The forest was still.
A kind of stillness that didn't belong to sleep, but to waiting.
Ashen sat by the window, back straight, hands folded loosely on his knee. The faint glow of mana fire flickered behind him, washing his pale face in warm light. Outside, the trees swayed gently, leaves whispering without wind.
He'd been awake for hours. He didn't need rest — not in the human sense — but sometimes he stayed still anyway. Listening.
The pulse hadn't faded. If anything, it was clearer now. A soft thrum beneath the ground, so faint that no one else in the village could feel it. But to someone like him — born from the same current — it was impossible to ignore.
He glanced at the boy sleeping nearby.
Alaric lay curled on the thin bedding, one hand resting against his chest, hair messy as usual. A faint glow pulsed under his skin — life and death mana flickering in rhythm with the forest's beat.
Ashen watched quietly. There were moments, like this one, when the child looked less like a reincarnated soul and more like… a lost one. Small. Mortal. Human.
"...You are stirring the forest again," he murmured under his breath. "Even in sleep."
He could still hear the faint whisper from earlier — that strange voice that had called Alaric's name. But there had been something else, too. Something directed at him.
Guardian of the Hollow.
It had spoken those words only once, right before the forest had gone silent again.
Ashen's hand tightened slightly on his knee. "Guardian, hm…?"
The door creaked.
He turned.
Kael stood there, rough silhouette framed against the dim morning light. His bow was slung across his back, quiver full.
"You didn't sleep either," Kael said quietly.
"I do not require it," Ashen replied.
Kael stepped inside, setting down his gear. His eyes flicked to the boy sleeping on the floor. "How is he?"
"Recovering. The mana flow has stabilized, but the link remains active."
Kael frowned. "Link?"
Ashen hesitated — a rare thing for him. "The forest's pulse. It resonates with him directly. As if recognizing him."
Kael rubbed a hand through his beard, jaw tight. "Then the problem's bigger than we thought."
"Indeed."
Silence stretched between them.
Kael broke it first. "You think it's the same ruin? The one you two lived in?"
Ashen's eyes shifted toward the window. "Yes. But not the same chamber. The resonance comes from the east — deeper. Older."
Kael's frown deepened. "Then we'll check it."
Ashen turned back, expression unreadable. "You intend to bring him."
"I intend to understand what's happening," Kael countered. "And if that forest's heartbeat is tied to him, I'm not leaving him behind."
For a moment, the undead simply stared at him — then gave a slow nod. "Very well."
Kael straightened, heading for the door again. "We'll move at first light. Ryn's already prepping the gear."
Ashen didn't respond immediately. His gaze lingered once more on the sleeping boy.
When Kael finally left, he stood and moved closer to Alaric's side.
"Always at the center of chaos," he murmured. "You truly cannot help yourself."
He knelt beside the bed, pulling the blanket up to the boy's shoulders. The faint glow beneath Alaric's skin dimmed slightly, and the pulse in the room softened.
Ashen rested one gloved hand briefly against the floor. The vibration was faint — but there. Constant. Patient.
It was not just a call anymore.
It was an invitation.
Morning came slowly.
Alaric woke to the sound of someone loudly banging outside. He groaned, covering his face with both hands. "If that's Ryn again, I swear I'm using death mana on his breakfast."
Ashen's calm voice answered from across the room. "Then you may wish to reconsider, as it would be your breakfast as well."
Alaric peeked from under his arm. "...You're scary when you make sense."
Ashen didn't look up from where he was sharpening his blade. "Get dressed. Kael wishes to investigate the disturbance further."
"Of course he does," Alaric muttered, sitting up with a sigh. His hair stuck out in every direction, pale strands catching the morning light. He looked more like a sleepy snowball than a magic prodigy.
"Where?" he asked, stretching.
"The eastern ridge. Near the old ruins."
Alaric blinked. "Our old place?"
"Not quite. A deeper section."
The boy froze mid-yawn. "Deeper…? Oh, great. Because the last time we went deeper, I almost got eaten by rocks."
Ashen sheathed his sword with a soft click. "You survived."
"Barely."
"Then you will do so again."
Alaric squinted. "Is that supposed to be comforting?"
"No," Ashen said simply.
He threw on his cloak with a groan. "You're terrible at pep talks."
Ashen allowed himself a faint hum. "And yet, you still follow."
"Yeah, yeah," Alaric grumbled, grabbing his staff. "Mostly because you'd drag me if I didn't."
"That is correct."
Ryn's voice called from outside, "You two done flirting with death yet? Kael's waiting!"
Alaric's head thunked against the wall. "Every morning…"
When they stepped outside, the village was already stirring. Hunters packed their gear, and Kael stood by the main path, scanning the treeline. The air carried that strange stillness again — not dangerous, but tense.
Kael nodded at them. "You're late."
Alaric shrugged. "We call it fashionably cautious."
Ryn grinned. "He means lazy."
Ashen adjusted his gloves. "Both are accurate."
The group set off east, the path growing narrower and darker as they walked. The trees thickened, their roots tangling across the dirt like veins.
The pulse returned within minutes — faint at first, then stronger.
Each step brought that strange rhythm back into Alaric's chest.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
He glanced at Ashen. "You feel it too, right?"
"Yes."
Ryn shivered. "What is that?"
Ashen's voice stayed calm, but lower than usual. "The forest breathing."
Ryn blinked. "That's supposed to make me feel better?"
"No."
Kael exhaled sharply. "Focus. Whatever's waiting for us, we'll face it together."
Alaric tightened his grip on his staff, eyes scanning the path ahead. The forest seemed thicker than before, as if closing in around them.
Something ahead shimmered faintly through the trees — light reflecting off stone.
Their destination.
And deep beneath that glow, Alaric could feel it again.
A whisper that wasn't quite a voice.
Waiting.
The deeper they went, the less the forest looked like itself.
The sunlight dimmed until only thin ribbons slipped through the canopy, turning the air a pale green. The soil underfoot changed too — dark, spongy, and humming faintly with energy.
Alaric slowed, frowning. "...I don't remember it being this weird."
Ryn kicked at a patch of moss. It pulsed softly under his boot. "Yeah, the ground's… breathing."
Kael crouched, brushing the dirt aside. "No animal tracks. No rot either. It's like the forest just stopped aging here."
Ashen's eyes swept the area, silver gaze steady. "This zone is saturated with mana. Too balanced for natural decay. Life and death energy… perfectly even."
"Like me," Alaric muttered.
Ashen shot him a sidelong look. "A troubling comparison."
"Hey!"
Kael straightened. "We move."
They passed a line of old stones half-swallowed by roots. Ancient carvings covered them — faint spiral patterns, half-faded and worn smooth by time. As Alaric brushed his fingers along one, his mana threads flared faintly in response.
The stone glowed.
He froze. "...Okay. That's not normal."
Ryn leaned close. "You touched it again, didn't you?"
"It touched me!"
Ashen stepped forward, his coat brushing lightly against Alaric's shoulder. The stone's glow dimmed at once.
"Residual enchantment," Ashen murmured. "Older than anything near the village."
Kael crossed his arms. "You think it's connected to the temple?"
Ashen nodded. "Strongly. These sigils match the lower walls of the ruin we occupied."
Ryn squinted at the carvings. "So, what's it say?"
Alaric tilted his head, tracing one spiral with his thumb. "Something about 'balance'... and 'returning to the heart.'"
Ashen's eyes flickered faintly. "A warning, perhaps."
Alaric forced a grin. "Or an invitation."
"That distinction rarely matters," Ashen said dryly.
"Yeah, but it sounds cooler if I pretend I'm chosen."
"Chosen for what?"
"...I'll get back to you on that."
Ryn groaned. "He's gonna get us all haunted."
Kael ignored them both and kept walking.
The path curved down a slope, and before long, they reached a wide clearing — a pit ringed by crumbling pillars and moss-covered steps leading underground.
Alaric stopped at the edge, breath catching slightly.
The air here felt heavy, like standing inside a heartbeat. Every pulse matched his own, vibrating through the staff in his hand.
"This place…" he whispered. "It's part of the same structure. I can feel it."
Ashen nodded once. "The architecture confirms it."
Kael looked down the stairway. "We go carefully. Ryn, stay close to the boy."
Ryn frowned. "He's six, not fragile."
"Do it anyway," Kael said.
They descended slowly. The steps were slick with dew and glowing moss, the walls lined with ancient symbols that faintly pulsed at Alaric's presence.
When they reached the base, the tunnel opened into a circular chamber.
A pool sat in the center — calm, mirror-like, reflecting faint green light. Strange roots hung from the ceiling like veins, dipping into the water and vanishing beneath it.
Alaric took one step closer and stopped.
There — faint but unmistakable — came the whisper again.
Closer.
He froze, eyes wide.
Ashen's hand landed gently on his shoulder. "Do not move further."
"You heard it too?"
"I heard you," Ashen said softly. "Your mana spiked again."
Kael circled the pool, examining the walls. "There's writing here."
Alaric blinked. "Writing?"
"Not language I recognize," Kael said, running his hand along the carvings. "Looks old. Ancient. The patterns curve like—"
"Like veins," Alaric finished for him.
Ryn peered over the hunter's shoulder. "You sure this isn't one of those cursed places again?"
Alaric sighed. "If I had a coin for every time someone said that…"
Ashen stepped closer to the pool, the faint light of his death mana glowing across his gloves. The reflection warped around him, shifting from clear water to faint shadow.
"Careful," Alaric warned.
"I am being careful."
"No, like extra careful. The kind where you don't touch anything creepy."
Ashen looked over his shoulder. "I would remind you who usually causes the disturbances."
"...Okay, that's fair."
Ryn smirked. "He's got you there."
Before Alaric could respond, the pool rippled.
All four of them turned toward it at once.
The ripples spread outward — slow, deliberate, as if something was breathing beneath the water.
Ashen's sword was in his hand before the sound even finished echoing.
Kael drew his bow. "Movement."
Alaric's mana flared automatically, threads of life and death weaving around his hands. The glow reflected off the water's surface — and for a brief moment, his own reflection stared back at him with eyes that weren't his.
They glowed green and black.
He stumbled back, breath catching.
Ashen was at his side instantly. "What did you see?"
Alaric shook his head. "Someone. Me? No… something using me."
The pool pulsed again — one large throb of light — and the carvings on the wall ignited with color.
The sound came next.
Not a roar, not a voice — a deep, resonant hum that seemed to echo from below the earth. The walls vibrated with it, dust falling from the ceiling.
Kael shouted, "Out! Move, now!"
Ryn grabbed Alaric's arm, but the boy didn't move. He couldn't. His mana had rooted him in place, connected directly to the pulse rising from the pool.
It wasn't trying to harm him.
It was trying to speak.
"Wait!" he yelled, struggling against Ryn's pull. "It's not attacking!"
"Kid, it's collapsing!" Kael barked.
Ashen's voice cut through the noise, firm and cold. "Enough!"
He reached out, grabbed Alaric by the back of his cloak, and yanked him away just as the ground cracked open. The pool split in two, water spilling into the chasm below. A blast of mana erupted upward, throwing them all against the wall.
When the light cleared, silence fell again.
The chamber still stood — barely. The pool was gone, replaced by a gaping hole that led into darkness.
Ashen slowly lowered his sword, coat torn along one sleeve. Kael was already checking Ryn for injuries.
Alaric stood shakily, staff trembling in his hand. "It wasn't trying to kill us."
Ashen looked at him sharply. "You call this restraint?"
"No," Alaric said, voice low. "It wanted to show me something."
Ryn blinked. "Show you what?"
Alaric turned to the chasm, eyes glowing faintly. "The way down."
The air below the broken chamber felt alive.
When the tremors finally faded, a single draft of cold wind rose from the hole, brushing across their faces. It carried the scent of damp stone — and something else. Not rot. Not death. Something older.
Ashen's silver eyes reflected the faint glow spilling from the chasm. "It goes deeper than expected."
Kael frowned, stringing his bow. "Too deep. We turn back, regroup, and—"
Alaric cut him off. "Wait."
Everyone turned toward him. The boy's small frame stood near the edge, light from his staff flickering against the drop. His snow-white hair drifted slightly in the strange wind, and his golden eyes seemed to reflect both curiosity and recognition.
"This isn't just another ruin," he said softly. "It's connected to the temple… to me."
Ashen's gaze narrowed. "You are certain?"
Alaric nodded slowly. "I can feel it. The same pulse from before. It's calling."
Ryn frowned. "Yeah, no, that sounds like the kind of thing that kills people."
Kael sighed through his teeth. "And you always listen to strange voices underground?"
Alaric gave a small, crooked smile. "Only when they sound familiar."
Ashen stepped forward. "If you go, I follow."
Kael's jaw tightened. "You're both insane."
"Probably," Alaric said. "But at least we're consistent."
Without another word, Ashen jumped down first, vanishing into the glow below.
"Wait—what?!" Ryn shouted.
Then came Ashen's voice, calm and distant: "Safe enough."
Ryn blinked. "Safe enough? That's not comforting!"
But Alaric had already leapt after him.
Kael groaned and muttered a curse before following. Ryn came last, muttering the entire way down.
The descent wasn't far — maybe a few body-lengths — but when they landed, the ground beneath them felt completely different. Smooth, polished stone, shaped by hands long gone.
They stood in a vast corridor, stretching in both directions. Faint green crystals jutted from the walls, pulsing like veins.
Ryn turned slowly. "...Okay. Yeah, I take it back. This is definitely cursed."
Ashen's eyes scanned the markings etched into the walls. "No… sacred. A place of balance. Life and death coexisted here."
Alaric could feel it too — threads of mana flowing through the air, twining together like strands of silver and gold. It made his skin tingle. His heart thumped faster, matching the quiet hum around them.
He whispered, "It's… beautiful."
Kael glanced down the hall. "Beautiful or not, something built this, and I'd rather not meet it."
They moved cautiously. The sound of their footsteps echoed off the walls, the rhythm broken only by the faint dripping of water. The deeper they went, the stronger the mana grew — so thick Alaric could almost see it.
Shapes started to appear in the crystal light — carvings that lined the corridor walls.
Murals.
Scenes of robed figures weaving streams of energy, tending to forests, raising undead animals beside living ones. At the center of every mural was a single figure — tall, cloaked, holding a staff tipped with a glowing crystal.
Alaric stopped. "That staff…"
Ryn leaned close. "It looks like yours."
Alaric's hand tightened around his own staff. "Yeah."
Ashen moved closer to study the carvings. His voice was quiet but certain. "This entire complex predates even the ruins above. Perhaps the first temple of balance."
Kael frowned. "And it's under the forest."
Ashen nodded. "As if buried on purpose."
"By who?" Ryn asked.
Alaric exhaled. "By people like me, maybe."
His voice carried a strange heaviness — one that made Ryn and Kael exchange glances.
Ashen turned to him, his tone softening. "Do not burden yourself with a past that is not yet yours."
Alaric gave a small, uneven smile. "Yeah… I'll try."
The corridor opened into another chamber — smaller, round, and far more decayed.
In the center stood a statue, half-collapsed, draped in roots and dust. The same staff was carved into its hands, crystal long gone, leaving only a hollow.
Alaric stepped closer.
The air changed again — thick, heavy, almost sentient. His mana stirred without him willing it to.
"Something's still here," he whispered.
Ashen drew closer, eyes narrowing. "A residual will. Stay back."
"I can handle it," Alaric said, though his voice trembled slightly.
He lifted his staff. The faint light at its tip pulsed once — and the hollow in the statue's hand began to glow in response.
"See?" he said, half-grinning. "It's just reacting to—"
The ground cracked open beneath the statue.
A dark shape surged upward — not solid, not smoke — something in between. It spread across the room like liquid shadow, swallowing the dim light.
Kael was already moving, dragging Ryn back as he shouted, "Alaric!"
But the shadow didn't attack. It circled him. It studied him.
Then, a voice — faint, echoing directly into his mind.
Heir of balance… the child returns.
Alaric froze. "What?"
Prove yourself. The heart must awaken only for one who understands both gifts.
Ashen was beside him now, sword drawn, silver eyes flaring. "Alaric—"
The boy shook his head. "It's a trial."
Before Ashen could stop him, the shadow rose — and the world around them shifted.
The walls, the light, even the air twisted until they stood in a dark version of the same room. Crystals flickered, dim and broken. The statue now loomed fully formed, its eyes burning with green fire.
The shadow took shape — not a beast, but a mirror.
It looked exactly like Alaric.
Ryn's jaw dropped. "You've gotta be kidding me."
Kael nocked an arrow. "Tell me I can shoot that thing."
Alaric swallowed hard. "I think… I have to do this myself."
Ashen's voice was calm but cold. "Then I will ensure it does not kill you."
The doppelgänger raised its staff. Black and white energy swirled around it like storm clouds.
Alaric gripped his own. "Guess this is one way to test my balance, huh?"
He took a breath, grounding himself. "Alright. Let's do this."
The shadow struck first.
The blast hit like a cannon, cracking the stone floor. Alaric blocked with both hands, feet sliding back, the shock reverberating through his arms. He grit his teeth and shoved back, sending a surge of life mana to stabilize himself.
The air shimmered green and black.
Every strike mirrored him — every motion, every burst of mana. It was like fighting his own reflection, one that didn't hesitate, didn't doubt.
Kael and Ryn stayed near the wall, unable to intervene. Even from the edge, the mana waves burned their skin.
Ryn hissed, "He's gonna burn himself out!"
Ashen didn't reply. His eyes followed every move, sharp and calculating.
He knew what this was. A balance trial — not of strength, but of will.
Alaric roared as he swung his staff upward, the two streams of mana twisting together — light and dark, creation and decay. The energies collided midair, exploding into a spiral that tore across the chamber.
The shadow dissolved and reformed instantly.
Alaric gasped for breath, sweat dripping down his forehead. "Why… won't you break?"
The reflection smirked — his own expression, crueler.
"Because you still don't know which side you're fighting for."
The words hit harder than the attacks.
Alaric's staff trembled. For a heartbeat, his focus slipped — and the shadow seized the chance, launching another wave of black energy that slammed him into the floor.
Pain shot through his back.
Ashen stepped forward, but Alaric raised a hand weakly. "Don't… interfere."
The older man's eyes flickered, but he stopped.
Alaric forced himself up, one knee digging into the stone. His golden eyes blazed faintly — twin flames of stubbornness and defiance.
"You're right," he said, panting. "I don't know which side I'm on."
He lifted his staff. "So maybe I'll just be both."
The air cracked.
For the first time, life and death mana didn't clash — they merged.
A pulse erupted from him, filling the chamber with a blinding wave of white and black light.
When it faded, the shadow stood still — then bowed.
Balance accepted.
And just like that, it vanished.
The room returned to normal, the crystals glowing steady once more.
Alaric swayed, barely staying on his feet. Ashen caught him before he fell.
"Foolish," Ashen murmured. "But well done."
Alaric smiled weakly. "You mean brave."
"I meant reckless."
"Close enough."
Kael exhaled, lowering his bow. "So… what now?"
Alaric looked toward the statue.
Its chest had opened slightly — and inside, a faint glow shimmered.
He reached out, hand trembling, and pulled free a fragment of crystal — shaped like a teardrop, swirling with white and black light.
"It's a key," he said softly. "To something deeper."
Ashen's gaze turned toward the dark tunnel leading further down.
Then he nodded once. "Then that is where we go next."
Alaric smiled faintly, his exhaustion hidden behind a spark of excitement. "Guess the forest isn't done with us yet."
Ryn groaned. "You just had to say that out loud, didn't you?"
Kael's dry voice followed. "Don't tempt fate, kid."
Ashen's cloak stirred in the still air, his silver eyes glinting. "Fate was tempted long before he was born."
The crystals around them pulsed once — as if in agreement.
And beneath their feet, the earth hummed again — the whisper returning, faint but clear.
Further… the heart awaits.