The creatures poured from the crack. Their bodies glowed faint like embers, skin flaking into soot with every move.
Vael stepped forward. Shadows rippled from his arm, shaping into a blade. The ring pulsed steady, urging him on.
One lunged at him. He cut through its chest, but instead of blood, a burst of cinders spilled out. The creature fell apart like burnt paper.
Another came from behind. Reylen swung his heavy blade, splitting it in two. His movements were slow but each strike landed with brutal weight.
Elira stood back, her bow alive with light. She loosed arrows that burned through the ash-born, scattering them in bursts of flame.
Nyra danced through the fight, daggers flashing. She laughed as she cut tendons and throats, her steps too quick for the creatures to follow.
Still, more crawled from the earth. Dozens now, their hissing filling the forest air.
Vael's chest tightened. The shadows inside him grew restless, hungrier. He felt them push against his control.
The stranger stood at the edge of the trail, watching. Silent.
Vael snarled and let the darkness spill wider. The shadows lashed out like spears, piercing three at once. Their bodies collapsed, sparks fading into the ground.
But the hunger inside him clawed deeper. His hand shook as he tightened his grip.
Elira called out, her voice sharp. "Don't lose yourself!"
Vael gritted his teeth. He forced the shadows to obey, driving them into the last wave of creatures. They shrieked as the darkness swallowed them whole.
The trail went still. The crack in the earth sealed. Only smoke lingered.
Vael staggered, his breath harsh. The ring burned cold against his skin.
The stranger finally stepped forward. Their pale eyes fixed on him.
"You survived," they said. "But survival is not victory."
Vael raised his head, sweat and ash streaking his face. "Then what is?"
The stranger's faint smile didn't reach their eyes. "The answer lies farther down the path. If you reach it alive."
They turned and began walking into the woods.
The group exchanged uneasy looks. None of them trusted the figure, yet all of them followed.
Because the path offered no other choice.