The sun set low as Sylas approached the edge of the forest. The trees here were thicker, older. Their trunks were blackened in spots, and a chill hung in the shadows. He gripped the little sack of provisions tighter. A lantern, a dull knife, and a half-completed map of Haresh. Nothing elaborate but enough to begin.
He wasn't stepping into the crypt just yet. Not tonight. But he did have to get a sense of what he was dealing with.
> [Quest Log – Updated]
– Shadow Beneath Haresh
Objective: Check out the entrance to the crypt
Reward: Unknown
Sylas inhaled. There was something odd about the woods surrounding the abandoned crypt. They were too quiet, even this late in the day. He pushed on, making his way between roots and branches, his step slower than the last with each one.
A branch cracked behind him.
He turned.
Selene was there, holding a candle lantern, her skin wan in the last light.
"You're actually going," she said. Not disappointed. Just regretful.
"I'm not entering. Just recon," Sylas said. "I need to know what we're facing."
"We?" she asked quietly.
"You gave me a warning. That makes you part of this, whether you like it or not."
Selene did not smile. "This is not a game, Sylas. The crypt. it is wrong. People forget things. My brother—he visited there once. He changed."
Sylas scowled. "What do you mean?"
"He returned silent. Cold. Seven days later, he went into the river and never returned."
Sylas allowed the silence to linger between them. "I'm sorry."
She nodded, her eyes blinking rapidly. "I still hear whispers along the riverbank sometimes. Like he's calling me."
A wind stirred the trees. It had the scent of damp stone.
They continued side by side until the woods gave way to a shallow hill. At the crest stood the crypt—half-consumed by moss and vines. Its stone door was closed, but cracks extended deep into its face.
Sylas knelt, tracing his fingers over the carvings. Weathered symbols ran along the archway. Most illegible.
> [System Notification]
New Language Fragment Detected
Progress: 8% Deciphered
He squinted. "I think the system's attempting to translate it."
Selene was a few paces behind him. "Can it tell you what's in it?"
"No. But it's assisting. That means there's something to be learned."
She glanced down at her lantern, then back at him. "Then learn fast. And depart fast."
Sylas focused on the side of the crypt. A path—narrow, almost invisible—cut into the ground, leading down behind the building.
[System Alert]
Hidden Rear Access (Locked) Optional Path Found: Condition: Key Required
"Locked," Sylas grumbled. He consulted his map and placed a mark on the trail.
Selene moved to stand next to him, speaking low, "That path… I didn't know it existed."
"I believe the system allows me to perceive what others cannot."
They stood there in silence. The wind rose, causing the trees to move like laboring giants. Sylas sensed it once more—that tension in his chest. As if something was observing.
> [Warning – Passive Threat Detected]
Warning: Prolonged stay at this location could lead to mental exhaustion
"Let's go," he said hastily. "We've seen enough."
They turned and rushed down the hill. As soon as they reached the tree line, the tension dissipated. Selene breathed a shaky sigh.
"You alright?" Sylas asked.
She nodded. "I shouldn't have come."
"I'm glad you did. You prevented me from doing something stupid."
At the clearing, the final orange light of day came through the trees. Sylas sat on a log and opened his quest log.
> [Quest Log – Shadow Beneath Haresh]
Current Goal: Discover a means into the crypt
New Hint: Concealed Rear Entrance (Key Needed)
System Note: Investigate local records or abandoned structures in Haresh
He shut the log and regarded Selene.
"Ever heard of a key? Something ancient, perhaps passed from town to town?"
Selene shook her head. "No. But Old Tanner, the fellow who lives by the south well—he was once a caretaker for the shrine. He may know something."
"Then I'll question him tomorrow."
Selene shifted uncomfortably. "Be cautious. People don't speak of the crypt for nothing."
Sylas smiled wearily. "You keep warning me, but here you are."
She didn't respond. Instead, she pressed a small cloth pouch into his hand. "Take this. Bellroot. It helps when. when things get too loud in your head."
He took it, surprised. "Thanks."
Selene turned to go. "Don't wait too long, Sylas. The longer that place remains quiet, the louder it gets."
He stood there and watched her vanish into the trees once more, her lantern bobbing like a star in the darkness.
Left on his own, Sylas gazed up at the spot of night sky between the limbs. One mission at a time, he said to himself. But he knew better. Something was amiss in Haresh.
Something that was buried.
And it was beginning to stir.
> [Quest Updated – Shadow Beneath Haresh]
Next Goal: Talk to Old Tanner
Secondary Goal: Ready for mental resistance (Optional)
System Tip: Emotional resilience impacts quest results
Sylas rose, stuffed the pouch into his pocket, and continued back through the woods that grew darker by the minute.
He wasn't frightened.
But he wasn't even certain anymore what he was approaching.