The Hidden Vale was nothing like Aric had imagined. From a distance, it looked like any other secluded part of the forest, isolated and untouched by civilization. But as they ventured deeper, something shifted—an almost tangible pull in the air. The trees grew larger, their roots twisting and writhing like serpents, and the air grew thick with an unfamiliar energy, as if the very earth beneath their feet was alive with ancient power.
Selene led the way, her movements purposeful, her eyes scanning every shadow that lurked in the corners of the Vale. Aric felt the weight of her silence, the urgency in her steps. There was something she wasn't telling him, and it gnawed at him, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to know.
The path grew steeper, and the light filtered through the canopy in soft, muted beams, casting eerie shadows on the forest floor. The deeper they went, the more oppressive the atmosphere became, as though the very air itself was heavy with forgotten secrets. Aric could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
"Where are we headed?" Aric asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"The heart of the Vale," Selene replied, her gaze fixed ahead. "It's where the Elders dwell. Where the knowledge of the old world is kept. It's where we'll find answers."
Aric didn't respond, but he felt a rising unease in his chest. The Elders, as Selene called them, were rumored to be powerful, ancient beings—keepers of knowledge lost to time. But he also knew they weren't always welcoming, and their motives were often shrouded in mystery. He couldn't shake the feeling that they might know more about his fate than he was ready to hear.
The path soon opened up into a clearing, and Aric froze as he took in the sight before him. The heart of the Vale was a vast, circular expanse, its center dominated by a large stone structure. It wasn't a building in the traditional sense—it was a massive stone circle, worn by time and weathered by centuries of history. The stones were etched with runes that pulsed faintly with a silver glow, as if alive with an ancient magic.
In the center of the stone circle stood three figures—tall and gaunt, their robes hanging loosely from their frames, their faces hidden beneath hoods. They seemed to be waiting for them, their posture regal yet eerily still. The air around them seemed to shimmer, as if their very presence warped reality itself.
Selene stepped forward, her expression unwavering. "I've come for answers," she said, her voice carrying an authority that Aric hadn't heard from her before.
The figures did not speak at first, their eyes seeming to look right through them. Then, one of the figures lifted a hand, a slow, deliberate motion, and the air seemed to hum with energy. "You seek answers, Selene, but do you understand the cost of knowledge?" the figure's voice was low, a rasp that reverberated in the stillness of the Vale.
Selene's gaze did not falter. "I understand the cost, and I'm willing to pay it."
The figure's hooded face shifted slightly, though Aric could not discern any emotion from the gesture. "And what of him?" the figure asked, turning its gaze to Aric, who stood at Selene's side.
Aric felt an involuntary shiver run through him as the figure's eyes seemed to pierce him. He stepped forward, instinctively trying to steel himself, but the weight of their attention was almost suffocating. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest.
"I... I don't know what you want from me," Aric said, his voice rough with uncertainty.
The figure remained silent for a long moment, its eyes never leaving him. "You are the one who carries the curse," the figure finally said, its voice filled with an unsettling resonance. "The one who will either bring ruin or salvation. But you do not yet know the full extent of the darkness within you."
Aric's pulse quickened. "The curse?" he echoed, confusion flooding his thoughts. "What are you talking about?"
The second figure stepped forward, its voice cutting through the air like a blade. "The curse that was placed upon you long ago. It was never meant to be broken, but you—you—have begun to unravel it. The shadows that haunt you, the power that claws at the edges of your mind, it is the curse that binds you."
Aric's mind raced, his thoughts spiraling. The curse. He had always known something was wrong inside him, that the rage, the darkness, had been a part of him for as long as he could remember. But now, hearing it spoken aloud, it felt like a weight he could not bear.
"The darkness inside you is no accident," the third figure said, its voice softer, but no less unsettling. "It is the result of choices made long before you were born. Your bloodline is tainted, marked by a power too dangerous to be left unchecked. And now, you stand at the crossroads."
Aric opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. He had always felt different, as though there was something in him that set him apart. But now it was clear—whatever this curse was, it was a part of his very existence, woven into the fabric of his being.
Selene stepped forward, her voice sharp. "How do we break it? How do we stop the shadows?"
The first figure's eyes flickered, and it stepped closer to Selene. "The shadows are not something that can simply be stopped, Selene. They are a part of him, as much a part of him as the air he breathes. To break the curse, he must confront it—face the darkness within and embrace it, or succumb to it."
Aric's heart stuttered in his chest. "Embrace it?" he asked, his voice a whisper. "What do you mean by that?"
The figure's voice dropped to a near whisper. "To control the curse, you must first understand it. To wield the power that it grants, you must surrender to it. But be warned, Aric—once you accept it, there is no turning back."
The air around them seemed to thicken, as though the very ground beneath them trembled with the weight of the words. Aric's mind was spinning. Surrender to it? Control it? How could he possibly accept the very thing that had haunted him for so long?
"The choice is yours," the figure continued. "But remember this, boy: the curse will either make you its master or its servant."
The stone circle pulsed, the runes flickering brighter for a moment, and the figures stepped back, their eyes still fixed on Aric. "The time has come," the first figure said, its voice a distant echo. "You must decide."
The air around them fell silent once more, and Aric stood frozen, the weight of the decision pressing down on him like a crushing stone. His heart raced in his chest, his mind clouded with uncertainty. How could he make this choice? How could he choose to embrace something that had been nothing but a curse his entire life?
But in that silence, something within him stirred—a flicker of understanding, a sense that this moment, this decision, was inevitable.