After the blinding flare of ancient runes subsided, Shadrex remained kneeling in the center of the glade, sweat mixing with the cold dew on the moss. The others surrounded him kiran gripping his arm with trembling fingers, Erdrain standing guard with his sheathed sword , and the elf princess watching with a fear so raw it made even the trees seem small.
The mark on Shadrex's arm pulsed faintly beneath his skin. A dark red glow, swirling like trapped smoke, spiraled up to his shoulder and faded, only to throb again slow, , like a second heartbeat.
His breath still heavy. "I… feel something watching us."
"Not watching," the elf princess whispered. "Listening. . Deciding."
The light dimmed further. The ground hummed. And then the forest exhaled—an ancient, rumbling sigh that stirred the leaves overhead into a whispering storm.
Erdrain braced himself. "What does it want from him?"
The elf princess closed her eyes, as if hearing a voice far away. "The Forgotten King of gods ruled before elves, before mortals understood magic. For what so ever reason it's to drawn to him choosing Shadrex syclla says
Kiran knelt in front of Shadrex, forcing him to meet her eyes. " Chosen..Chosen for what.
Shadrex's voice was barely a breath. As he grunt an exhale
But before they could speak more, sharp piercing sound came from the forest.
A scream tore through the trees—a sound not made by human, beast, or spirit. It resonated like stone grinding against bone, rising and falling in a shrill cry.
The elf princess snapped her head toward the sound. "It begins. The mark has awakened something ancient, and everything within a hundred miles can feel it."
Erdrain lifted Shadrex to his feet. "We need to move. Now."
Shadrex struggles to mount ray she snorted quickly against Shadrex's and resisted him, sensing the unnatural energy coursing through his body. When she finally settled shadrex encourage Kiran to mount ray,Kiran settled into the saddle, the mark on shadrex arm glowed brighter, erdrain urge shadrex should ride with him on his wild hound
The forest darkened unnaturally, night pressing in far earlier than it should. Leaves tumbled from the canopy in a spiraling mass, falling like ash. The sky above dimmed, turning the clouds into bruised shades of gray-blue.
Kiran looked up nervously. "The sky wasn't like this before."
"It reacts to him," the elf princess syclla said. "To the mark."
They rode deeper toward the forest's heart, where the trees grew so tall and twisted that sunlight never truly touched the ground. Fog slithered between roots like living veins. Every sound—every crack, every shifting branch—felt amplified.
Then the mark pulsed again.
This time harder. Sharper.
Shadrex nearly fell from erdrain wild hound as pain exploded through his arm. "mhmm as his breathing became fast"
Edrain grabbed him. "Shadrex!"
Erdrain halted the group. "What's happening?"
The elf princess jumped down instantly, her expression grim. "Something is drawing the mark. Something powerful."
Another scream echoed, closer this time.
Then another.
And another.
The forest erupted with sound—the distant, thunderous trampling of dozens of legs, claws scraping bark, guttural snarls that vibrated through the ground.
Erdrain's eyes widened . "We're surrounded."
Shapes emerged, shadowy and lithe, crawling along branches, sliding between roots, their glowing eyes multiplying in the darkness. They were not the forest serpents from earlier. These creatures had elongated limbs, hunched backs covered in spines, and jaws that split sideways like two serrated blades.
Shadrex's heart pounded. His mark pulsed again once, twice then flashed.
The creatures howled as one. A shriek of recognition.
"They're hunting the mark," the elf princess whispered.
The first creature lunged, claws slicing through the air. Erdrain wild hound blocked as it's teeth sank deep before throwing it off. Another dropped behind Scylla, but she twisted, stabbing upward with precise, fluid motion. At crucial moment with total concentration Shadrex drew his sword, but as he raised it, something surged through him—heat, pressure, raw energy.
His blade ignited with red fire.
He froze.
Scylla glanced at him with wide eyes. "Shadrex… your sword—"
There was no time.
A creature leapt at him, jaws unhinging. Instinct overtook hesitation. Shadrex swung.
A shockwave of red light blasted from his blade, tearing through trees, roots, and monster alike. Five creatures disintegrated into shimmering particles. The forest trembled violently, leaves bursting into the air.
"By the gods what was that…" Erdrain whispered.
Shadrex stared in horror at his own hands. "I didn't—mean to. It just—happened."
The mark pulsed again—violently this time—sending him to his knees.
The monsters shrieked, scattering back into the shadows. Not fleeing out of fearwaiting for the mark to flare again.
"We have to go!" the elf princess syclla shouted. "Now!"
They ran on foot, abandoning erdrain wild hound,erdrain wild hound, with scaled large wings, launched itself into the sky with a thunderous beat of its wings. Its fangs gleamed as it snapped at the glowing monster hovering above, each strike sending sparks scattering through the air. The creature of light retaliated with a blazing arc that sliced across the night, forcing the hound into a spiraling dodge. With a roar, the beast surged upward, claws igniting as it slammed into its . The impact boomed like a storm, shaking the clouds. Locked mid-air, they tore at each other—shadow against radiance each blow brightening the darkness around them.The wild-hound continues giving erdrain enough time leave in a blur of muscle and fire, shredding the air as it shot toward the glowing creature above. The monster flared brilliantly, releasing waves of light that cracked like thunder against the hound's armored hide. Unfazed, the beast twisted, whipping its tail in a sharp arc that sent a rippling through the sky. The radiant foe darted aside, leaving trails behind. With a fierce snarl, the hound lunged again, jaws snapping inches from its target. The monster struck back, a beam slicing across the clouds, but the hound powered through, closing in with explosive force.
weaving through twisted trunks and ancient ruins half-swallowed by roots an ray follow behind erdrain wild hound keeps with full trust to the air . The mark's glow illuminated their path, casting eerie shadows.
Scylla kept pace beside Shadrex, her breath sharp. "You have to control it! It's reacting to them!"
"I don't know how!" he snapped, wincing as another pulse rippled through him.
"There learn quickly!"
They burst into a clearing where an ancient stone archway stood—broken and draped in vines. It emanated faint magic, like the echo of an old spell.
The elf princess's eyes widened. "A Gate of the First Era. If we cross it, we'll break the monsters' scent trail."
Erdrain pointed at the sky. "We don't have time to debate!"
The clouds swirled violently, converging into a massive spiral. A dark vortex formed—an eye of raw shadow—and a monstrous with large clock brown descended, stretching across the clearing.
A Shadowy figure A harbinger of the chaos
It landed with earth-shaking force, its form towering, skeletal, and crowned with bone-like horns. Its voice boomed, rattling the ancient stones:
Cosmic King… kneel."
Shadrex staggered back. "I am no king"
The creature smirk with a deadly smile as it has found what it has been looking for,if such a thing could smile. "The mark says otherwise."
The ground cracked beneath Shadrex's feet. The mark blazed like a star, forcing him downward.
Kiran threw herself between them. "Leave him!"
The creature swatted her aside with a single motion, sending her crashing into a tree. She screamed—then went limp.
"kiran" Shadrex roared.
Rage surged through him, raw and primal. The mark exploded with light so bright the forest recoiled.
The Shadowy figure took a step back. "So it awakens."
Shadrex stood, red flames an at the center of the sword light blue erupting from his sword, eyes glowing like red sun.
But the power was unstable.
The ground convulsed. The air cracked. Shadrex's vision blurred.
Erdrain shouted, "Shadrex, stop! You'll tear yourself apart!"
The kiran grabbed him. "If you unleash it now, you'll destroy everything including her!"
Shadrex's breath hitched. He looked at Scylla's unmoving form.
The mark pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Then
Everything went white like two asteroid just collided.