Aren kept his hand on the Smiling Blade, his grip tight, sweat sliding down his fingers. Valerie leaned forward slightly, her eyes locked on the door.
There was silence ; long, thick, and heavy. Then a voice came again, softer this time, almost like a gentle breeze slipping through the cracks.
"Don't be afraid…" it whispered. "I mean you no harm."
Aren's eyes darted to Valerie. He shook his head once, trying to warn her to stay back. But Valerie stepped forward, her eyes narrowing with cautious curiosity.
"Show yourself," she called out, her voice steady even though her heart pounded in her chest.
A slow creak echoed through the hut as the door pushed open just a few inches. Moonlight spilled in, revealing the faint outline of a figure , thin and almost fragile, with robes that shimmered like drifting mist. Its face was hidden beneath a hood, but when it moved, it left shimmering trails of light, like ripples on water.
"I am a Whisperling," it said softly, stepping further into the hut. "A spirit guide who listens to the forest and carries secrets between worlds."
Valerie's breath caught. She had heard legends but never thought she'd see one.
"Why are you here?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
The Whisperling tilted her head slightly. "I came because the forest trembles tonight. The Warden hunts, and your fates stir the air itself. I am drawn to those who walk the line between life and death, between hope and despair."
Aren swallowed hard. "Are you here to help us… or betray us?"
Before the Whisperling could answer, the Smiling Blade pulsed with a fierce glow in Aren's hand. Its voice rang out, deep and edged with warning.
"Don't believe her," the blade said. "I know her. She can be tricky, sometimes even cruel. She bends truths like branches in the wind."
The Whisperling turned toward the sword, her glow shifting from gentle to something darker, more hungry. "Oh, my sweet Blade," she said, her voice turning sharp and cold. "You always were so loyal… so naive."
Aren's eyes widened. "What is this about?"
The Whisperling lifted her head higher, and the hood slid back. Her face shimmered and shifted, morphing into something inhuman — a twisted, hollow mask with eyes like shards of moonlight. Her entire form began to pulse and stretch, transforming into a long, flowing shape of swirling mist and flickering light, claws sprouting from her hands.
"I didn't come to apologize," she hissed, her voice echoing around the walls like a thousand whispers. "I came to finish what I started!"
With a sudden shriek, she lunged forward. Energy crackled from her claws, striking the floor and exploding in a burst of light and splinters.
Aren stumbled back, but the Smiling Blade flared in his hands. "Hold steady!" it roared.
The blade leapt forward in Aren's grip, guiding his arm. A shockwave of blue energy blasted from its edge, slamming into the Whisperling and sending her crashing against the far wall. She screeched in fury, her form flickering violently.
Valerie threw up a protective shield of shimmering green magic, sparks raining down around them as the Whisperling clawed at the barrier.
"You think you can stop me with cheap tricks?!" she howled, lunging again.
Aren swung the Smiling Blade in a wide arc, and bright blue lines of energy shot across the hut like lightning, slicing through the Whisperling's smoky form. She recoiled, but reformed in an instant, slashing back with a wave of ghostly claws.
The blade hummed with power, whispering guidance into Aren's mind. "Focus! Imagine her shape breaking — see her unravel!"
Aren's eyes narrowed. He took a deep breath, picturing the Whisperling's form splitting apart like torn cloth. With a roar, he thrust the blade forward. A sharp blue beam burst from the tip, piercing through the Whisperling's chest.
She shrieked, her voice echoing off the walls in a nightmarish chorus. Her claws flailed wildly, tearing into the floor and walls, but she began to fade, pieces of her misty form breaking away and dissolving into the air.
"No… no!" she screamed. "This isn't over!"
Aren pushed harder, the Smiling Blade glowing so bright it lit up the entire hut like daybreak.
Finally, with one last cry, the Whisperling shattered into a cloud of drifting sparks and vanished into the night.
Silence fell, thick and echoing.
Aren dropped to his knees, gasping for air, his hands trembling around the blade. Valerie rushed to his side, her eyes wide and wet with shock.
The Smiling Blade pulsed gently now, its voice low and steady. "Good… you listened. But this is only the beginning. We must prepare ; the true enemy still hunts."
Valerie touched Aren's arm, her hand warm and trembling. "We're alive," she whispered, almost as if she didn't believe it herself.
Aren forced a small, exhausted smile. "For now…"
Outside, the wind howled through the trees like distant cries, carrying the last echoes of the Whisperling's defeated voice.
The blade said
"And this time… it wouldn't just whisper
;She won't come alone "....