THE SHADOW VALLEY TRAP
Dawn bathed the forest in golden and pink hues. The group, rejuvenated after a night of rest, was on the move again. The air smelled fresh and damp, with a hint of moss—but there was something else… something that put everyone on alert.
Kyrahna, walking at the front, suddenly stopped. “Does anyone else feel that?”
Zyrion frowned and stepped forward to stand beside her. “Yes, but I’m not sure what it is. It feels… as if the air is heavier.”
“It’s magic,” Caelithra interjected from behind, scanning the surroundings with the sharp eyes of a hawk. “But not ordinary magic. Dark and twisted. Someone is watching us.”
“Great,” Karion said, letting out a theatrical sigh. “Because what we really need is another ambush. Can’t we have one peaceful day? Just one—is that too much to ask?”
Zyrion gave him a stern look. “Stay alert, Karion. This isn’t a game.”
“I know,” Karion replied, raising his hands in surrender. “But a little humor never hurts. Especially if it might be the last time we can laugh.”
Caelithra ignored the comment, stepping a few paces toward a nearby tree. She touched the bark with her fingertips and closed her eyes. “The forest is screaming. There’s something to the east, in that direction.”
“How far?” Zyrion asked, positioning himself beside her.
“Half a day’s journey, maybe less if we hurry,” she replied, opening her eyes. “But whatever it is, it’s not trying to hide. It wants us to come.”
“A trap,” Kyrahna murmured, crossing her arms.
“Seems like it,” Zyrion said, looking at the rest of the group. “What do you think? Do we move forward or avoid the area?”
Karion clicked his tongue. “Avoiding it sounds logical, but come on—when have we ever done something logical? Besides, I’m curious. What kind of lunatic invites us to a trap so blatantly?”
“A powerful lunatic,” Caelithra replied coldly.
“And dangerous,” added Kyrahna, adjusting her sword’s grip. “But I’m with you, Zyrion. Whatever’s there, we’ll have to face it sooner or later.”
Zyrion nodded, his gaze resolute. “Then we move forward. But cautiously. I don’t want any unnecessary surprises.”
The group advanced carefully, the atmosphere growing more unsettling with every step. The birdsong faded, replaced by an oppressive silence that echoed in their minds.
“I don’t like this,” Kyrahna muttered, narrowing her eyes.
“Welcome to the club,” Karion said softly, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble. Twisted black roots erupted from the soil, growing rapidly and forming a barrier that blocked their path.
“Back!” Zyrion shouted, drawing his sword as the roots advanced toward them.
Caelithra reacted instantly, swinging her halberd in a wide arc and cutting several roots in a single blow. “This isn’t ordinary magic! It’s a summoning!”
“Great, more things to cut!” Karion exclaimed, drawing his daggers with feigned enthusiasm.
“Focus, Karion!” Kyrahna shouted, drawing her sword and joining the fight.
The roots seemed endless, regenerating as quickly as they were cut. Zyrion began channeling energy into his sword, which glowed with a silver radiance. “Fall back! I’m going to try something!”
The group obeyed, making space as Zyrion concentrated more power. With a shout, he unleashed a horizontal slash that sent a wave of energy outward, destroying the roots in a considerable radius.
The forest fell silent for a moment, but relief was short-lived. A deep, mocking laugh resonated around them.
“Well, well. What an impressive spectacle,” said a voice, echoing from all directions.
A figure emerged from the shadows. A tall man, dressed in a dark robe adorned with strange symbols. His face was partially hidden by a mask, but his eyes glowed with a disturbing intensity.
“Who are you?” Zyrion demanded, pointing his sword at him.
“Someone who enjoys watching mice run through their maze,” the man replied, tilting his head slightly. “But enough unnecessary introductions. I’m here to test you.”
“Test what?” Kyrahna asked, sword at the ready.
“Your courage,” the man said, extending a hand. A sphere of dark energy began to form in his palm. “And your ability to survive.”
The sphere expanded rapidly, enveloping them in total darkness.
Inside the darkness, the group found themselves separated, each facing their own challenges.
Zyrion heard a familiar, soft, warm voice. “Zyrion, help me…” It was Mirielle.“Where are you?” he shouted, his voice filled with desperation.
Karion, on the other hand, faced a series of illusions of himself, each mocking his insecurities. “You’re a failure,” they said. “Just a clown.”
Kyrahna was trapped in an endless battle, facing enemies taking the form of her fallen loved ones.
Caelithra stood on a battlefield littered with corpses. “Is this what you want to avoid?” asked a shadowy figure resembling herself.
Each fought their own inner demons, but deep down, they knew they had to find a way out.
The darkness enveloped them, as if the world itself had been swallowed by an infinite abyss. Their breaths echoed in the void, but no answers came to their cries. Each was trapped in their own nightmares, internal battles draining them physically and emotionally.
Zyrion gritted his teeth as Mirielle’s voice continued calling him. “Zyrion, please… I’m here…”
“You can’t be real,” he muttered, raising his sword. His hand trembled as he stepped toward the figure he believed he saw in the distance, bathed in faint light.
“Why do you doubt? It’s me… I’ve always been with you…”
Zyrion closed his eyes, torn between hope and reality. “You’re not real. This is an illusion. Show yourself, whoever you are!”
The figure vanished like smoke, replaced by the same mocking laughter they had heard before.
“Fascinating,” said the voice, resonating from nowhere. “Your will is strong, Zyrion. But everyone has a breaking point. Let’s find yours.”
Meanwhile, in another corner of the darkness…
Karion spun in circles, facing illusory versions of himself. Each double seemed more confident and cruel than the last.
“Do you really think you’re useful here?” one said, smirking arrogantly. “You’re just a burden. A clown among true heroes.”
“Shut up!” Karion shouted, lunging with his daggers. But every time he struck, the illusion disappeared and another appeared, laughing.
“Admit you’re afraid. You don’t have what it takes to be here,” whispered another double, approaching him.
Karion clenched his fists, taking a deep breath. “Maybe I’m not a hero, but I’m more than enough to handle this.”
At that moment, a bright flash pierced the darkness. A gust of wind dispersed the illusions, and Karion looked up, surprised.
“What the hell…?” he muttered.
The gust didn’t just reach Karion. In every corner of the darkness, an enveloping energy began to shine with a celestial glow. A figure appeared in the center of the void.
Tall, clad in light armor that looked like blue crystal, with a pair of translucent wings emerging from their back. In their hand, they held a spear crackling with gusts of air.
“Is everyone all right?” they asked in a firm, confident voice.
Zyrion recognized the figure immediately. “Sylphra! The Wind Bearer!”
The woman looked toward Zyrion, a spark of recognition in her eyes. “That’s right. Seems I arrived just in time.”
“What are you doing here?” asked Caelithra, who had also been freed from her visions.
“I had a hunch,” Sylphra replied, extending an arm and sending a gust of wind that dispersed more of the darkness. “I’ve been tracking this energy for days. When I sensed you were trapped here, I knew I had to intervene.”
Karion, completely disoriented but grateful, stepped forward. “Well, I have to admit, you arrived in style. Is this typical for the bearers or did you just want to impress us?”
Sylphra raised an eyebrow, ignoring the comment. “We don’t have time for jokes. The being behind this darkness is still here. And it’s not someone to underestimate.”
The remaining darkness began to gather in a single point, forming a human figure. It was the same masked man they had seen before, but now his aura was even more oppressive.
“So you brought reinforcements, Zyrion,” he said with a cold smile. “Doesn’t matter. More fun for me.”
“Who are you really?” Zyrion demanded, advancing alongside Sylphra.
“You may call me Nocthyris,” the man replied, his voice dripping with disdain. “Bearer of the Darkness Fragment. And you, Zyrion, will be the first to fall.”
“I doubt it,” Sylphra intervened, pointing her spear at him. “I’ve faced bearers before, and none of them have defeated me. You won’t be the exception.”
Nocthyris raised a hand, and the surrounding darkness came alive, forming swords and creatures made of shadows. “Then come, prove it to me.”
The battle was intense. Nocthyris used the darkness to attack from all angles, forcing the group to work together to survive.
Sylphra led the assault, using her speed and skill to disperse the shadows with gusts of wind. Zyrion and Caelithra fought side by side, cutting through the creatures Nocthyris summoned.
“Karion, cover us from behind!” Kyrahna shouted, blocking an attack with her shield.
“Sure, because I’m the expert at covering backs!” Karion joked, throwing his daggers at a creature approaching too closely.
“Focus, Karion,” Sylphra said, rolling her eyes.
Finally, Zyrion managed to close the distance to Nocthyris, confronting him directly. Their swords clashed with a thunderous sound, sending waves of energy around them.
“You cannot win, Zyrion!” Nocthyris shouted, pressuring him.
Zyrion gritted his teeth. “Maybe I can’t, but I won’t stop trying.”
With Sylphra’s help and a combined strategy from the group, they weakened Nocthyris enough to force him to retreat.
Before disappearing, the dark bearer left one last warning. “This is not over. Soon, you will witness the true power of darkness.”
The group gathered, exhausted but relieved.
“Well, that was intense,” Karion said, dropping to the ground.
“This is only the beginning,” Sylphra said, looking in the direction Nocthyris had vanished. “We’ll need to be better prepared next time.”
Zyrion nodded. “We will. Thank you for helping us, Sylphra. We wouldn’t have made it without you.”
“We’re all part of something bigger,” she replied with a slight smile. “Now, let’s regain our strength. What comes next will be even harder.”
TO BE CONTINUED…