Morning arrived silently over the forest of Eldoria, with mist dancing among the tall, thick branches like white veils of an ancient natural sanctuary. The distant song of birds echoed between the trees, while shy rays of sunlight pierced the dense foliage, painting the ground with irregular shadows.
Lucas was the first to wake. Even though his body was still tired, he felt strangely alert — as if his mind had been pushed into reality by something greater than himself. The system hovered in his vision like a silent presence, displaying:[New Skill Unlocked: Whispers of the Shadows – Level 1]Description: Sense nearby movements, hidden presences, and changes in the environment.
He still didn't know how to properly activate it, but an instinct was growing inside him, a new sensitivity to the energy of the world around him.
"Up already?" Lyra asked, appearing from among the trees with her bow on her back. Her brown hair tied in a ponytail was slightly damp — she had probably gone to fetch water from the stream."You've been training your body, but the mind also needs to learn to listen."
Lucas nodded, rubbing his eyes."This place… there's something strange. It's like the air whispers secrets I don't yet understand."
"That's mana," Selene appeared with her usual teasing expression, though her eyes were sharp. "This part of the forest is ancient, full of buried stories."
"And traps," added Iris, approaching with her spear in hand. Her posture was impeccable, like a warrior trained since childhood."We need to explore a ruin I found days ago. There are ancient symbols… very similar to the ones that appeared on your system."
The four moved through the forest. The path was narrow and covered with thick roots that looked like sleeping tentacles. As they advanced, Lucas practiced the new skill, closing his eyes for a few seconds and taking a deep breath. In moments, he began to pick up faint vibrations in the ground, and the rustling leaves took on a strange rhythm — as if something was watching them.
"There are people ahead," he whispered. "Two… no, three."
Iris raised her spear without hesitation. Lyra drew her bow, and Selene drew her twin daggers. The group positioned themselves silently, eyes scanning the shadows.
From the undergrowth emerged three hooded men. Their eyes were cold as stone and their dark clothes were marked with a black spiral symbol — one Lucas had never seen, but the system recognized immediately:[Danger Identified: The Black Order]
"Sharp eyes," said the man in the center, drawing a dagger etched with red runes. "We expected to find you sooner or later, Reincarnated One."
Lucas felt a chill. They knew.
"Attack!" Iris shouted.
The fight was immediate. Selene slipped through the trees like a living shadow, striking the first enemy in the shoulder and knocking him down. Lyra fired two precise arrows, forcing the second to retreat. Lucas activated his skill and launched himself at the flank, dodging a dagger and counterattacking with an instinctive move — almost as if his body knew what to do before he even thought.
It was fast. And brutal.
The last enemy fled into the forest but left a note pinned to a tree by a dart:"You are the catalyst. And we, the purification."
Lucas read it with a clenched fist."They know me. They knew I would come."
"That confirms what we suspected," Iris said seriously."You are a central piece in something much greater."
The group moved forward in silence. The tension was palpable, but there was also new confidence in everyone's eyes. Lucas felt that, for the first time, he wasn't just a spectator in this world.
After a few hours, they reached the ruin Iris had mentioned. It was an ancient temple overtaken by vegetation, with broken stone columns and symbols carved in a language the system started translating automatically:"He who awakens between the two worlds will carry the echo of the gods and the fury of the seals."
Selene touched one of the symbols carefully."This speaks of the 'Echo of the Gods.' Is that something from your system?"
Lucas didn't know how to answer. But he felt a strange connection to those words. Something inside him whispered yes.
Later, at dusk, they camped at the entrance of the ruin. The fire crackled, casting dancing shadows over tired faces. Lucas sat beside Selene, who rested her head on his shoulder.
"You're not like the others." Her voice was low, soft."When I look at you… I don't just see a hero. I see someone who tries, even without knowing how."
He turned to meet her eyes, so close. For a moment, everything was silent. The system gave no notification. No danger in sight. Just two hearts beating together beneath the stars.
"I don't know what I'm doing. But I'll protect you. All of you."
Selene smiled, and her kiss was unexpected, yet gentle. A touch that sealed not only a promise but the beginning of something deeper.
Across the fire, Lyra pretended to stir the food but kept her gaze fixed on the two. Iris remained silent, staring into the forest with her spear resting on her shoulder — but there was a different gleam in her eyes.
The night deepened, and Lucas felt bonds forming — with the world, with the people around him, and, most importantly, with himself.
But far away, in some dark and cursed corner of Eldoria, crimson eyes opened. And a deep voice whispered:"The catalyst has awakened."