Dawn broke over the Raven School, casting a pale light through the cold, stone corridors. The air was thick with the weight of impending action, and the sounds of the school’s daily routine seemed muted, almost as if the very walls understood that something monumental was about to unfold.

Kaelen stood by the gates, his pack secured tightly, his sword at his side, and his gaze fixed on the horizon. He wasn’t sure what to expect from this journey anymore. The Master’s presence added an unspoken gravity to everything. His age, his knowledge, his power—it was clear the man had seen and survived horrors beyond what Kaelen could imagine. But even with that knowledge, there was a sense of unease gnawing at him.

Sigrid approached from behind, her silver hair tied back, daggers at her hips, and a focused expression etched onto her face. Her magic, usually an extension of herself, felt like a quiet storm waiting to unleash. Even in the calm morning light, there was a crackling intensity about her.

“You ready?” she asked, her voice steady but tinged with the same uncertainty Kaelen felt.

“Always,” he replied, the familiar thrill of the hunt surging through him despite the unease. “But this isn’t just another hunt, is it?”

Sigrid’s eyes narrowed, and she shook her head slightly. “No. It’s not. This... Avaras... we don’t even know what we’re truly walking into.”

Before Kaelen could respond, the Master emerged from the shadows of the school, his presence almost blending with the stone itself. He was ready—black cloak, his eyes carrying a burden of secrets too vast to be understood. He looked every bit the part of someone who had lived through countless lifetimes of hunting, but there was something in his eyes that suggested the coming journey would challenge even him.

“We leave now,” the Master commanded, his voice cutting through the air with an authority that left no room for debate.

Without another word, the three of them set off. They traveled in silence at first, the path winding through dense forests and rocky hills, the morning mist clinging to their clothes. Kaelen could sense that the Master was no longer just guiding them—he was measuring them, observing their every move, as though he was trying to decide if they were truly prepared for what lay ahead.

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Sigrid kept her eyes on the road ahead, but Kaelen could see the tension in her movements. She was preparing herself, not just physically but mentally. Whatever lay ahead would test every part of them. They weren’t just facing beasts this time. They were heading into a place corrupted by something far darker, something that might make even the most hardened hunter question their resolve.

By midday, they had reached the edge of the forest, the land becoming increasingly desolate. The trees thinned out, replaced by jagged rocks and windswept plains. In the distance, the ruins of Avaras began to appear—a series of crumbling stone structures, their once-proud walls now mere shadows of what they had been.

Kaelen could feel the temperature drop as they approached, the air growing thick with an unnatural stillness. There were no sounds of wildlife, no rustling of leaves. Just an eerie silence that seemed to hum with a life of its own.

The Master halted, his gaze fixed on the ruins. “This is where your path leads,” he said, his voice softer now, almost reverential. “Avaras.”

Sigrid and Kaelen exchanged a look, their expressions hardening in unison.

“Whatever happens in there,” Kaelen muttered, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword, “we’re in this together.”

The Master gave a single, almost imperceptible nod. “Avaras does not care about togetherness. But you will need each other nonetheless.”

They began to walk toward the heart of the ruin, the oppressive silence pressing down on them like a physical weight. The closer they got, the more Kaelen could feel it—the presence of something ancient, something that had been waiting for them.

The Master led the way, his steps deliberate and measured. “Whatever you think you know about hunting,” he said, without turning back, “forget it. This place is not a hunt. It is a trial. And you will face things that are beyond any beast you’ve ever encountered.”

Sigrid remained quiet, her expression stoic, but her hand was now resting on the stone focus she had found earlier. Kaelen could see the faintest glow around it, a signal that her magic was already attuned to the dark energy surrounding them.

As they reached the center of the ruins, they stopped in front of a massive stone doorway, ancient runes carved deep into the surface. The air around it pulsed with a strange energy, thick and heavy. Kaelen felt a chill run down his spine, his instincts screaming that they were about to step into something far worse than they could imagine.

The Master raised a hand, his fingers tracing the air in front of him as if weaving an invisible thread. “This doorway,” he began, his voice low, “was once a gateway to knowledge. A sanctuary, a place where hunters and scholars studied the beasts we now face. But what you’re about to see... it is not a place of sanctuary anymore. The Veil has corrupted everything. And what lies beyond is no longer human, no longer beast. It is something else entirely.”

Kaelen’s gaze never left the door. He could feel it—an unnatural pull, a magnetic force that seemed to invite them in, but warned them all the same. He clenched his fists. They had no choice. This was their only option.

“Are you sure we can handle this?” Sigrid asked, her voice barely a whisper.

The Master’s voice was resolute. “You have no choice but to handle it.”

And with that, he pushed the door open.

The moment it moved, a wave of energy crashed over them, as if the very air had turned to liquid. Kaelen’s breath caught in his throat as the world around them began to twist and warp. Shadows seemed to stretch and writhe, pulling at the edges of their vision.

Kaelen didn’t know if they were ready, but he knew one thing for certain—they had no choice but to face it now.