Chapter 306
The morning mist clung to the trees, thick and cold, as Elyra and Dain made their way through the dense forest. The air was heavy with anticipation, each step taking them further into the unknown. The journey ahead was perilous, but neither of them hesitated. The map from the shard had shown them the way to the Temple of the Moon Ascendant, and despite the warnings, there was no turning back.
Cassian and Aurora had pleaded with them to reconsider. They had tried to make them see reason, to understand the dangers they were about to face. But Elyra and Dain had already made up their minds. The call of the temple was too strong, the pull of the power too irresistible.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” Cassian had argued, his tone a mixture of concern and frustration. “The temple is too far, and the lands surrounding it are cursed. You’ll never make it.”
Aurora, her face pale with worry, had placed a hand on Elyra’s shoulder. “Please, Elyra. There’s no shame in turning back. You don’t need to go to that place. Not if it means risking everything.”
But Elyra had shaken her head. “You’re wrong,” she had said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides. “We can’t ignore this anymore. The temple holds the answers to everything. We have to go.”
Dain had stood by her side, unwavering, his determination matching hers. They both knew the stakes. Whatever was hidden in the temple was worth the risk—if only they could unlock its secrets before the darkness consumed them all.
Now, as the two of them walked through the forest, the weight of their decision hung heavily in the air. The path was treacherous, the forest dense with thorns and tangled branches that seemed to reach out and grab at them. Elyra’s mind was clouded with doubt, but she pushed it aside. She couldn’t afford to second-guess herself. Not now.
“We’re getting closer,” Dain muttered, his voice low. His eyes flickered to the map in his hand, his gaze scanning the dense woods ahead. “The map says we should be near the edge of the corrupted lands. Once we’re through, the temple will be just beyond that.”
Elyra nodded, though she wasn’t so sure. She could feel it too—the change in the air. The further they ventured, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. The trees were twisted and dark, their branches bent in unnatural angles. The air was thick with an ominous energy, and Elyra could almost taste the darkness that lurked just beyond the trees.
It wasn’t just the environment that felt wrong. It was something deeper. A primal fear that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She had felt it when she first touched the shard, but now it was stronger, more persistent.
“I don’t like this,” she muttered, glancing around nervously.
Dain’s eyes softened as he looked at her, but his expression remained resolute. “We’re almost there. Just a little longer.”
They pushed forward in silence, the only sounds the crunch of leaves beneath their boots and the occasional rustle of wildlife in the trees. The forest seemed alive, but not in a natural way. It was as though the very land was waiting for them, watching their every move.
As night began to fall, they set up camp at the edge of a small clearing. The fading light cast long shadows over the ground, and Elyra couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching them. The fire crackled as they sat in silence, the warmth of the flames doing little to ease the tension in the air.
Elyra glanced at Dain, who sat across from her, his face illuminated by the firelight. His jaw was clenched, his expression hard, but there was a flicker of something deeper in his eyes—a restlessness, a hunger for whatever awaited them at the temple.
“We’ll make it through tonight,” Dain said, as though reading her mind. “Tomorrow, we’ll be one step closer.”
Elyra nodded, though doubt gnawed at her. She wanted to believe him, but the pull of the darkness was growing stronger, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being drawn into something far worse than they could imagine.
The wind shifted, the air growing colder, and the trees around them creaked and groaned as if disturbed by some unseen force. Elyra stood, her senses alert, her eyes darting around the clearing.
“Did you hear that?” she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest.
Dain was already on his feet, his hand reaching for the blade at his side. He, too, had felt it—the shift in the air. The presence of something… or someone.
Suddenly, the fire flickered violently, casting erratic shadows across the clearing. A low growl echoed through the trees, sending a shiver down Elyra’s spine. It was a deep, menacing sound, one that spoke of hunger and malice.
Before either of them could react, the shadows around them seemed to come alive. Dark shapes moved between the trees, their forms shifting in and out of view like phantoms. Elyra’s breath caught in her throat as she realized what it was.
Shadow wolves.
Their glowing yellow eyes pierced the darkness, and their bodies seemed to ripple with the same corrupted energy that had twisted the lands they had crossed. Elyra’s heart raced as she reached for her own weapon, but the wolves were closing in too fast.
Dain drew his sword, his muscles tense as he prepared for the inevitable confrontation. “Stay close,” he ordered, his voice sharp with urgency. “We need to fight them off or—”
A shadow wolf lunged from the darkness, its fangs bared, its eyes glowing with malevolent hunger. Dain swung his sword, but the wolf was faster, dodging and biting at the air.
And then, through the chaos, a voice echoed from the darkness, cold and mocking.
“The ascendant rises,” it hissed, the words dripping with a sinister promise.
Elyra froze, the words sending a chill down her spine. She didn’t know who or what had spoken, but the meaning was clear. The shadow wolves weren’t just attacking—they were here to stop them. To prevent them from reaching the temple.
And they were just the beginning.
-: A shadow wolf attacks their group in the night, muttering, “The ascendant rises.”
