Kael's boots sank into the damp earth as the mist curled around the gnarled trees. The forest felt alive, whispering secrets he couldn't quite understand. Every snap of a twig made his heart hammer, yet he pressed forward, driven by a purpose he barely admitted to himself. Behind him, the faint outline of Eldoria Castle loomed-silent, foreboding, like a sleeping giant waiting to awaken.
He paused, clutching the leather strap of his satchel, his mind a storm of past regrets and uncertain hope. The wind carried a scent-iron, smoke, something almost... unnatural. Kael's stomach churned. This forest, so close to the castle he had dreamed of exploring since youth, was more than it seemed. It breathed, watched, waited.
A sudden rustle made him spin. Shadows flickered between the trees. His hand instinctively went to the dagger at his belt. "Who's there?" His voice was steadier than he felt. The answer came in a hiss, low and sinister. And then, a pair of glowing eyes blinked at him from the underbrush...
Clutching the dagger tighter, Kael realized he wasn't alone. Something was moving in the fog-fast, deliberate, intelligent. A growl reverberated through the trees. He swallowed hard, knowing retreat wasn't an option. Whatever this was, it was only the beginning.
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