CHAPTER TWO — THE WHISPER IN THE TREES
Daniel barely slept.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the sky ripping open again—the bright, impossible light spilling over the treetops, the shadowy messenger stepping forward, the forest shuddering like it was afraid. And worst of all, the creature's voice echoing in his head:
"The darkness hungers for you."
He shivered under his blanket. His room, normally comforting with its shelves of hiking gear and old maps, felt too small. Too quiet. Too dark.
By morning, he felt like someone had drained all the energy out of him. But he wasn't staying home—not when he needed answers.
Daniel threw on a hoodie, grabbed his backpack, and slipped out before his parents even noticed he was awake.
Ravenshade town was peaceful as always: narrow cobblestone streets, old-fashioned lamps, small wooden houses with fog curling around their roofs. People greeted each other politely, carrying baskets of groceries or opening small shops. Ravenshade had always felt safe.
But today, Daniel saw it differently.
The shadows seemed to linger.
The air felt heavier.
And a strange tension hummed beneath everything.
As he walked through the town square, Mrs. Hawthorn—the oldest woman in Ravenshade—stopped sweeping her porch and stared at the sky.
"Bad night last night," she muttered.
Daniel slowed. "You… felt something?"
She didn't look at him, just kept sweeping. "The forest was restless. The birds hid. The wind wouldn't settle. The old signs are stirring." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "It means something's coming."
Daniel's chest tightened.
He thanked her and kept moving.
THE LIBRARY OF FORGOTTEN MAPS
Daniel's first destination was the Ravenshade Library—an old stone building with ivy crawling over the walls and stained-glass windows shaped like wings. Most people barely visited it, but Daniel knew its secrets: old maps, dusty journals, forgotten legends.
And if what he saw last night was connected to the town's history, the library was the best place to start.
He pushed the heavy wooden doors open. The inside smelled like old pages and candle wax, even though the lights were electric.
"Back so soon, Daniel?" came a familiar voice.
Mr. Rowan, the librarian, emerged from behind a stack of books. He was thin, tall, and always looked like he knew something no one else did.
"Didn't expect you this early."
Daniel shrugged. "I'm just… looking for something."
"Aren't we all," Rowan said with a small smile. "What is it this time? Lost civilizations? Secret tunnels? Ancient storms that swallowed cities whole?"
Daniel hesitated. "Something like that."
Rowan raised an eyebrow but didn't push further.
Daniel headed straight to the restricted local history section, a dusty corner filled with leather-bound books and crumbling scrolls. He ran his fingers along the shelves, reading titles:
"Ravenshade Folklore."
"Legends of the Skywalkers."
"The Riftkeepers."
"Chronicles of the Veil."
His hand paused. The word Rift reminded him too much of the sky crack.
He pulled out the thick, ancient book and carried it to a small table. As he opened it, dust swirled and danced in the light. The pages were filled with drawings of strange creatures, swirling vortexes, and ominous warnings written in a script that looked centuries old.
One illustration froze him.
A crack in the sky.
Almost identical to what he saw.
Under it was a sentence written in faded ink:
"When the Veil tears, a bearer will awaken. Light and shadow will seek him. One to guide. One to claim."
Daniel's throat tightened.
Was he the bearer?
He flipped to the next page. More warnings, more drawings. A creature made of shadows—similar to the messenger—stood at the top of a hill, speaking to a young figure with glowing hands.
Daniel's breath caught.
That was… him. Or at least, it looked like him.
His pulse quickened.
Someone had drawn this long before he was even born.
Rowan suddenly appeared at his side. "Found something interesting?"
Daniel closed the book slightly. "Just… old stories."
Rowan hummed. "Be careful with legends. Some are more real than they want you to believe."
Daniel stared at him. "What does that mean?"
Rowan only smiled faintly and walked away.
THE FOREST CALLS BACK
By noon, Daniel left the library—mind spinning, heart racing. He kept replaying everything he read.
"When the Veil tears…"
"…a bearer will awaken."
He didn't want to believe the book was talking about him.
But what else explained the glowing in his hands?
The messenger?
The underground boom?
The feeling that something was now watching him?
Daniel reached the edge of Ravenshade Forest. Mist hovered low over the ground, and the trees swayed gently, though the air was strangely still.
He stepped inside.
Every sound felt louder: crunching leaves, snapping twigs, faint rustles. Daniel walked carefully, retracing his steps from the night before. The deeper he went, the darker it became—even though the sun was high.
He reached the clearing where everything had happened.
His heart dropped.
The ground was marked with a perfect black circle, like the earth itself had been burned—but not by fire. No ashes. No smell. Just darkness etched into the soil.
Daniel knelt and touched it.
Cold.
Painfully cold.
As he stood up, the trees around him creaked. A low whisper drifted through the branches.
Daniel.
He froze.
The voice was faint, almost like the wind had shaped his name. But the wind wasn't blowing.
He swallowed. "Who's there?"
No answer.
Leaves rustled behind him. He spun around, hands clenched, half expecting the shadow messenger to reappear.
But instead—he saw movement.
A blur darting between the trees. Quick. Silent. Low to the ground.
Daniel's heartbeat hammered in his ears.
"Show yourself!" he said, trying to sound brave.
The forest went silent again.
Then—another whisper.
Not the messenger.
Not human.
This one was smaller… closer… hungrier.
Daniel took a slow step backward.
"Okay," he muttered to himself. "This is fine. Totally fine. You just have… something stalking you. In a cursed forest. Perfect."
A crack echoed to his left.
He turned.
Nothing.
A second later—another crack to his right.
He whipped around.
Still nothing.
His breath quickened. The forest felt tighter, the trees closing in like walls.
"Come on," Daniel whispered. "Just show me—"
A shape lunged out of the shadows.
Daniel gasped and jumped back—barely avoiding a blur of dark, wolf-like movement. He didn't see a face, just a twisted shadow shape sprinting between the trees.
His powers surged inside him like a spark hitting gasoline. His palms burned. His vision sharpened.
Another shadow creature darted behind him.
He spun—too slow.
He felt something cold brush the back of his shirt.
He stumbled forward, heart racing.
"Enough!" Daniel shouted.
The power burst out of him.
A shockwave of glowing energy exploded from his hands, rippling across the clearing like a wave of light. The trees bent. Leaves scattered. The shadow shapes hissed and retreated into the darkness.
Daniel fell to one knee, exhausted. The glow around his hands faded slowly.
The forest became still again.
He breathed heavily. "What… are those things?"
A voice answered—and it wasn't his.
"They are only the beginning."
Daniel jerked his head up.
Standing a few feet away was Mr. Rowan.
But something about him was different. His eyes glowed faintly—not bright like the messenger's, but with the same unnerving color.
"How—how did you get out here?" Daniel asked, standing slowly.
Rowan stepped closer. "I have been waiting for someone like you."
Daniel's stomach dropped. "What do you mean?"
Rowan's expression remained calm—but his voice carried a strange weight.
"Because, Daniel… you are not the only one with secrets. Ravenshade is full of them. And your awakening has already changed everything."
Daniel stepped back, unsure whether to trust him.
Rowan extended a hand.
"If you want answers… follow me.
If you want to survive… trust me.
Because what crossed the Veil last night was not meant to be here."
Daniel hesitated.
The forest whispered around him. The shadows shifted. The cold circle pulsed faintly.
And Daniel realized:
Whatever had awakened, whatever creatures were hunting him, whatever power he carried…
He couldn't face it alone.
Still breathing hard, he nodded.
"Fine," Daniel said. "Show me."
Rowan turned and began walking deeper into the forest.
Daniel followed.
And the shadows watched.