The encounter with the Forgotten Hunters had left them more battered than they let on. Mary, Lela, and Loosie knew they had no time to waste. The threat of the Hunters still loomed, and with it, the knowledge that they were dangerously close to unlocking the truth of the Eclipsed Gate—a truth that could either save or destroy them. They moved in silence through the dense forest, their footsteps soft but steady, each of them scanning the shadows for any sign of danger.
The book they had taken from the Obsidian Library now felt heavier in Mary's hands. Its cryptic text had begun to glow faintly, illuminating the path before them with an eerie light. It was as if the book had a life of its own, urging them forward.
"We need to find shelter soon," Lela murmured, glancing at the darkening sky. "We can't keep running through this forest forever. They'll find us eventually."
"Not if we don't give them the chance," Mary replied. Her eyes flickered over the pages of the book, trying to make sense of its shifting symbols. "I think the book is trying to tell us something. There's a hidden trail—hidden to everyone else—leading to the Eclipsed Gate."
Loosie peered over her shoulder. "But it's not showing us where to go. It's like it wants us to figure it out on our own."
The deeper they ventured into the woods, the more the world around them seemed to shift. The trees grew taller, their bark a strange, shimmering silver, and the very ground beneath their feet began to hum with energy. It was as though the land itself had been touched by ancient magic. The air was thick, charged with an otherworldly presence. The deeper they went, the more it felt like they were walking through a place outside of time—like the forest itself was holding its breath.
Then, after several hours of tense silence, the forest opened up. They stumbled into a small clearing, and before them stood an ancient stone archway. It was large—so large that even Lela, standing with her towering Gáe Bolg, seemed small in comparison. The stone was covered in runes, some familiar, others utterly foreign. The air around the archway hummed with power, and though it seemed to be just a simple gate, there was something undeniably… alive about it.
"This is it," Mary breathed, eyes wide. The book in her hands pulsed with energy. She could feel the connection now, the way the archway and the book were bound together. This was the Eclipsed Gate.
Lela stepped forward, her hand lightly brushing the stone. "It feels… wrong. Like we're walking into something we're not supposed to."
Loosie eyed the archway warily. "Should we just walk through it?"
Before Mary could answer, a cold wind gusted through the clearing, carrying with it a faint whisper—voices, distant but clear. "You cannot escape fate. The Eclipsed Gate is not what it seems."
The voice sent a chill down Mary's spine. She turned to face Lela and Loosie, but neither of them spoke, the weight of the moment hanging in the air.
"Should we turn back?" Loosie asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Mary looked up at the archway. The runes were glowing now, and the wind was carrying the whispers louder, more insistent. "No. We came this far. We can't turn back now. The Eclipsed Gate is our only way forward."
With one last glance at her companions, Mary stepped toward the archway, her heart racing. As she passed through the stone frame, a strange sensation washed over her. The world around them seemed to bend, the ground beneath their feet shuddering. She blinked, and in the blink of an eye, the clearing vanished, replaced by an endless expanse of white fog.
The air was thick here, dense with an unnatural weight. They were no longer in the forest. They weren't even in the world they knew. This was something else entirely.
"Where are we?" Loosie whispered, her voice trembling.
"This is not a place of the living," Lela muttered, gripping her spear tightly. "This is beyond the world's reach."
Mary stepped forward cautiously, the book glowing faintly in her hands. "It's the Eclipsed Realm. This is where the Gate leads."
The mist swirled around them, closing in. The oppressive atmosphere made it hard to breathe, as though the very air was charged with anticipation. And then, from the heart of the mist, a figure emerged.
It was tall, dressed in a flowing robe that seemed to ripple like smoke. Its face was obscured by a hood, but its eyes glowed with an otherworldly light—glowing as if made of stars themselves. The figure lifted a hand, and the air around them stilled.
"Welcome," the figure said, its voice deep and resonant. "You have arrived at the Eclipsed Gate, but not as you once knew it. The price for your passage is already paid."
Mary's grip on Saber of Mist tightened. "Who are you?"
The figure laughed softly, the sound echoing like a distant thunderclap. "I am the Gatekeeper, the Keeper of the Forgotten. You have come seeking what you cannot understand. But in time, you will see it clearly. For now, though, you must decide: will you walk the path of salvation… or damnation?"
Lela stepped forward, her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"You walk the edge of the world," the Gatekeeper said, its voice lilting with amusement. "The Eclipsed Gate leads to the heart of all that was lost—hidden knowledge, forgotten power, and the price of immortality. But remember, nothing is ever truly free."
"Immortality?" Loosie repeated. "What kind of immortality?"
The Gatekeeper's glowing eyes flickered. "The kind that comes at the expense of your soul."
Mary felt the weight of the words press down on her chest. She had come so far, but now the truth was more terrifying than she could have ever imagined. Immortality? Power beyond comprehension? All at the cost of their very souls?
But it was too late to turn back. The decision had already been made. They had crossed the threshold. And the Eclipsed Gate had opened to them.
"You must choose," the Gatekeeper said, raising a hand. "But be warned—the path you take will change everything."
The mist thickened, swirling around them like a storm, and the world around them began to shift. Before they could react, the Gatekeeper's form disappeared into the fog, leaving nothing behind but the silence of the void.
"What do we do now?" Loosie asked, her voice full of uncertainty.
Mary closed her eyes, gripping the book tightly. The path was uncertain, but it was the only path they had.
"We walk forward," she said, her voice steady despite the uncertainty swirling within her. "We find the truth, and we fight for it. Together."
The fog parted as the three of them stepped forward, their journey through the Eclipsed Realm beginning in earnest.