"Sometimes, the worst shadows aren’t the ones cast by the moon, but the ones that rise from within."
The forest had grown eerily quiet, the kind of silence that felt unnatural. Even Yelle’s usual smirk had faded into a nervous hum as they trudged deeper into the darkness. The air was colder here, heavier, like a weight pressing against their chests.
“I don’t like this,” Seilorah muttered, her grip tightening on the hilt of her blade.
“Good,” Zeyro said from ahead of her, his tone clipped. “Fear keeps you alive.”
“Optimistic as ever,” Yelle quipped from the back, her voice failing to mask her unease. The mist thickened, curling around their feet and obscuring the ground. Seilorah’s stomach twisted as an overwhelming sense of dread settled over her.
“We should turn back,” she said, her voice firmer now.
“No,” Zeyro replied without hesitation. “We’re close.”
“Close to what?” Yelle asked, her eyes darting around. “Getting eaten by whatever lives here?” Zeyro didn’t answer. The first movement was subtle—a flicker in the corner of Seilorah’s eye. She spun around, her blade at the ready, but there was nothing there.
“Did you see that?” she whispered.
“See what?” Yelle asked, inching closer. Before Seilorah could answer, a low growl echoed through the trees, vibrating through the air like a warning.
“What the hell was that?” Yelle hissed, her voice rising in pitch.
Zeyro’s posture stiffened. “It’s here.”
“It?” Seilorah asked, her heart racing. “What’s it?”
He turned to face her, his expression darker than she’d ever seen. “The shadow isn’t just a curse—it’s alive.”
Before she could process his words, the ground beneath them trembled, and a massive figure emerged from the mist.
The creature was unlike anything Seilorah had ever seen. Its form was fluid, shifting and writhing as if made of pure darkness. Eyes like burning coals stared out from its amorphous body, locking onto her with chilling intent.
“Move!” Zeyro barked, shoving her aside as the creature lunged.
Seilorah hit the ground hard, her blade skittering out of reach. She scrambled to her feet, her pulse pounding in her ears as the creature’s growl grew louder.
“Why is it looking at me like that?” she yelled, panic creeping into her voice.
“It’s drawn to you,” Zeyro replied, his blade flashing as he stepped between her and the creature.
“Well, tell it to find someone else to haunt!” she shot back, grabbing her weapon. Yelle hurled a spell at the creature, but it absorbed the magic like a sponge, its form growing larger and more menacing.
“That’s new,” Yelle muttered, her hands glowing with another spell.
“Stop,” Zeyro ordered. “Magic won’t work on it.”
“What will?” Seilorah demanded, dodging another swipe from the creature’s claws. Zeyro didn’t answer. Instead, he charged at the shadow, his movements fluid and precise. The creature hesitated, its body rippling as if it recognized him.
“It’s... stopping?” Seilorah said, her breath catching.
“For him,” Yelle observed, her voice laced with suspicion. “Not for you.”
The creature turned its burning gaze back to Seilorah, lunging with renewed ferocity. She barely had time to block its attack, her blade vibrating with the force of the impact.
“Why me?” she yelled, her arms straining against the creature’s weight.
“Because you’re the key,” Zeyro said, his voice strained as he slashed at the creature’s flank.
“The key to what?”
“To everything,” he replied, his tone grim.
The battle was chaotic, the creature’s relentless attacks forcing Seilorah and Zeyro to work together once again. Their movements were eerily synchronized, the curse guiding their strikes with unnatural precision. But no matter how many times they landed a blow, the creature kept coming, its form reforming each time.
“This isn’t working!” Seilorah shouted, frustration mounting.
“We don’t need to kill it,” Zeyro said. “Just drive it back.”
“Great plan!” Yelle called from a distance, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Any idea how we’re supposed to do that?”
Zeyro didn’t answer. Instead, he stepped forward, lowering his blade.
“What are you doing?” Seilorah demanded.
“Trust me,” he said, his voice softer than she expected. “That’s not reassuring!”
Zeyro raised his hand, and the creature froze, its burning eyes locked onto him. For a moment, the forest fell silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.
“Leave her,” Zeyro said, his voice low but commanding. “She’s not the one you want.”
The creature hesitated, its body rippling as if considering his words. Then, with a guttural roar, it lunged—not at Seilorah, but at him.
“Zeyro!” Seilorah screamed, her heart lurching as the creature’s claws slammed into him, sending him flying. He hit the ground hard, blood staining the forest floor as he struggled to rise.
“No!” Seilorah charged at the creature, her blade slicing through its form. It shrieked, recoiling from her attack, but its focus remained on Zeyro.
“Why are you doing this?” Seilorah demanded, her voice trembling as she knelt beside him.
Zeyro smirked weakly, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. “Because I don’t need your death on my conscience.”
“That’s not an answer!” she snapped, her hands trembling as she tried to stop the bleeding.
The creature growled again, its form coiling like a predator ready to strike. But before it could move, a blinding light erupted from the ground, forcing it to retreat into the shadows.
“What just happened?” Yelle asked, her voice shaking as she approached.
“The temple,” Zeyro muttered, his voice faint. “It protects us... for now.”
Seilorah glared at him. “You knew this would happen, didn’t you?”
Zeyro managed a weak chuckle. “I had a feeling.”
“A feeling?” she repeated, her voice rising. “You nearly got yourself killed!”
“Relax,” he said, wincing as he tried to sit up. “I’m not that easy to be killed, but almost...”
Yelle knelt beside them, her hands glowing with healing magic. “You two need couples therapy,” she said, shaking her head. Seilorah shot her a look but didn’t respond. Her focus remained on Zeyro, her emotions a tangled mess of anger, fear, and something she couldn’t quite name.
As Yelle worked, Seilorah couldn’t help but replay the events in her mind. The way the creature had hesitated for Zeyro, the way he’d stepped in to protect her—it didn’t make sense.
“Why did it listen to you?” she asked, her voice quieter now.
Zeyro’s eyes flickered with something she couldn’t place. “Because I’m part of it,” he admitted.
“What?”
“The curse,” he continued, his voice barely audible. “It’s not just tied to your bloodline. It’s tied to me. That creature—it’s a manifestation of everything I’ve tried to bury.”
Seilorah stared at him, her mind reeling. “You’re saying... you created it?”
“Not intentionally,” he said, his expression dark. “But yes.”
The revelation left them all in stunned silence. The forest felt colder now, the weight of their shared burden pressing down on them.
“We need answers,” Seilorah said finally, her voice firm.
“And we’ll find them,” Zeyro replied, his tone equally resolute. For the first time, they weren’t just fighting to survive—they were fighting to understand.
"Because sometimes, the only way to defeat the darkness is to confront the shadow it casts."