Shadows of the Past

Chapter 10: Shadows of the Past

The forest grew darker as they pressed on, the trees thickening until they blotted out the moonlight. Each step felt heavier, the air colder. Kaelin’s thoughts were a storm of doubt and questions. Verrin had proven himself capable, but something about him gnawed at the edges of Kaelin’s trust.

Anara walked beside him, her hand never far from her daggers. Her tension was palpable, her sharp glances at Verrin betraying her unease. Verrin, for his part, moved with quiet confidence, as if the oppressive forest was nothing more than a well-worn path.

“Everglen isn’t far,” Verrin said, breaking the silence. His voice was calm, yet carried an edge of urgency. “We should reach it by dawn.”

Kaelin nodded, clutching the shard in his pocket. Its earlier burst of power lingered in his mind. What was the shard truly capable of? And why did it feel... alive?

The silence of the forest was broken by a faint sound—a low hum, almost like whispers. Kaelin stopped, his ears straining.

“Do you hear that?” he asked.

Anara froze, her eyes narrowing. “Whispers.”

Verrin didn’t stop walking. “Ignore it. The forest plays tricks on travelers. It’s meant to lead you astray.”

But the whispers grew louder, weaving through the trees like a chilling wind. They weren’t just random sounds—they were words.

“Kaelin... why do you run?”

Kaelin’s heart skipped a beat. He spun around, but the forest behind him was empty.

“Who said that?” he demanded.

Anara grabbed his arm. “There’s no one there. Keep moving.”

But Kaelin couldn’t shake the voice. It wasn’t just calling him—it knew him. He looked to Verrin, whose expression was uncharacteristically grim.

“The shard,” Verrin said, his tone low. “It’s attracting them.”

“Who?” Kaelin asked, his voice trembling.

“The shadows of the past,” Verrin replied. “Memories. Regrets. They feed on doubt and fear. Don’t listen to them.”

Kaelin clenched his fists, trying to block out the whispers. But they grew louder, more insistent.

“You’re not ready. You’ll fail. You’ll lose them all...”

He stopped in his tracks, his breath shallow. “I can’t... I can’t ignore it.”

Verrin turned sharply, his gray eyes piercing. “You must. The forest preys on weakness. If you let it in, it will consume you.”

Anara stepped between them, her voice sharp. “How do you know so much about this place? You’ve been awfully quiet about your experience.”

Verrin’s jaw tightened. “Because I’ve been here before.”

Kaelin and Anara exchanged a look.

“You’ve been to Everglen?” Kaelin asked.

“Yes,” Verrin admitted. “And I’ve seen what happens to those who can’t resist the whispers. They’re drawn into the shadows. They become part of the forest.”

Anara’s hand moved to her dagger. “So, why did you survive? What aren’t you telling us?”

Before Verrin could answer, the whispers surged, their volume rising to a deafening crescendo. The ground beneath them trembled, and the air grew thick with an unnatural chill.

The shadows of the trees stretched and twisted, taking on vaguely humanoid shapes. Their eyes glowed faintly, and their movements were unnatural, jerky, as if they were puppets controlled by unseen strings.

“Run,” Verrin said, his voice cold and firm.

Kaelin hesitated, but Anara grabbed his arm. “You heard him! Move!”

They sprinted through the forest, the shadowy figures lurching after them. The whispers turned into haunting screams, each one echoing with a familiar voice. Kaelin’s mother. His friends. Voices he hadn’t heard in years.

“You left us.”

“You’ll fail again.”

Kaelin stumbled, but Verrin caught him, pulling him forward. “Don’t stop! They’re not real!”

Anara slashed at one of the figures as it lunged at her, but her dagger passed through it like smoke. “We can’t fight them!” she shouted.

Verrin pulled a small vial from his cloak and hurled it at the ground behind them. It shattered, releasing a burst of pale blue light that sent the shadows retreating momentarily.

“That won’t hold them for long,” Verrin said. “Keep going!”

Finally, they broke through the treeline, emerging into a clearing bathed in the faint glow of dawn. The shadowy figures stopped at the edge of the forest, their glowing eyes watching but not crossing.

Kaelin collapsed to his knees, his chest heaving. The shard in his pocket was warm, its light faint but steady.

“What... was that?” he asked, his voice trembling.

“The forest’s curse,” Verrin said. “It protects Everglen from intruders. Those whispers—it draws them from your mind, your regrets, your fears. It’s designed to break you.”

Anara rounded on him, her face red with anger. “And you didn’t think to warn us about that?”

“I told you to stay focused,” Verrin said calmly. “The shard’s presence makes it worse. It amplifies the forest’s power.”

Kaelin looked at Verrin, his voice filled with suspicion. “You’ve been here before. You survived. Why?”

Verrin hesitated, his gray eyes clouding for the first time. “Because I’ve walked this path before—and failed.”

The weight of his words hung heavy in the air.

Anara stepped closer, her daggers glinting in the dawn light. “Failed how? What happened here?”

Verrin’s gaze turned distant, as if he were staring at something only he could see. “I came for the shard once. But I wasn’t worthy.”

Kaelin frowned. “Then why are you helping us?”

Verrin looked at him, his expression unreadable. “Because you have a chance to succeed where I didn’t. But make no mistake—the shard’s power comes at a price. And the forest isn’t the only thing standing in your way.”

Kaelin’s grip tightened on the shard, its faint pulse matching the rhythm of his racing heart.

“What price?” Kaelin asked.

Verrin didn’t answer. Instead, he turned toward the distant ruins of Everglen, their crumbling towers visible against the horizon.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

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