" They overwhelmed him and almost struck him. However, an arrow hit one of his attackers in the head, saving him from the assault. He turned to see Rivera with her bow.
Rivera blew Talbis a kiss. "I think we need to retreat, honey!"
Rosetta got surrounded but kept fighting. She kicked one's leg out from under it and punched it into another undead. She turned as an axe almost struck her in the face. Dison struck down the undead, right before it struck. "Thanks." She smirked in shock.
"That was too close. There's too many of them." Dison said.
"EVERYONE BACK BEHIND THE GATE!" Urision ordered as he struck one down.
Dison watched as everyone entered through the gate. He then turned to the empty street that would lead him home. His thoughts drifted to Kaida, Tina, and Quinn. He glanced back at Rosetta, who stood behind the gate, motioning for him to come over. He could hear her cries calling him to her. Meanwhile, he observed the guards being overwhelmed and slaughtered as they fought fiercely to protect the gate.
"Dison!" Rosetta shouted, but could see the look of certainty on his face. "DON'T!" She watched him turn and run down the road. Feeling compelled to run after him, she tried, but the gate slammed, cutting her off.
"Rosetta, get back!" Urision shouted as spears jutted through the bars at her. He quickly grabbed her and pulled her back. "Stay focused," he said sternly.
Screams echoed from a distance as lightning flashed in the woods. Rosan, Elayne, and Silvara stood on the town hall's roof, looking over the town. Rosan looked at the western gate, which was the most under attack. Fires broke out on the outskirts of town. "Silvara. I need you to assist with the gate to the west. Elayne, find the necromancer. Whoever it is will be close."
"Where are you going?" Elayne said in a concerned tone.
"I'm going outside the wall. There are still people who need help," Rosan exclaimed. He bent down, and a gust of wind increased his jump to a distant roof. He ran, leaping from one roof to another.
Elayne watched Rosan until a bright light from the monastery in the middle of town caught her attention. She nodded at Silvara, who leaped off the building and ran toward the gate, followed by the town guard. Elayne jumped as Rosan did from roof to roof until she reached the monastery.
Elayne looked at the church and noticed a yellow field glowing around it. Outside the entrance, she observed two cloaked figures, one of which floated ominously. "Is that the banshee?" she thought to herself. "What do you want from there? Or who?" Her eyes wandered as she considered going inside the monastery.
A woman and her child ran down the street as the guards battled the undead horde. Screams and cries echoed through the streets, filling the streets with terror. The woman's heart raced as she glimpsed the fear on her little girl's face. Cut off at every turn, she embraced her child as if it were the end. "Close your eyes." The sound of flames caught her attention, and she opened her eyes.
Rosan fought his way through the nearby undead. His blade burned brightly, mirroring the fierce look on his face. He boldly fought off any attacker. In his fury, he slashed his weapon, sending a burst of flames down the street. It carved a path through the crowd. "Go, now!" He watched as the woman picked the child up and ran toward the gates. The little girl waving caught his attention and brought him comfort.
Rosan turned to the remaining guards to rally them. The guards formed ranks and braced for the incoming attack from the undead. "Form up!" Rosan shouted. "Keep the ranks tight!"
The lifeless creatures charged in without mercy. As they fought, footsteps thumping toward them caught Rosan's recognition. He turned to see a giant man down the street, glaring at them.
One guard blurted out. "A giant from Driac. Is this an attack from them?"
"Look at him," Rosan said, watching the giant approach, revealing its rotten face covered in scraggly hair. It wielded two giant battle axes. "He is one of them—the undead." Rosan looked at the fear on the guard's faces. "Hold steady!" He commanded.
The giant raised his axe, pointing menacingly at Rosan. "Are you worthy of my axe?" he asked.
Rosan stared in surprise. "You can talk? Who are you, and what do you want?"
The giant stared intently at his axes, their blades shimmering in the light. Wrinkling his brow, he murmured, "I can't seem to remember. What brings me to this place? It was dark for so long." He looked at Rosan with confusion."
Rosan cautiously eyed the giant, gripping his sword tightly. Abruptly, the banshee's scream echoed in everyone's ears again from a distance. Rosan watched as the fallen guards rose to their feet, their eyes glowing a menacing blue. "This won't end until we defeat this necromancer. Elayne, I hope you're faring better than I am," he thought.
The confused giant glared in rage. He hurled an axe at Rosan, but as Rosan dove out of the way, it struck the men behind him. Rosan glanced back just as he heard the footsteps approaching fast. He turned to face the giant charging at him. As he dodged the giant's strikes, he thought, "If one of those strikes connects, it's all over."
"You move with the same grace and precision as the one who brought about my demise years ago," the giant roared, his voice echoing off the stone walls as he pursued Rosan with relentless fury. His massive limbs swung wildly, sending guards and even the undead flying as he obliterated any obstacles. The air was tense as Rosan darted through the chaos, desperately trying to evade the giant's wrath.
Rosan raised his sword, which ignited into flames as before. The flames grew more intense, and a wave of fire shot toward the giant as he swung it. The impact hit the giant with such force that it knocked him down and set him on fire.
The giant rose to his feet, engulfed in flames, and smiled. "You are truly a worthy opponent."
Rosan sprang to the side as the colossal figure, wreathed in flames, thundered past him. The heat radiated from the giant's form, illuminating the way as it barreled toward the looming gate. His heart pounding, Rosan felt a surge of urgency, realizing he had to intervene before it was too late. "Damn it, I have to stop him from reaching the gate," he thought, determination propelling him forward as he sprinted after the infernal menace.
Outside of town, a small light illuminated the forest—a lantern that Tina held. She followed Alivia into the woods. The chilly night air still pierced her fur cloak, giving her chills. The screams she heard made her feel even more uncomfortable. "Alivia, where are you taking me?" she asked with concern. "Will Dison and Kaida be alright?"
Alivia turned and looked into the sky. "Do you see them?"
Tina looked where Alivia looked, but saw nothing. "I don't."
"Focus, like you did before."
Tina closed her eyes and concentrated intensely. Once again, silence enveloped her, followed by the distant cries of many voices. She heard people calling out for help, their tones filled with confusion. Opening her eyes, she saw ghostly lights floating above her, translucent and ethereal.
Tina looked around in confusion. "What are they?" She watched as they all floated toward a bright light deep in the forest. "Where are they going?"
Alivia looked at her with intense sincerity, the weight of her words hanging heavily between them. "You need to follow them," she urged, her voice steady but filled with urgency. After one last glance, she turned and faded into the shadows, leaving only the faint sound of her footsteps as the darkness closed around her.
"Wait! Alivia!" Tina ran after her. "Don't leave me!" She looked up at the floating apparitions. Cold and alone, she walked toward the light, following the ghostly lights above.