The following morning, Wads slipped away from the small bustle of the village, leaving Klyden to chase the black cat and explore the forest paths. His steps were quiet, deliberate, as though the forest itself were holding its breath, guiding him somewhere.
The locket, snug against his chest, felt heavier than usual. A subtle warmth emanated from it, drawing him forward. He didn't know why, only that he had to follow.
After what seemed like hours, the sound of rushing water reached his ears. Breaking through the dense trees, Wads froze. A waterfall cascaded into a sparkling pool, sunlight refracting through the mist to create tiny rainbows that danced across the rocks.
The moment his eyes met the water, the locket began to hum. Its gentle vibration became a steady pulse, synchronizing with his heartbeat. The forest around him fell eerily silent, the wind still, the birds gone, as if the world had paused.
Wads stepped closer, toes brushing the wet stones, and suddenly the mist thickened unnaturally. Colors swirled, twisting and bending like the sky itself had been painted with impossible hues. He felt a presence—a warmth, familiar yet unplaceable.
A soft voice cut through the mist. "Stay alive."
Wads froze, heart hammering. He couldn't see anyone, yet the voice carried a weight, a desperate urgency that pressed against his chest. Every instinct in him told him to run, but something stronger rooted him in place. The words echoed inside him long after the mist began to dissipate.
He looked down at the locket, now glowing faintly, almost as if it had captured that message for him. His mind flickered with fragments of something he couldn't yet name—a memory, a life from long ago. Something about responsibility, about a purpose that had once defined him.
A shiver ran through him. He could feel the pull of the locket stronger than ever before. Whoever or whatever had spoken to him was gone now, leaving only the waterfall, the mist, and the strange warmth radiating against his chest.
Wads sat by the edge of the pool, letting the cold spray touch his face, and whispered to himself, "Who… who are you?"
The forest returned to its natural rhythm, birds chirping and wind rustling through the trees, yet the echo of the warning lingered in Wads' mind. He clenched the locket, determination building inside him. Whatever was coming, whatever he was meant to face, he would stay alive.
Far above the waterfall, unnoticed by Wads, the black cat perched silently, its eyes glinting knowingly in the sunlight, as though it had witnessed the silent promise made beneath the cascading water.