The path to the Frostfang Mountains was little more than a scar through the wilderness, winding between jagged cliffs and forests choked with mist. The unnatural storm ahead churned like a living thing, its thunder rolling with a voice almost human.
Kaelen and Liora moved quickly, their boots sinking into the damp earth. The air grew colder with every step, and the smell of ozone clung to their lungs.
Halfway through a narrow ravine, the wind shifted—and the whispers began.
"Keeper…"
The voice was soft, but it came from everywhere at once, threading through the stones, brushing against Kaelen's mind.
Shadows began to pour from the cracks in the cliff walls, taking shape—figures draped in tattered cloaks, their eyes burning like embers. Abyss Wraiths.
Liora's blade flashed, severing one in a burst of black mist. "They're testing us!" she shouted over the wind.
Kaelen's instincts flared. He raised his hand, Abyssal energy curling around his fingers. For a moment, he hesitated—knowing each time he used it, the pull grew stronger. But the wraiths closed in, dozens now.
He unleashed it. A wave of shadow ripped through the ravine, scattering the wraiths like leaves in a storm.
When the silence returned, Liora stared at him. "You said you had it under control."
Kaelen's hands trembled. "I do… for now."
Above them, lightning struck the mountain peak. A symbol burned in the clouds—an ancient sigil of war.
---