The sound felt wrong.
Too deep to be a wolf, too heavy to be a human. Each step was deliberate, the ground trembling just enough for her bones to feel it.
Elara's instincts screamed run, she was not ready to loose her life yet, but her legs felt glued to the stone floor. Her pulse roared in her ears as her eyes strained to see the violet haze curling between the pillars.
Then it emerged.
A beast almost the size of a truck, with sleek, midnight-black fur that shimmered faintly. It's eyes glowed faintly red, and its mouth parted in a low rumbling growl that made her body vibrate in fear.
It took a step forward.
Elara took one back.
Her sneakers scraped against the slick stone, the sound sharp in the eerie silence. The creature's gaze locked onto her, its nostrils moving as if memorizing her scent.
Then it lunged.
She bolted.
Cold air bit at skin as she sprinted, heart thundering. She did not know where she was going and the beast was hot on her tail.
The forest ahead was unlike anything she did ever seen. Trees with silver bark stretched upward like columns, there leaves black and iridescent. Vines moved as if they were alive, curling lazily, tasting the air.
Her foot got caught on a gnarled root. She stumbled, her palms scraping against damp moss, but adrenaline pulled her back to her feet.
The growls behind her were closer now,plural. More than one.
The trees broke suddenly into a wide clearing.
Blue flames burned in tall iron braziers casting an otherworldly glow over the space. At its center stood a massive gate, three stories high - crafted from blackened iron and etched with shifting symbols that seem to move when she tried to focus on them.
Before, she could decide whether to approach, the flames flared.
The figures appeared into the clearing.
They wore long cloaks, two in deep blue, one in black and masks of polished silver carved with crescent moons. The central figure, the one that looks like the leader among the three, raised a hand.
The beast burst from the tree line but came to a stop, snarling, as invisible force rippled through the clearing. The light burned brighter, their flames leaning toward the central figure as if drawn by invisible strings.
The cloaked central figure spoke, voice steady and commanding.
"Leave her"
The beast howled in pain but obeyed, retreating slowly until the forest swallowed it.
Elara collapsed to her knees, panting. Her lungs ached, and her mind was a whirlwind of questions.
"What... what was that?"
The central figure did not answer immediately. From, the voice earlier it sounded like a female. She stepped forward, the blue light from the flames catching on the silver etchings of her mask. When she spoke again, it was softer but no less unsettling.
"You are far from the place you began, Elara Quinn"
How do you know my -
Cutting Elara off, she responded.
"Because we have been waiting"
The words landed heavy, like they carried a meaning she couldn't grasp yet.
The central figure gestured to the gate. Its symbols shined faintly and with a low groan, the massive doors began to open. Beyond them lay a city unlike anything she did ever seen imagined, black spires clawing at the sky, bridges suspended in the air, and a glowing lake.
The view was breathtaking and terrifying at the same time.
Elara closed and opened her eyes to see if she was seeing things.
"Where in the hell am i ?"
The central figure in black stepped aside, letting the flickering of lights catch her masked face.
"Welcome to valarion, child of three"
Elara blinked, heart skipping a beat. "Child of what?"
In Elara's mind, "Today has been a very crazy day and know I am in front of a crazy person. She should have just called the child of five. Let me just play along".
But the woman only turned and began to walking to the gate.
The other two masked figures flanked Elara, one gently guiding her forward. She hesitated, glancing back at the forest, but the beast red eyes glimmered faintly between the trees. Watching.
The moment she passed through the gate.
A strange pressure washed over her skin as she crossed the threshold - like warm mist and static all at once. Her wrist burned again, the slivery star-like pulsing with light before fading back to normal.
She did not know it yet, but the moment she stepped through that gate. It was the point of no return.