The camp was cloaked in uneasy silence, the flickering fire casting long shadows that danced against the twisted trees. Carlos
sat beside Lys, muscles aching and breath heavy from the battle at the Heart of the Grove. For a moment, the forest seemed
almost peaceful — as if the dark grip loosening on the realm had bought them a fleeting respite.
But peace was an illusion.
Lys's eyes were sharp, scanning the horizon. "Dren's betrayal wasn't an isolated incident," she murmured. "The curse doesn't
just twist spirits — it infects minds. There's someone controlling this realm, pulling the strings."
Carlos frowned. "Who? Why haven't we seen them yet?"
Before Lys could answer, a sudden explosion shattered the night. The ground trembled beneath their feet as a column of
smoke and fire erupted nearby. From the chaos emerged a figure cloaked in shadows, taller than any Carlos had seen, eyes
glowing a fierce red.
"I am Kael," the figure declared, voice like a dark storm rolling over the land. "The true master of the Abyssal Grove. Your
struggle ends here."
Carlos stood, sword drawn, heart pounding. He could feel the oppressive power radiating from Kael — a darkness so deep it
seemed to swallow the very light around him.
Lys whispered urgently, "We have to work together. Alone, we're no match."
But Kael was relentless. With a wave of his hand, tendrils of shadow erupted from the ground, twisting and writhing like living
serpents. Carlos dodged a lash of darkness, the cold seeping through his armor. Lys moved swiftly beside him, blades flashing,
but even their combined skill wasn't enough to break through Kael's defense.
The forest seemed to come alive, the shadows growing thicker, choking the air. Carlos realized that Kael's power was feeding
off the lingering curse, amplifying it beyond anything they had faced before.
As the battle raged, Carlos caught a glimpse of movement in the trees — other players, watching from the safety of the
shadows, hesitant to intervene.
"We need allies," Carlos shouted to Lys as they narrowly avoided another shadow strike. "We can't fight him alone."
Lys nodded, blood trickling from a cut on her cheek. "Then we find them."
Retreating through the forest's tangled underbrush, Carlos and Lys vanished into the night, pursued by the echoing laughter of
Kael.
As they fled, Carlos's mind raced. The Helm on his head pulsed softly, as if responding to the danger. He could feel the game's
deeper layers awakening — secrets hidden beneath shadows, alliances waiting to be forged, and betrayals yet to come.
Kael's declaration echoed in his mind: "Your struggle ends here." But Carlos knew this was far from the end.
It was only the beginning of a darker, deadlier game.