The ashes of the Blackwood Hunter still lingered in the clearing, faint sparks drifting like dying fireflies. Rihan stared at the spot where the monster had fallen, his chest heaving. His hand trembled around the hilt of his sword until the blade dissolved once more into light, vanishing into nothingness.
Elira sheathed her blades with practiced ease. "We should not linger here. More corrupted beasts may be drawn to this place."
Lyra's gentle hands glowed with healing light as she brushed her palm across Rihan's shoulder. "Your body is strong, but your soul still strains. You're forcing an ability far beyond your level."
Rihan let out a shaky laugh. "Tell that to the giant shadow-wolf that wanted to rip my head off. I'll take straining over dying, thanks."
Both women exchanged a glance, one half-exasperated, half-respectful.
---
They began moving deeper into the woods, heading westward where the faint glow of silver trees lit the horizon. Elira explained as they walked.
"That light is Sylvaris, the Elven Capital. It is hidden from outsiders by ancient wards. Only those guided by an elf may pass."
Rihan blinked. "So if I just walked there alone…?"
"The forest itself would swallow you whole," she said flatly. "Be grateful you have me."
He smirked. "Trust me, I am."
---
The journey stretched over hours. The forest shifted as they neared Sylvaris—trees growing taller, their leaves glowing faint silver under the twilight. Small orbs of mana floated in the air, drifting lazily like lanterns.
Rihan's eyes widened. "It's… beautiful."
Lyra smiled softly. "This is the heart of Arcanis' life-force. Mana flows here in its purest form. The elves have guarded it for millennia."
But Elira's tone was sharp, almost bitter. "And yet, even here, corruption dares to seep in."
---
At last, they reached the shimmering barrier of Sylvaris. It looked like a wall of light woven between trees, shifting and alive.
Elira stepped forward, placing her hand against the barrier. It parted like liquid, opening a path. "Stay close."
The moment Rihan stepped through, he felt it—the weight of countless eyes.
---
Sylvaris unfolded before him.
The city was breathtaking: towers of silverwood spiraling into the sky, bridges of crystal spanning glowing rivers, lanterns of living flame drifting in the air. Elves moved gracefully through the streets, clad in flowing garments woven with light itself.
But every face that turned to him carried the same thing: suspicion.
Whispers spread like fire.
"A human…?"
"What is he doing here?"
"Elira brought him?"
Rihan shifted uncomfortably under the weight of their gazes. "Great. I feel like the only guy who wore sneakers to a royal ball."
Elira ignored the stares, her posture regal as she led them forward. "Pay no mind. They fear what they do not understand."
---
Soon, they arrived at a grand hall carved into the base of a colossal tree—the Council of Elders. Guards stepped forward immediately, halberds crossing to bar Rihan's path.
"Hold. No outsider may enter the Council's sanctum," one barked.
Rihan raised his hands defensively. "Hey, no argument here. I didn't even want to be here until like… five minutes ago."
Elira's voice cut sharp. "He comes under my protection. He bears the power of purification—without him, the corruption beyond our borders would have claimed many more lives today."
The guards hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances, before grudgingly stepping aside.
---
Inside, the hall glowed with golden light. The Elders sat upon crescent thrones, their hair silver as starlight, their eyes deep as the forest itself. The atmosphere was suffocating, ancient, and judging.
One of them, an Elderess draped in robes of emerald, leaned forward. "Elira. You return, bearing a human at your side. Explain."
Elira knelt, her voice strong. "This man is Rihan. He wields a power unlike any I have seen—a blade of light that burns corruption at its root. He aided me in slaying a Blackwood Hunter."
Murmurs rippled through the chamber. A human. A light-wielder. Impossible. Dangerous.
The eldest among them, a man whose very presence silenced the whispers, spoke gravely. "A human with such power… could he be… the Eclipse?"
---
Rihan blinked. "The what-now?"
Lyra's eyes widened, her lips parting. She had heard the word before.
Elira's jaw tightened.
The Elder continued, his voice echoing. "Long ago, a prophecy was spoken. When shadow consumes the roots of Arcanis, and corruption spreads to even the purest lands… an outsider shall arrive, wielding the light of souls. He will be the harbinger of Eclipse—salvation, or ruin."
The hall fell silent.
All eyes turned to Rihan.
He shifted uncomfortably. "Uh… just to clarify, I'm definitely rooting for the salvation part."
But no one laughed.
Because deep within the Elders' gaze was something colder than distrust. Something sharper than fear.
It was calculation.
---
The System chimed ominously in Rihan's ear:
[Main Quest Updated: The Prophecy of the Eclipse]
[Choice Unlocked: Will you embrace your role as the Harbinger of Salvation… or descend into Ruin?]
Rihan swallowed hard.
For the first time since arriving in Arcanis, he realized—
This world didn't just need him.
It feared him.