The wind carried a chill as Ji-ho, Hwan, and Elysia made their way through the dense forest that stretched endlessly before them. The path was rough and narrow, with gnarled roots and thick underbrush slowing their progress. The morning sun filtered through the treetops, casting fleeting shadows that danced on the ground beneath their feet. Yet, despite the picturesque scenery, an unsettling silence hung in the air.
Hwan was the first to break the quiet. — I’ve never heard of this temple. If it’s as old as Mira claims, how has it stayed hidden for so long?
Elysia, who was several paces ahead, turned back and gave him a shrug. — If it's abandoned and tucked away in some forgotten corner of the world, it's no surprise no one talks about it. People forget things. Even powerful things.
— Powerful things tend not to stay forgotten for long, — Ji-ho interjected. Her eyes scanned the horizon, an uneasy feeling gnawing at her gut. — Especially if they're important. Something’s off about this.
— Agreed, — Hwan said, stepping over a fallen log. — But we won’t find answers by standing here guessing. Let’s just hope this temple has some real information and not just more riddles.
They trudged onward, the terrain becoming more difficult as the forest thickened. Hours passed in silence, broken only by the occasional sound of birds rustling in the leaves or the distant trickle of a hidden stream. The forest, while beautiful, had an eerie quality that none of them could shake.
As the afternoon dragged on, Ji-ho felt her exhaustion mounting. The battle with the shadow had drained them all physically and mentally, and the weight of what lay ahead seemed to grow heavier with every step. Her thoughts returned to the mountain spirit and the ominous warnings Mira had given them. If the shadow had only been the beginning, what sort of nightmare awaited them at the temple?
— We should stop for a rest, — Hwan suggested, breaking Ji-ho from her reverie. — We’ve been walking for hours, and it looks like we’re not even halfway through this forest.
— Good idea, — Elysia agreed, dropping her pack and sinking to the ground beneath a wide oak tree. — My legs are killing me.
Ji-ho sat down beside her, grateful for the break. As she reached for her canteen, a distant noise caught her attention—a soft, rhythmic sound that didn’t belong to the natural chorus of the forest. It was faint, but it sent a prickle of unease down her spine.
— Do you hear that? — she asked, her voice low.
Hwan and Elysia stopped and listened, their expressions sharpening. The sound grew louder—a slow, deliberate thudding, like footsteps, though not human. It seemed to be coming from deeper within the forest, hidden just beyond their sight.
— I hear it, — Hwan said, his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his sword. — We’re not alone.
Elysia was on her feet in an instant, her eyes scanning the trees. — What do you think it is? Another shadow?
— Maybe, — Ji-ho murmured, rising to her feet and gripping her staff. — But it doesn’t feel like the shadow we faced before. This is different.
The footsteps grew closer, their source still obscured by the thick undergrowth. Ji-ho’s heart raced as the shadows among the trees seemed to shift and move with unnatural fluidity. She braced herself for whatever was coming, her muscles tense, waiting for the moment to strike.
Suddenly, a large shape emerged from the trees—a hulking, four-legged beast with thick, black fur and glowing red eyes. It looked like some sort of wild animal, but its size and the malice radiating from it made it clear this was no ordinary creature.
— What the hell is that? — Elysia hissed, already drawing her weapon.
Hwan was beside her, his sword flashing in the dappled sunlight. — Whatever it is, it’s not friendly.
The beast growled, a low, guttural sound that reverberated through the clearing. It paced toward them slowly, as though sizing up its prey. Ji-ho’s grip tightened on her staff. She knew they didn’t have much time before it attacked.
— Stay close, — she whispered to her companions. — We can’t let it separate us.
As if sensing her command, the creature lunged, its massive jaws snapping toward Elysia. She dodged just in time, rolling to the side and bringing her blade down in a wide arc. The steel met the creature’s thick hide with a sickening thud, but it barely seemed to register the blow.
Hwan was next, slashing at the beast’s legs with precision, but his attacks seemed to bounce off its unnatural armor. Ji-ho, realizing they needed to change tactics, raised her staff and chanted under her breath. A flash of light erupted from her hands, aimed directly at the creature’s eyes.
The beast howled in pain, stumbling backward as the light blinded it momentarily. — Now! — Ji-ho yelled. — Go for its head!
Elysia and Hwan didn’t hesitate. They moved as one, charging the disoriented beast from both sides. Elysia’s sword struck first, cutting deep into the creature’s neck. Hwan followed, driving his blade into the back of its skull.
With a final, anguished roar, the beast collapsed to the ground, its body dissolving into shadow before fading completely.
Ji-ho panted, lowering her staff as the last remnants of the creature vanished. Her heart was still pounding, adrenaline coursing through her veins.
— That was too close, — Elysia said, wiping sweat from her brow. — What the hell was that thing?
— It wasn’t a shadow, — Ji-ho said, shaking her head. — It was something else. Something sent to stop us.
Hwan frowned. — Sent by whom?
Before Ji-ho could answer, the air around them shifted. The temperature dropped, and a cold breeze swept through the forest, carrying with it a whispering voice that seemed to come from all directions at once.
— Turn back, — the voice hissed. — The temple is not for you.
Elysia’s eyes widened. — Great. Now the forest is talking to us.
— No, — Ji-ho said, her voice steady despite the fear creeping into her chest. — It’s not the forest. It’s whoever is guarding the temple.
— Then we’re on the right track, — Hwan said, determination flaring in his eyes.
Ji-ho nodded. — We are. But whatever waits for us at the temple… it doesn’t want us to get there.
With renewed urgency, they gathered their things and continued their journey eastward. The path ahead was darker, more treacherous than ever, but Ji-ho knew they couldn’t turn back now.
The temple, and the answers they sought, were waiting.