The moon hung low over Eldoria, its pale glow touching the village with a fragile sense of peace. But beneath that calm, a faint vibration pulsed through the soil—subtle, rhythmic, almost like a heartbeat buried deep underground.
Kai tightened his grip on his cloak as he surveyed the scorched clearing. The remnants of the serpentine creature had vanished completely, yet a dark, smoky imprint lingered on the earth where it fell—a mark that refused to fade.
Elara knelt beside it, the amulet glowing faintly in her hand.
"This symbol… it wasn't left by accident."
Kai crouched down, studying the formation. "It looks like a rune. But unlike anything I've seen."
Elara nodded, her expression growing tense.
"This isn't a rune of creation. It's a summoning mark. That creature wasn't wandering—it was called."
A murmur rippled through the small group of villagers who had stayed behind. The young woman who helped earlier stepped closer, hugging her shawl around her shoulders.
"So… something else is coming?"
"No," Elara replied softly. "Something much worse is already awake."
The ground trembled again—this time stronger.
Kai stood sharply. "That came from the western ridge."
Before they could investigate, an elderly man—one of Eldoria's oldest guardians—approached them, leaning heavily on his staff. His eyes, usually calm, were clouded with dread.
"I know this tremor," he whispered. "I felt it once before, long before either of you were born."
Both Kai and Elara turned to him.
"What is it?" Elara asked.
The old guardian swallowed hard.
"An echo," he said. "From beneath the earth… from the place where the First Shadow was imprisoned."
Elara's breath caught.
"That prison was sealed by the ancient light. No one—not even a creature like this serpent—should be able to disturb it."
The old man shook his head.
"Unless someone is weakening the seals… from the outside."
A cold wave washed over the clearing.
Kai sheathed his sword with a sharp click.
"Then we need to find whoever is behind this. Before the First Shadow breaks free."
Elara stood slowly, the amulet glowing brighter—as if reacting to the tremors.
"Kai… if the First Shadow rises," she said quietly, "not even the ancient guardians could stop him."
Kai met her gaze with steady resolve.
"Then we learn how. Starting now."
The wind shifted, carrying with it a deep, distant rumble—like a warning from the heart of the earth itself.
Eldoria's brief peace had ended.
And somewhere in the darkness beneath the soil, the weakest seal cracked.