The void left by Kael's presence filled the shelter. Sere still clutched the Threshold Stone with trembling hands. The stone no longer felt merely warm; it pulsed with a determined, powerful rhythm, almost alive, calling them outward, forward.
"He's gone," Sere whispered, her voice still searching for confidence.
"Physically, yes," Moaito replied, his eyes still fixed on the spot where Kael had vanished. "But the mark he left on our minds is fresh. He only wanted to test our strength. Now we know what to expect in our next encounter."
Sere laid her sword on the ground and rubbed her palms. "And the stone? Why is it glowing so strongly now?"
Moaito finally turned to her. His face was tired, but his eyes held a new focus. "Because while Kael was distracting us here, the real threat was growing. The Pinnacle of the Wind... something has happened there. The Balance has been disrupted further. The stone is warning us."
They gathered their packs. When they stepped outside, the sounds of the forest were slowly returning, but nothing felt the same anymore. Every shadow reminded them of an Ash Hunter, every rustle of leaves echoed Kael's silent footsteps.
They set out, but they were no longer just two travelers rushing towards a goal. With every step, they were more alert, more agile. Moaito taught Sere how to hide in the natural environment, how to better conceal their tracks. These lessons were now a necessity.
At their next resting place by a stream, they talked.
"That... Kael," Sere began, cupping water in her hands. "Do you know anything about him? He sounded like he was Naje."
Moaito looked at the water for a long time. "Yes," he said finally, his voice deep and sorrowful. "I have seen others like him. The Void preys not only on the weak and cowardly, but also on the strongest wills, those who have endured the deepest pain. It promises them a meaning for their suffering: the end of all pain. It's... a seductive lie."
"Did it ever seduce you?" Sere asked, gathering her courage.
Moaito looked at her. His eyes held the weight of a millennia of solitude and countless temptations. "Every day," he whispered. "And every day, I say 'no.' Because I seek not just an end to my own pain, but meaning for everyone's pain. Not through destruction, but through restoration."
This was the most personal confession Moaito had ever made about himself. Sere didn't reply. She only felt the weight of sitting beside him, of being a small part of this ancient struggle.
The next day, the landscape began to change. The trees thinned out, giving way to bare, windy hills. The air held a sharp, high-pitched hum, different from an ordinary wind. The wind rang in their ears, feeling as if needles were pricking their skin.
They were approaching the Pinnacle of the Wind.
When they climbed to the top of a ridge, their breath caught. In the distance, a massive, bare rock spire rose sharply towards the sky. The Pinnacle of the Wind. But it didn't seem like a natural formation. The rocks were sharp and irregular, as if carved by a supernatural storm. Around the mountain's peak, black and white clouds formed an unnatural vortex, constantly spinning but never dissipating. The wind spread from here to all corners of the world like an unbalanced, sick breath.
"There it is," said Moaito, his voice almost lost in the roar of the wind. "The source of the corruption. The wind no longer carries news and change. It only spreads... decay and fragility."
The Threshold Stone on Sere's chest burned now with a constant, painful heat. The pain was a warning.
And then they saw it. At the foot of the mountain, camouflaged with the color of the rock, was a primitive and terrifying structure. A temple made of standing stones and circles. And around it, just like at the Lake of Destiny, grey-cloaked figures moved. The Void was using this place as a base.
Moaito turned to Sere. The cold, distant expression he had before encountering Kael was gone from his face. It had been replaced by an unshakable resolve born of a shared purpose.
"We will enter," he said. "And we will cleanse the imbalance here. Kael might be waiting for us. But we are no longer just two fugitives. We are the ones bringing the answer."
Sere gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. Fear was still there, but now beside it was something stronger: Anger. An anger at what was being done to this beautiful, ancient world.
Together, they began their descent down towards the heart of the storm and the darkness. The path would be fraught with danger, but they were no longer just afraid. They were ready.