Elara could still hear the whispers.
Even as she and Astra ran through the forest, even as the ruins faded into the distance, the voices clung to her.
Calling.
Watching.
Waiting.
She clenched her fists, forcing herself to focus on the present. The cold air burned in her lungs as she pushed forward, following Astra's lead through the twisting trees.
"We need to get out of here," Astra muttered. "Something feels off."
Elara swallowed hard. "You think?"
Astra shot her a sharp look. "I mean more than usual."
Elara's stomach twisted. She could feel it too.
Theforestwasshifting.
Not physically—but in a way she couldn't explain. It was like the trees were listening. Like the ground itself was awareofthem.
And the whispers in her head weren't fading.
Theyweregrowinglouder.
Elara forced herself to keep running. Theyhadtogetbacktothecabin.
But then—
Theforestmoved.
Not in the normal way. Not with the wind.
The trees bent,twisted, reshapedthepath.
Astra skidded to a stop. "Oh, come on!"
Elara stared in horror as the trail they had just been following vanished.
The forest had changed.
The way backwasgone.
Astra let out a sharp breath, hand tightening around her dagger. "Alright. Not gonna panic."
Elara's heart pounded. "You sound like you're panicking."
"I said I'm not." Astra spun in a slow circle, scanning the shifting trees. "This isn't normal magic."
Elara swallowed. "I noticed."
The whispers grewstronger.
They slithered through her mind like threads of silk, coilingaroundherthoughts.
She shook her head, trying to push them away, but—
They weren't just whispers anymore.
They were words.
You cannot run.
Elara flinched.
That voice…
It wasn't like the others.
It wasn't an echo, wasn't a ghost of something long lost.
It was present.
Here.
Watching.
Elara gritted her teeth. "Astra, we need to move. Now."
Astra gave her a sharp look but didn't argue.
They turned—
And thepathinfrontofthemdisappeared.
Elara's stomach dropped. "No."
The trees shiftedagain, growing taller, denser, closingin
Astra let out a low curse. "Okay. New plan."
Elara's voice was tight. "Which is?"
Astra drewherdagger. "We fight our way out."
Elara's heart pounded. "Against a forest?"
Astra grinned. "You'd be surprised what a good blade can do."
Elara exhaled sharply. "You're insane."
Astra winked. "Only a little."
Then she lunged—slashingat thenearesttree.
The moment Astra's blade struck wood, the entireforestscreamed.
Not a physical sound—amentalone.
Elara feltit.
A deep, ancient rage rippled through the air, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
Astra stumbled back, eyes wide. "Okay. Bad idea."
Elara barely had time to react before the shadows moved.
From the trees. From the air itself.
Theytookform.
Not quite human.
Not quite anything.
Just darknesswitheyes.
Dozens of them.
Surrounding them.
Watching.
Waiting.
Astra raised her dagger. "Oh, that's just great."
Elara's pulse thundered.
The whispers filled her head, the voice curling around her mind like smoke.
You are not welcome here.
Elara clenched her fists. "Too bad."
The voice laughed.
And then—
Theshadowsattacked.
Astra moved first.
She duckedandrolled just as a shadow lunged, striking with a speed that made Elara's stomach lurch.
Her dagger slashed throughtheair—but it passed throughtheshadowlikemist.
Astra swore. "Oh, that's not fair!"
Elara stumbledback.
Another shadow lungedforher.
She barely dodged, trippingoveraroot and crashing to the ground.
Her hands scraped against stone—wait.
Not stone.
Runes.
Carved into the forest floor.
Glowing faintly.
Elara's breath caught.
She recognizedthem.
They were the same sigils she had seen in the golden city.
And she knew what they meant.
Her fingers pressed against the markings.
Lightflared.
The shadows recoiled, hissing.
Astra's eyes went wide. "Okay, what the hell was that?"
Elara didn't have time to explain.
She focused. Calledonthe memory.
The runes litup.
Apulseofenergy exploded outward, sending the shadows reeling.
Elara's chest heaved.
The whispers screeched-thenfaded.
The shadows disappeared.
The forest stilled.
Astra lowered her dagger, breathless. "What. Just. Happened."
Elara swallowed. "I… I don't know."
That was a lie.
She did know.
The power, the runes, the whispers—
Itwasallconnected.
And it had started the moment she said the name.
Valdris.
Astra watched her closely. "You're hiding something."
Elara hesitated.
Then, finally, she said, "I think the forest knows me."
Astra raised a brow. "Knows you?"
Elara's fingers brushed against the rune-carved ground.
The whispers were silent now.
But they weren't gone.
She could still feelthem.
Watching.
Waiting.
And in that moment, she realized—
This wasn't just any forest.
It wasn't just ancient.
It wasn't just dangerous.
Itwasalive.
And it had been waitingforher.
For a very, very long time.