Stepping through Kael's portal was like plunging headfirst into ice water. The air on the other side was cold, damp, and heavy, carrying the scent of rich, decaying earth and something else—a faint, metallic tang like shed blood. Aria gasped, her lungs struggling with the thick atmosphere. The world she had left behind, the noisy, familiar reality of Sterling City, vanished as the portal swirled shut behind them, leaving only the oppressive silence of the Gloomwood.
The Umbral Realm was a symphony in grayscale and bruised purple. The sky was a perpetual twilight, a canvas of deep indigos and violets where a sickly crimson moon hung, sharp and predatory. The trees were black, skeletal things, their gnarled branches reaching like desperate, bony fingers. A glowing green moss coated everything, casting an eerie, phosphorescent light that did little to dispel the profound darkness.
Aria's Umbral Sight, which had been a clear, defined sense in the absolute black of Kael's workshop, was now a confusing overlay on her normal vision. The world was a dizzying fusion of what her eyes saw—the dim colors, the eerie light—and what the Aegis showed her—the silver outlines of energy, the deep pools of shadow that seemed to pulse with a slow, sleeping life.
"Breathe slowly," Kael's voice cut through her disorientation. He stood a few feet away, seemingly unaffected by the transition. "The air here is… dense. Thicker with ambient energy. Your body will adjust."
She forced herself to take a slow, measured breath, then another. He was right. The initial shock was passing, leaving a strange thrumming sensation under her skin, as if the very air was vibrating at a low frequency. The Aegis on her chest was frigid, a focal point for this new energy.
"Welcome to the Gloomwood," Kael said, his voice low. He drew the sword she had seen in the workshop, its polished steel a stark line of reality in this dreamlike landscape. "It's the fringe of the Umbral Realm that borders Sterling City. Stay close. Don't touch anything. And don't stray from the path."
Aria looked down. There was no path. Just an endless carpet of glowing moss and tangled roots.
Kael seemed to read her mind. "There's always a path," he said, taking a step forward. As his boot touched the moss, a faint, silvery line appeared on the ground, visible only to her Umbral Sight. It snaked away through the trees, a barely-there trail of energy. "Just not always one you can see with your eyes."
He set off at a brisk pace, and Aria hurried to follow, her gaze fixed on the shimmering trail. The silence of the woods was unnerving. There were no birds, no insects, just the soft crunch of their boots on the moss and the distant, mournful howls that seemed to get no closer and no further away. The shadows here were alive. They shifted and writhed at the corners of her vision, and she had the distinct feeling that if she stared at any one of them for too long, it would stare back.
"What was that howl?" she whispered, her voice sounding small and fragile in the immense quiet.
"Grave-hounds," Kael answered without turning. "Scavengers. They feed on dying magic and lost souls. They won't bother us as long as we stay on the path. The trail is marked with old wards."
Lost souls. The casual way he said it sent a fresh wave of fear through her. This place was not just a dark reflection of her world; it was a wilderness with its own ecosystem of predators and prey. And right now, she was very aware of which one she was.
They walked for what felt like hours, the crimson moon never moving in the twilight sky. The landscape was a monotonous panorama of black trees and glowing moss, and Aria's senses were on high alert, every snapping twig, every shifting shadow sending a jolt of adrenaline through her.
Finally, Kael stopped. They had reached a small clearing where a massive, ancient oak stood, its branches so thick they formed a canopy that blocked out the sky. It was the only tree that wasn't black and skeletal; its bark was a deep, healthy brown, and its leaves were a vibrant, impossible shade of silver.
"We'll rest here," Kael said, leaning his sword against the trunk. "This is a sanctuary tree. One of the few places in the Gloomwood where the Council's influence is weak." He gestured for her to sit. "And it's time for your first lesson."
Aria sank to the ground, her legs aching. "Lesson? I thought we were running for our lives."
"We are," he said, sitting cross-legged opposite her. "Which is why you need to learn to defend yourself. That stunt you pulled in the station was raw, instinctual talent. It was impressive, but it was also sloppy. You threw out a hook of raw shadow energy. Against a more experienced foe, that would get you killed. You need control."
He held out his hand, palm up. "The power of your bloodline, the art of Shadow-Wielding, is not about creating darkness. The darkness is already there. It is in everything. In the space between atoms, in the moments between heartbeats. The art is to give it shape, purpose, and will. Your will."
He closed his eyes. Aria, watching with her Umbral Sight, saw a faint silver energy gather in his palm. He wasn't pulling it from the surrounding woods; he was drawing it from within himself. Then, he reached out with that energy, not physically, but with his mind, and touched one of the deep pools of shadow lurking at the edge of the clearing.
The shadow stirred. It detached from the base of a tree and flowed like thick ink across the mossy ground, stopping in front of him. It was a formless blob of pure black.
"The first step is connection," Kael said, his eyes still closed. "You have to feel the shadow, understand its nature. It is not evil. It is not good. It is potential. It is emptiness waiting to be filled."
He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Now, you try. Reach out with your mind. The Aegis will help you. Feel for the darkness around us. Don't try to command it. Just… listen to it."
Aria closed her eyes, trying to block out the fear and the strangeness of it all. She focused on the cold weight of the Aegis. It pulsed gently, a silent metronome. She tried to do as Kael said, to extend her senses, to *listen* to the darkness. At first, there was nothing but the sound of her own frantic thoughts. *This is crazy. I can't do this. I'm an archivist.*
"Clear your mind," Kael's voice instructed, calm and steady. "Don't think. Feel."
She took a deep breath and tried again. She pushed aside the fear, the doubt, the grief. She focused only on the cold of the Aegis and the vast, silent darkness of the Gloomwood. And then, she felt it. A whisper. A low, resonant hum at the very edge of her perception. It was the same hum the box had made in her office, but now it was everywhere, a universal background noise. It was the song of the shadow.
As she focused on it, her Umbral Sight sharpened. She could see the web of energy that connected everything, the silver lines of Kael's trail, the vibrant life of the sanctuary tree, and the deep, silent pools of shadow. They weren't just patches of darkness; they were wells of quiescent power.
"Good," Kael said softly. "You can feel it. Now, choose one. The small one, there, by that root."
She focused her attention on a small patch of shadow no bigger than her hand. As she did, the hum intensified, coalescing around that single point. It felt… responsive. Eager, almost.
"Now, gently," Kael coached, "call to it. Don't use words. Use intent. Will it to come to you."
Aria focused all her concentration on the shadow. *Come here.* The thought was sharp and clear in her mind.
The shadow twitched. It separated from the root it was clinging to and drifted a few inches toward her, hesitant, like a shy animal. A thrill, sharp and potent, shot through her. It was working.
Emboldened, she pushed harder. *Come to me.* This time, her mental command was stronger, more forceful.
It was a mistake.
The shadow didn't just move toward her; it exploded. It shot across the clearing and slammed into her chest. It wasn't a physical impact, but it threw her backward as if she'd been punched. The darkness enveloped her, cold and suffocating. Panic seized her as the hum in her mind became a deafening roar. The shadow wasn't just on her; it was trying to get *in* her. She felt it pressing against her mind, a vast, empty consciousness trying to merge with her own.
"Aria! Fight it!" Kael's voice was urgent, cutting through the roaring darkness. "Don't let it consume you! You are the master, not it! Banish it!"
His words were a lifeline. She fought against the rising tide of terror. *You are the master.* She was the heir. She was the one in control.
"Get off!" she screamed, both aloud and in her mind. She poured all her fear, anger, and desperation into a single, explosive pulse of will. *GO!*
The darkness recoiled from her as if burned. It flew back across the clearing and dissipated, melting back into the ambient shadows of the woods. Aria was left gasping on the ground, trembling uncontrollably, her heart pounding. The connection was broken. The roaring in her head subsided back to a faint hum.
Kael was instantly at her side, helping her sit up. "Are you alright?"
"No," she choked out, wrapping her arms around herself. "What was that?"
"You pushed too hard," he explained, his face grim. "You tried to command it with force. Shadow is not a slave to be ordered around. It's a partner. You don't command it; you persuade it. You guide it. When you used force, it responded in kind. It tried to dominate you."
He looked at her, his expression serious. "This is the danger of your power, Aria. It is tied to your emotions. Your anger, your fear—they amplify it, but they also make it volatile and wild. What you did in the station was fueled by terror and rage. It worked, but you were a breath away from losing control, from that shadow tendril turning on you instead of your attacker."
He stood and walked back to his spot. "Again."
"What?" Aria stared at him in disbelief. "It just tried to eat my soul! You want me to do it again?"
"Yes," he said, his voice unyielding. "You fell off the horse. You get back on. But this time, be gentle. Think of it less as a command and more as an invitation. You are not its master. You are its partner."
Hesitantly, Aria got back into position. Her hands were shaking. Every instinct screamed at her to stop, to run, to never touch this terrifying power again. But the image of Malakor's cold smile in her mind, the memory of her parents' sacrifice, pushed her forward. She had to learn.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, forcing the tremor from her hands. She reached out again, listening for the song of the shadow. It was still there, waiting. She focused on another small pool of darkness. This time, she didn't issue a command. She projected a feeling—curiosity, an offering. She didn't say *come here*; she thought, *would you like to join me?*
The effect was completely different. The shadow stirred, then gently detached itself from the forest floor. It flowed toward her, not with a rush, but with a slow, sinuous grace. It stopped a foot in front of her and hovered in the air, a perfect sphere of living darkness about the size of a fist. It felt… calm. Inquisitive. There was no roaring, no pressure, just the gentle hum of its existence, now harmonizing with the pulse of the Aegis.
Aria opened her eyes and stared at the sphere of darkness she had summoned. It was beautiful and terrifying. She reached out a trembling hand and, holding her breath, touched it. It had no substance, yet it was not empty. It was cool and smooth, like polished silk, and it vibrated with a faint, latent power.
A slow smile spread across her face, the first genuine smile she'd had since this nightmare began. She had done it. She had controlled it.
The moment of triumph was shattered by Kael.
"Don't get cocky," he warned, his voice sharp. "That's the equivalent of learning to crawl. Now, make it a cube."
Her smile faded. She looked from Kael's stern face to the floating sphere of darkness. She had just learned to ask the shadow to dance. Now he wanted her to teach it geometry. This was going to be a very, very long war.
Suddenly, the sphere of shadow in front of her trembled violently and then dissolved into mist. The Aegis on her chest flared with an intense, warning cold. Kael was on his feet in an instant, his sword in his hand, his body tensed.
"What is it?" Aria whispered, scrambling to her feet.
Kael's gaze was fixed on the darkness beyond the sanctuary tree's protective canopy. His Umbral Sight was clearly showing him something she couldn't see.
"Company," he growled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "Hunters. They found us."