The wind howled through the dark trees as Aren, Lyra, and Kael entered the Whispering Forest.
No birds sang there.
No sunlight touched the ground.
Only whispers.
Soft voices drifted between the trees, speaking secrets no one should know.
"Turn back…"
"You cannot save them…"
"The stars are dying…"
Aren tightened his grip on the broken star pendant hanging around his neck. The light inside it flickered weakly.
"We keep moving," Kael said firmly.
Lyra looked around nervously. "This forest is alive. It feeds on fear."
The deeper they walked, the colder the air became.
Then suddenly—
A shadow moved between the trees.
Huge.
Fast.
A creature stepped into the path before them. Its body looked like black smoke wrapped around bones of silver light. Its glowing eyes burned like dying stars.
"The Shadow Beast," Kael whispered.
The creature roared.
The ground shook beneath them.
Aren pulled out his sword, but the beast attacked before he could move. Kael pushed Aren aside just in time, the creature's claws slashing through the air.
Lyra raised her hands and glowing blue magic burst from her palms, striking the beast with waves of light.
But the monster only grew stronger.
"It's feeding on our fear!" she shouted.
The whispers around them became louder.
Aren suddenly heard his father's voice.
"You failed us…"
He froze.
The beast charged straight toward him.
"Aren!" Lyra screamed.
At the last second, the pendant around Aren's neck exploded with golden light.
A powerful wave of energy burst through the forest.
The whispers stopped.
The Shadow Beast cried out in pain and disappeared into the darkness.
Silence filled the forest.
Aren stared at the glowing pendant in shock.
Kael slowly stood up. "That power… it belongs to the fallen stars."
Lyra looked at Aren carefully.
"You're connected to them somehow," she said softly.
Before Aren could answer, the ground beneath them began to tremble again.
Ancient ruins rose from beneath the earth, covered in glowing symbols.
At the center of the ruins stood a giant stone door.
And on it was the same symbol as Aren's pendant.
The door slowly began to open…