The footsteps were drawing nearer.Each echo split through the silence of the forest, like an unseen procession marching swiftly toward them out of the darkness.
Keave's pupils trembled. His voice, caught between hesitation and dread, broke the quiet."The footsteps… they're getting closer! It feels as if an entire force is advancing upon us."
Drace and Rudra exchanged a grave glance, nodding slightly. Fear had already crossed the threshold of their hearts, but their lips betrayed no weakness, no falter.
Drace pressed his lips together, his eyes shifting between the two of them. With a restrained firmness he whispered,"Shouldn't we leave this place… at once?"
His gaze lingered on Rudra and Keave, hoping they would agree. Yet in their eyes there glimmered not retreat, but resolve."Let's move a little farther," Rudra murmured, his tone so low it seemed meant to disturb neither the air nor the silence of the woods.
Drace wanted to protest, but something deep within him tugged the same way. His heartbeat, unsteady, was pushing him forward. In the end, he gave a wordless nod.And so, the three of them walked on.
A short distance ahead, the monotony of the wilderness broke. Beyond the rows of jagged trees rose something strange—something that did not belong.There it stood, a colossal stone, towering like a sentinel against the darkened sky. Its shape was rounded yet unnaturally tall, its surface shimmering with a faint hue of pale yellow, as though it held the remnants of a sun that had long since burned out.
Rudra's eyes widened. His breath caught as his lips trembled."There's more here than just thorned trees…"
Keave gave a sharp laugh, though unease cracked beneath it."Don't tell me we've stumbled on something meaningful. This is just a rock—an ordinary stone."
Drace's voice cut through, calm and unwavering."Nothing in this forest is ordinary."
A faint smile curved across Keave's lips."You may be right."
Rudra stepped closer, studying the strange yellow surface. His voice fell into a whisper, as though the stone itself might hear."Then we must see this one stone."
The three of them began moving closer to the stone.With every step, their eyes glimmered brighter, their anticipation growing. From up close, the boulder seemed almost enchanting. Its pale yellow glow shimmered like molten gold, while faint green patches clung to its surface as though nature itself had embraced it. Against the golden hue, the scattered emerald stains gleamed like secrets hidden in stone.
"From here… it looks truly beautiful," Rudra said, his eyes shining with awe.
His voice echoed through the forest walls, but Keave and Drace gave no reply. Their silence was heavy, their thoughts shackled in wary caution.
Drawn by the allure, Rudra stepped forward and placed his hand against the stone. His fingers brushed along one of its edges, and he lifted his gaze toward Keave and Drace standing before him.
A grin spread across his face as he exclaimed,"Guys! The surface… it's surprisingly smooth. From a distance it looked hard as rock, but up close—it's soft to the touch."
He ran his hand over it once more, wonder lighting his expression."This is… incredible."
Keave shouted, his eyes sparkling with excitement. His pupils glimmered as if he could hardly believe what he was feeling."Really?" he asked, almost in disbelief.
Rudra chuckled."Feels like a joke… so just stand there! ."
The moment Rudra's words reached him, Keave's feet moved almost on their own, carrying him closer without a second thought.
Drace remained standing alone, lost in his own thoughts, still tightly bound by caution and deep contemplation.
Drace watched as Keave approached the stone with careful steps, reaching inside its hollow edges.He stretched out his hands and touched the surface from another angle, his eyes shining, lips twitching in amazement."This… is surprisingly soft," he whispered, awe in every word.
Drace's eyes were fixed on them.Rudra and Keave, standing at opposite corners of the stone, whispered to each other, a faint smile flickering across their faces, their eyes sparkling with quiet excitement.
Then…
The silent calm surrounding the figures began to shift. The puppets—or the still figures—started to stir on their own, breaking free from their previous stillness. A gentle ripple seemed to pass through them, like subtle waves moving across a tranquil pond.The energy within them began to change, a strange, almost imperceptible restlessness taking hold.
The body froze completely.It felt as if a storm had wrapped itself around mind and body alike. His lips trembled, trying to form words, yet nothing escaped.
Suddenly, Rudra's gaze snapped to Drace.Understanding something, his lips quivered as he called out,"Drace… what's wrong? You should come too!"
Rudra's gaze shifted back to Keave.The echo of his laughter reached even Drace's ears, yet his body remained frozen in place.
Rudra's eyes returned to Drace.He still stood there, as rigid and cold as ice. Trying to read him, Rudra asked,"Drace… what's wrong? Are you alright?"
Drace's lips were locked in silence. His pupils stayed fixed on the upper edge of the stone.
"Drace… can you say something?" Rudra asked softly."you are making me scared," Rudra said.
The words reached Keave's ears, and he called out, flustered,"Hey dude… say something!"
Drace's face had become unreadable, stripped of all expression.His eyes remained fixed on the upper edge of the stone, trembling slightly, while his body responded only in the faintest motion of his fingers.
Then, suddenly, he slowly lifted his hand and pointed, his finger trembling slightly, toward the top of the stone. Following the motion of his finger, Rudra and Keave's eyes instinctively lifted, gazing upward.The glow in their pupils shifted, mirroring Drace's own frozen state, as if they too had turned into statues.
On the upper part of the stone, two massive spheres of eyes swayed slightly.Every subtle movement seemed directed only at Keave and Rudra, as if the very spirit of the stone was watching them.