The forest grew darker as they followed the faint trail left by the amulet's shifting light. The trees here were older, thicker, their branches twisted into shapes that looked almost human. The air felt heavy—too still, too watchful.
Kai walked ahead, every sense alert.
"Stay close," he murmured.
Elara nodded, gripping the amulet as it pulsed in soft, uneven flashes. Each glow seemed to point deeper into the woods, as if chasing something unseen. Caelum walked behind them, his eyes scanning the shadows with a tension that made Kai uneasy.
"These woods weren't always like this," Caelum said quietly. "They used to be a sanctuary."
Elara glanced around. "What changed?"
"The summoner," Caelum replied. "Their corrupt magic twists anything it touches."
A sudden whisper drifted through the air—low, almost melodic. Elara froze.
"That voice… did you hear it?"
Kai raised his sword. "Show yourself!"
The whisper came again, this time from a different direction. The trees creaked as if leaning in to listen. A silhouette flickered between the trunks—quick, graceful, gone in an instant.
Caelum's breath caught.
"That's not the summoner."
Kai narrowed his eyes. "Then what is it?"
Caelum's answer came softly, filled with unease.
"A Shadow Wraith. A watcher."