Chapter 115
The cursed forest was a place of haunting beauty, its twisted trees glowing faintly in the dim light, their bark etched with unnatural glyphs. Each step felt heavier, as if the ground itself resented their presence. Aurora led the group, her silver hair catching the faint glimmers of light filtering through the canopy. Cassian stayed close to her side, his golden eyes scanning their surroundings for any sign of danger.
“Stay sharp,” Cassian murmured, his voice low but firm. “This place doesn’t feel right.”
“It isn’t,” Anica replied, their gaze fixed on the glowing glyphs carved into the trees. “These markings are warnings—and traps. The forest doesn’t want us here.”
Aurora pressed her hand to her abdomen, feeling the faint warmth of her child’s connection to the Pact. “We don’t have a choice. The Key is our only hope.”
The air grew colder the deeper they ventured, and the forest seemed to close in around them. Branches reached out like claws, and the faint sound of whispers drifted on the wind, incomprehensible but deeply unsettling.
“What’s that sound?” one of the wolves asked, his voice trembling.
“The forest,” Anica replied, their tone grim. “It’s alive in ways you can’t imagine. Keep moving. And whatever you do, don’t touch anything.”
As they pushed forward, the ground shifted beneath them, revealing hidden pits and jagged rocks. Anica paused to study the glyphs, muttering incantations under their breath to disable traps that would have otherwise spelled their doom.
Cassian helped Aurora over a crumbling log, his grip firm as he steadied her. “You’re sure you’re up for this?”
Aurora met his gaze, her silver eyes shining with determination. “I have to be.”
Hours passed as they navigated the forest’s treacherous terrain. The whispers grew louder, forming disjointed words that only Aurora seemed to understand.
“The Key… demands balance,” she murmured, her voice distant.
Cassian frowned, his hand tightening on his blade. “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know,” Aurora admitted, the warmth in her chest shifting to a faint, uneasy pulse.
They finally emerged into a clearing where the ruins of an ancient temple loomed before them. Its stone walls were covered in moss and cracks, and the faint glow of the glyphs pulsated like a heartbeat.
“This is it,” Anica said, their voice barely above a whisper. “The Key is inside.”
Aurora took a step forward, but Cassian grabbed her arm, his golden eyes sharp. “Wait. Something’s not right.”
A low growl echoed from the shadows of the temple, followed by the gleam of glowing red eyes. Shadow beasts emerged, their hulking forms blocking the entrance.
Aurora’s heart pounded as she drew her blade, its edge catching the dim light. “They were waiting for us.”
Cassian stepped in front of her, his blade raised. “Then we make them regret it.”
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