"Even light can be deceived when it forgets the darkness that birthed it."
The storm had passed, but the cold lingered like a ghost that refused to move on. Morning came gray and silent. Snow covered everything except the faint imprint of their bodies where they had fallen the night before. The lake behind them had frozen smooth again, its surface unbroken, as though nothing had ever disturbed it.
Kael sat up slowly, rubbing his temples. "Tell me we did not almost drown again."
Lior stood at the edge of the lake, his breath misting in the chill air. "We did."
"Wonderful. I would prefer fewer near death experiences before breakfast."
Lior did not respond. His gaze was fixed on the lake's center where faint crimson light pulsed beneath the ice, slow and steady like a heartbeat.
Kael followed his stare and frowned. "That was not there before."
"No," Lior said softly. "It appeared after I touched the seal."
Kael shivered. "You sure it is not cursed?"
"Everything in this land is cursed."
"Fair point."
They packed what little they had and continued north. The wind was quieter now, but the silence it left behind was heavier. Each step crunched softly against the snow, echoing in the emptiness.
After several hours, the landscape began to change. The white plains gave way to jagged cliffs of black stone that jutted from the earth like broken teeth. The air grew warmer, carrying the scent of ash and something faintly metallic.
Kael wrinkled his nose. "Smells like blood and fire. My favorite combination."
Lior's hand brushed the hilt of his sword. "The barrier between the realms grows thin here."
"Meaning what exactly?"
"That the living and the dead walk closer together than they should."
Kael swallowed hard. "Great. So, ghosts. Again."
They reached a narrow pass that wound between the cliffs. Shadows pooled thickly along the walls, moving subtly as if alive. Lior slowed his pace. Every instinct told him they were being watched.
Halfway through, the air shifted. A whisper brushed against his ear, not from the wind this time but from something unseen.
"Turn back."
Lior froze. The voice was neither male nor female, soft yet heavy with intent. Kael noticed his expression and drew his dagger. "What is it now?"
Before Lior could answer, the shadows along the cliff began to move. Figures emerged, cloaked in darkness, their forms barely human. Their eyes glowed faintly silver, and the air around them rippled with cold.
Kael took a step back. "I assume they are not friendly."
"No."
The creatures moved closer, their shapes flickering like smoke. One reached forward, its voice hollow. "You carry the mark of the fallen flame. You are not welcome here."
Lior drew his sword. "Then you will have to stop me."
Light flared as his blade ignited, its golden glow cutting through the gloom. The shadows recoiled with a hiss, but they did not retreat. Instead, they surged forward in a wave of darkness.
Kael spun beside him, knives flashing. "I hate this place!"
Lior moved like water, his strikes precise and fluid. Each arc of his blade tore through the creatures, dispersing them into mist. Yet for every one that fell, two more emerged. The air grew colder, pressing against them like invisible hands.
A whisper rose among the shadows, soft but powerful. "The flame shall fade."
Lior gritted his teeth. "Not yet."
He thrust his blade into the ground. Light burst outward, forming a circle around them. The shadows screamed as they burned away, leaving only silence. When it was over, Lior fell to one knee, panting.
Kael placed a hand on his shoulder. "You good?"
"Yes," Lior said between breaths. "But something followed us from the lake."
"What do you mean?"
Lior looked at his reflection in the blade. For a moment, his eyes flickered faintly blue, the same hue as the watcher's. "The north marked me. I can feel it."
Kael frowned. "That does not sound healthy."
"It is not."
They emerged from the pass by dusk. The cliffs opened into a valley filled with black fog that drifted lazily across the ground. In the distance, faint structures rose, pillars and towers carved from obsidian, half buried in frost.
Kael sighed. "Please tell me that is not another ruin."
"It is," Lior said. "But not of this age."
As they descended, the fog thickened until they could barely see a few steps ahead. The air hummed faintly with energy, and the ground beneath their boots felt strange, almost alive.
Then, without warning, the mist parted, revealing a massive gate of black stone. Strange symbols glowed faintly along its surface, shifting like living script. At its center was an imprint shaped like a hand.
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. You are going to touch it."
Lior glanced at him. "Would you rather I let it open on its own?"
Kael hesitated. "Fair."
Lior placed his hand against the stone. The symbols flared to life, and the ground trembled. The gate split open slowly, revealing a vast chamber beyond.
They stepped inside. The air was heavy, filled with the scent of old incense and decay. Pillars lined the walls, each carved with faces that seemed to watch them. At the far end stood a throne of dark crystal, and upon it sat a figure clad in silver armor, motionless.
Kael whispered, "Please tell me that one is dead."
The figure's eyes opened.
A deep voice filled the chamber. "So the heir has come at last."
Lior's breath caught. "You know who I am?"
The figure rose from the throne. "I knew your kind before the fall. You carry both their light and their mistake."
Lior stepped forward. "Then tell me what that mistake was."
The armored figure lifted its helm, revealing a face marked by pale scars and faintly glowing veins. "To believe that the flame could exist without consuming the one who bore it."
Before Lior could respond, the chamber darkened, and a faint wind stirred. The shadows along the walls began to move again.
Kael drew his blades. "And here we go again."
The figure raised a hand. "You stand within the Veil of Shadows. Survive it, and you may yet learn who you truly are."
The ground split open, and darkness swallowed them whole.