The biting wind of the night felt even colder as Castian and Shen headed toward the mountains to the north. The darkness was almost palpable, enveloping them as if trying to prevent them from advancing. The tremors, initially subtle, became increasingly frequent as they approached their destination, each stronger and more threatening than the last.
Shen, with his lantern swaying gently in front, kept his gaze fixed on the winding and treacherous path. His silence was heavy, reflecting his worry about what awaited them. Castian, on the other hand, kept his eyes alert on the forest around them. Every noise, every rustle of leaves seemed amplified in the silent night. The distant howls of wolves, now more ferocious, echoed as if nature itself was in agony, sensing the impending chaos.
"How long until we reach the cave?" Castian asked, breaking the tense silence. The tension in his voice was evident; each step felt heavier than the last, as if the ground resisted their progress.
Shen paused for a moment, surveying the dark line of the mountains rising in the distance, an imposing and hostile wall. He took a deep breath before responding, carefully choosing his words.
"There's still a long way to go," he said, his voice low but filled with concern. "However, the tremors... They're getting stronger. I believe we're close to the epicenter. The awakening is affecting the land around us, and the closer we get, the worse it will become. The seal cannot hold much longer."
Castian nodded silently, his heart racing. He already felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. With each tremor, the urgency grew. Time was a cruel enemy. Before he could say anything else, another tremor shook the ground with force, causing small stones to fall from the nearby slopes. Castian instinctively reached out for support, the world around him seeming to spin.
"We need to keep moving," Castian murmured through clenched teeth, his gaze narrowing as he struggled to maintain his balance. "We can't waste time. The faster we reach the cave, the better chance we have to prevent the worst."
Shen agreed with a nod, but a shadow of doubt crossed his eyes. He knew those mountains better than anyone in the village and was aware that the path ahead would be treacherous, especially with the land reacting to the awakening. Even so, there was no other option.
As they moved forward, the narrow trail climbed and wound through the rocky slopes, becoming increasingly difficult to follow. The trees, once dense, began to thin, and the ground beneath their feet felt more unstable. Several times, small landslides nearly knocked them down. Castian felt the cold sweat trickling down his back, even with the cold wind of the night. His breathing became labored as the terrain grew harsher and the tremors more violent.
"These tremors... It's as if the mountain itself is alive," Castian murmured, looking around, apprehensive.
"In a way, it is," Shen replied, his voice grave. "The entity dormant in the seal is not just a spiritual force. It is connected to the land, to the elements. When it starts to awaken, everything around it responds. The ground, the air, the animals... Everything falls into imbalance."
Another violent tremor shook the ground, interrupting their conversation. This time, the guttural sound accompanying the tremor seemed to come from the depths of the earth, as if the mountain itself were groaning in pain. Castian stumbled, nearly losing his balance, but Shen was quick, grabbing his arm and pulling him back before he fell.
"We're getting dangerously close," Shen murmured, his eyes scanning the rocky landscape around them. "The mountain is reacting to the awakening. We have to keep going, but with caution."
Castian looked around, feeling the growing weight of the darkness. The shadows on the slopes seemed to shift, restless, as if something was waiting, watching. He swallowed hard, feeling the dread grow within him, but he knew that hesitating now would be fatal.
"Let's keep going," he said, more to himself than to Shen. "We're close."
They pressed on, the tremors shaking the ground at shorter and more intense intervals. The narrow path rose steeply, and the rocky terrain seemed ready to crumble at any moment. Each step was a battle, and every sound in the air carried the promise of something dark and catastrophic.
Suddenly, another tremor, even more violent, shook the mountain with enough force to dislodge large rocks and send them rolling down the slope. Shen shouted a warning, his voice cutting through the chaos.
"Watch out!"
He pushed Castian aside, and the two fell to the ground as a shower of large stones descended with fury. The sound of the rocks crashing violently against the ground echoed through the night like thunder, and the ground still trembled beneath them. Castian rolled, breathless, feeling his heart pounding in his chest.
"It's getting worse," Castian gasped, trying to get up. His muscles were tense, his body beginning to show signs of fatigue.
Shen, already on his feet, extended a hand to help him up. The old man looked even more tired, but his eyes shone with fierce determination.
"We're almost there," Shen said, breathless. "But from now on, we need to be even more careful. We don't know what else might be waiting for us. This place... it's changed."
Castian nodded, fighting against the fatigue. He knew they couldn't stop now. The fate of everyone depended on their persistence. They continued to advance, the tremors shaking the ground with a frightening intensity. The trail led them to a more open area, with less vegetation, where jagged and irregular rocks dominated the landscape.
As they moved forward, a strange feeling began to take hold of Castian. The air around them felt denser, charged, almost as if it were electrified. He felt the hairs on his arms stand on end; an invisible presence seemed to lurk around them, a shadow at the edge of his vision. It wasn't just the awakening that was approaching. There was something else... Something that was watching them.
"Do you feel that?" Castian asked, his voice low and full of caution, his eyes scanning the shadows around them.
Shen stopped, his body rigid. He looked around, narrowing his eyes as if trying to see beyond the darkness.
"Yes," he said calmly, but there was a note of alertness in his voice. "We're not alone. Something else has awakened along with the entity."
A chill ran down Castian's spine, and he gripped the hilt of his sword, ready for whatever it was. The howls of the wolves suddenly ceased, leaving the silence even more oppressive. The sound of rolling stones echoed in the distance, and the noise of something else, something he couldn't identify, began to approach. The presence intensified, tightening Castian's heart with a sense of imminent threat.
Suddenly, without warning, a colossal shadow emerged from the rocks ahead. Moving with alarming speed, the creature appeared larger than any wolf Castian had ever seen. It wasn't just an animal. There was something supernatural in its glowing red eyes shining in the darkness, like embers glowing deep in the night.
Shen quickly raised the lantern, casting light on the monster. What the light revealed made Castian's heart race. The creature had a muscular and grotesque body, claws sharp as blades, and fangs that glinted threateningly under the lantern light. Its eyes, fixed on the two travelers, emitted a guttural growl that made the ground vibrate beneath their feet.
"Watch out!" Shen shouted, drawing his short blade.
The creature lunged with terrifying speed, and Castian barely had time to draw his sword. He dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the sharp claws. Shen moved with surprising agility for his age, striking the flank of the creature with precision and strength.
The monster roared, a sound that seemed to come from the depths of the earth, and turned toward Shen, ready to retaliate. Castian, adrenaline surging through his veins, found a vulnerable spot and, with a war cry, delivered a decisive blow to its side.
The creature's cry of pain echoed through the night, but before they could react, it retreated, disappearing into the shadows with the speed of lightning.
"What was that?" Castian asked, breathless, his whole body trembling with tension. He looked at the dark blood covering his sword, still incredulous at what he had just faced.
Shen, equally breathless, wiped the sweat from his forehead and gazed into the darkness where the creature had vanished.
"One of the sentinels," he said, his voice tense. "Guardians of the seal. They are here to protect the cave... and to prevent anyone from interfering with the awakening."
Castian fixed his gaze on Shen, feeling his heart pounding in his chest.
"If they're trying to stop us...," he said, catching his breath. "That means we're on the right path."
Shen nodded, both aware that the real battle was still to come. The cave, the seal, and the awakening awaited beyond the next bend.