The cold pierced to the bone. Slowly, Kaelen's consciousness began to return, although his body still felt like it was wrapped in a thick, heavy, and restricting fog. He felt the biting cold from every direction, as if he were lying on an invisible layer of ice, freezing in the middle of an endless forest. The rustling of leaves and the rumble of water sounded faint in the distance, like the sounds of nature waiting to rise from their long slumber. In the suffocating silence, he heard the distant howl of a terrible wolf, as if signaling that the world out there was still alive, but full of threats.
He tried to open his eyes. His eyelids felt like they were bound by something hard and invisible. When he finally succeeded, his vision was blurred and shadowy, only able to capture the silhouettes of tall and dense trees towering into the sky covered with fog and thick clouds. The morning sunlight that penetrated the gaps in the leaves could only create dim patterns, as if this world was asleep and waiting to rise again. He lay on a soft and wet expanse of moss, among the roots of ancient trees that twisted like sleeping giant snakes.
Pain struck immediately as he tried to move his body. His muscles felt stiff and sore, like a string that had been pulled for too long and finally snapped. He felt a painful throbbing in his back and chest, as if he had just been hit with tremendous force. On his forehead, a gaping wound throbbed and bled dry, mixed with small wounds all over his body—bruises, abrasions, and lingering marks. He tried to remember what happened—the pitch-black shadow floating among the trees, the incredible speed that exceeded human limits, the deadly impact, and the cold grip that pulled him into the darkness.
He remembered the creature. A creature that could not be explained with words, which seemed to come from another world. A dark entity that floated and writhed like ink spreading across a canvas. He felt like lightning had struck him when he realized that he had been caught, enslaved by a power far beyond his comprehension. He knew that the power was not an ordinary creature, but something related to ancient magical powers and dark forces that had once been sealed in this world.
Kaelen tried to move his hand, and slowly, he groped around. Beside him lay a strange little object. A pendant of jet-black obsidian, with intricate and foreign symbols engraved on it. The symbol looked like a wide-open eye, surrounded by sharp lines that resembled wings or claws, or perhaps dancing flames. The pendant exuded a cold and frightening aura, as if absorbing all the light around it, creating a vortex of darkness in the middle of the dim forest.
Kaelen reached for the pendant with a trembling hand. Its touch was cold and piercing, almost burning his skin. He didn't remember ever owning it, let alone seeing it before. Did this pendant belong to the creature that captured him? Or a clue from an inevitable fate? He looked at it with curiosity and fear, feeling that something very important and dangerous was stored inside it.
As he held the pendant, his vision was immediately flooded with flashes of confusing and frightening images: an obsidian palace towering on the summit of an active volcano, a black-robed figure sitting on a throne made of bones and skulls, and an ocean of darkness devouring everything, swallowing light and hope. The flashes were so fast and intense that it made him feel as if the whole world was spinning and churning inside his mind. He felt a wave of energy flowing from the pendant, filling his entire body and soul with unimaginable power.
Kaelen flinched and released the pendant as if it were burning his hand. He gasped, his breath caught, and his heart pounded. What had just happened? Was it a vision from the past, the future, or just an illusion created by the pendant's magical power? He didn't know for sure, but he felt one thing: the pendant possessed great power, a power that was dangerous and perhaps evil.
He tried to calm himself, but a strange premonition resurfaced. He felt that there was something else—a strong attraction, a desire to understand the secrets contained within it. He knew, with all the power and danger that came with it, this pendant would change the course of his life forever. He felt as if the pendant was calling him, inviting him to delve into the secrets hidden behind the dark shadows of the vision.
As Kaelen was still grappling with his thoughts and feelings, a rustling sound and soft footsteps came from behind a nearby bush. He turned quickly and saw a small and thin figure standing among the trees, hidden behind the dancing shadows. The figure wore tattered clothes and carried a long wooden staff that was crooked and old. His face was covered by a deep hood, hiding his facial features from view, but from his sharp and knowledgeable eyes, Kaelen could feel a deep power and observation.
"Who are you?" Kaelen asked, his voice trembling, but he tried to sound firm and alert. He was ready to fight, to protect himself from the unknown threat.
The figure did not answer immediately. He only stared at Kaelen with a sharp and meaningful gaze, as if assessing and reading his entire being. After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, the figure finally spoke in a hoarse and mysterious voice.
"The pendant has chosen you," he said slowly, his voice whispering like the wind blowing softly among ancient ruins. "You cannot run from your destiny."
Kaelen felt his body tremble violently. He realized that his presence here, in the midst of this forest full of mystery and danger, was not a coincidence. There was a great force binding him, and the pendant was the key to it all. He knew that his journey had just begun, and that he had to face a power far greater than himself—a power that would test his courage and his very existence.
[Chapter 2 ends here, leaving a great mystery about the obsidian pendant and the mysterious figure who has come.]