The forest gradually brightened as they pushed through the dense undergrowth, sunlight finally piercing the canopy in fractured gold. The air smelled fresh, but Kael felt none of its calm. His heartbeat had refused to settle ever since they'd left the Guardian behind.
Lira walked beside him, brow furrowed, biting the inside of her cheek.
She was nervous—he could sense it through the faint magical bond that always flickered between them.
Maelor, however, strode ahead with hands clasped behind his back, humming a jaunty, almost careless tune. As if he hadn't just stood in front of an enraged Guardian Dragon who practically accused him of carrying the scent of something ancient and terrifying.
Kael finally snapped.
"Alright, enough. What really happened back there?"
Maelor's humming stopped mid-note.
He didn't turn around.
Lira stepped forward. "Maelor… please. Why did the Guardian fear you? Why did it call you—whatever it called you?"
Maelor sighed dramatically, spun around, and tapped the side of his head.
"My darlings, you're asking the wrong questions."
Kael clenched his jaw. "Then what's the right one?"
"Why did it fear who might be with me."
The forest fell silent.
Kael stared.
Lira stared.
Maelor continued walking, kicking a pinecone out of his way.
"You two," he said, "are a delightful mixture of brave and clueless. But let's not dwell on terrifying mysteries when we have a far more immediate problem."
"Which is?" Kael asked.
Maelor pointed forward.
The trees parted—and Kael's stomach dropped.
Before them lay a massive crater.
Shallow, wide, and still steaming faintly.
Lira's eyes widened. "Was this… the battle?"
Maelor nodded. "Yes. The demon hit the Guardian hard. The Guardian hit harder. The ground threw a tantrum."
Kael stepped into the crater, boots sinking slightly into the scorched soil.
He saw claw marks, deep and jagged.
He saw scorch lines spiraling outward like a starburst.
He saw gouges in the earth that looked as though something had been dragged across the ground unwillingly.
Kael swallowed. "This is worse than I thought."
Lira knelt, touching the earth. Her energy pulsed gently—soft lunar magic shimmering under her fingertips.
"This place still feels… wrong. Like something was here that shouldn't exist."
Maelor clapped slowly. "Correct!"
Kael exhaled sharply. "Maelor. Enough games. Start explaining."
Maelor blinked innocently. "Games? This is just my charming personality."
Lira crossed her arms. "Maelor."
"…Alright." He huffed. "Fine. A tiny explanation. A crumb."
He crouched, drawing three simple circles in the dirt.
"One," he tapped the first circle, "the demon you fought earlier: strong, chaotic, loud, messy."
Kael nodded.
"Two," he tapped the second circle, "the Guardian: ancient, powerful, deeply stubborn, prone to lecturing."
Lira cracked a small smile.
"And the third," he tapped the final circle, "something else entirely. Something that walked through this battlefield like it was a painting to be touched up."
Kael's chest tightened. "And what was that something?"
Maelor brushed his hands dramatically. "Oh look at the time! We should be moving, yes? Dangerous forest, unstable magic, traumatized dragon nearby—"
"Maelor." Kael's voice dropped. "Enough jokes. Tell us what you know."
Maelor didn't reply.
Instead, he lifted his head.
His eyes glowed faintly.
Not normally.
Not magically.
But like he was remembering something older.
Something heavy.
"…You two will learn the truth soon," Maelor said softly. "But not today. Not in a broken forest. And not while you're this unprepared."
The glow faded.
Maelor stood up, back to his usual self.
"Now come along! I found berries earlier, and even though they might be poisonous, they smell delightful."
Kael groaned. "Maelor."
"Yes, yes," Maelor waved. "No berries. Back to survival and doom."
Lira placed a hand on Kael's arm. "Let's keep moving. Whatever happened here, it's done. We need to focus on what comes next."
Kael nodded reluctantly.
As they crossed the crater and headed deeper into the forest, neither Kael nor Lira noticed Maelor glance back one last time…
…at a faint, lingering footprint in the soil.
A footprint that wasn't human.
Wasn't demon.
Wasn't dragon.
Something different.
Something impossible.
Something that made Maelor's smile fade completely.
He whispered under his breath, barely audible:
"…Why did you come here, old friend?"
The forest swallowed the words.
And the three of them continued walking—toward a path that would soon tear reality wide open.