The next morning, the guild hall buzzed with its usual chaotic energy. Members milled about, crowding the job board, haggling over rewards at the quest desk, and loudly debating tactics over breakfast. The smell of roasted meat and fresh bread mingled with the faint tang of sweat and leather. I was halfway through a plate of eggs and sausages, letting the warmth of a hot meal settle into my bones, when Garvin plopped down across from me, holding a quest sheet in his hand.
He looked unusually serious. No swagger, no dramatic gestures—just that intense, focused expression I’d seen on him only a handful of times.
"Sigvard," he said, sliding the paper across the table to me. "Take a look at this."
I picked up the sheet and scanned it. The heading at the top immediately caught my attention:
Quest: Investigate the Sunken City of Eldruhn
Location: Swamp town of New Fenrir
Details: Reports of strange occurrences around the ruins of Eldruhn. Disappearances, sinking ground, and increasing hostility from local wildlife. Investigate the cause and ensure the safety of the surrounding region. Reward includes gold, bonus for additional findings.
Recommended Level: 20+
Party Recommended: Yes
I put the paper down and raised an eyebrow at him. "Level 20? You know none of us are even close to that, right?"
"We’re close enough," Garvin said, leaning forward, his tone steady. "And we’ve taken jobs above our level before. Besides, it’s not like we’ll be fighting a dragon or something."
"Yeah, just an entire ruined city full of god knows what," I said dryly.
He grinned, his confidence returning for a moment. "Come on, Sigvard. You handled that Troll, didn’t you? We’ve got this. All of us."
At that moment, Drea and Malric walked over, their gear already packed and ready. Drea glanced at the quest sheet on the table, her eyes narrowing as she read it.
"This is ambitious," she said, her voice flat. "Even for you, Garvin."
"It’s a chance to prove ourselves," Garvin said, standing up. "We’ve got the training, we’ve got the skills, and we’ve got Sigvard."
Drea’s gaze flicked to me, and I caught the faintest hint of a smirk. "Well, he did save our asses last time."
Malric didn’t say anything, but his slight nod was enough to tell me he was in.
I leaned back in my chair, looking at the group. They were confident—or at least, Garvin and Drea were. Malric, as usual, kept his thoughts to himself, but the fact that he was here, ready to gear up, spoke volumes.
And me? Part of me wanted to refuse, to tell them this was a bad idea, that we weren’t ready. But another part of me—the part that had fought tooth and nail to survive since waking up in this world—knew I couldn’t just walk away from this. Not if I wanted to grow stronger.
I set my plate aside and stood up. "Alright. Let’s do it."
Garvin’s grin widened, and Drea clapped me on the shoulder hard enough to rattle my teeth.
"Good," she said. "I was hoping you’d say that. Let’s get moving. The sooner we leave, the better."
We spent the next hour preparing for the journey. Supplies were gathered—food, water, healing salves, and camping gear—and the group double-checked their weapons and armor.
Garvin, of course, had his polished steel plate, dented but still serviceable. He insisted on keeping it, even though I pointed out it made him slower and a much bigger target. Drea was in her usual chainmail and plate combo, her massive axe gleaming after a fresh sharpening. Malric wore his leather tunic reinforced with light plates, his bow strung and a quiver full of arrows slung over his shoulder.
And me? I stuck to my leather tunic and steel sword, keeping my corruption locked away for now. The Darkness had no place in a group like this—at least, not if I wanted to keep my secret safe.
By midmorning, we were on the road, heading east toward the swamp town of New Fenrir.
The journey wasn’t as pleasant as the last one. The skies were overcast, and the air grew cooler as we traveled, the warmth of the sun blocked by thick gray clouds. The further east we went, the more the forest changed. The trees became gnarled and twisted, their branches hanging low and clawing at the road like skeletal fingers. The ground grew softer, patches of mud and standing water appearing alongside the trail.
Garvin, as usual, filled the silence with stories—though this time, they were more subdued. He talked about the history of Eldruhn, what little he knew of it:
"Before the Empire, Eldruhn was one of the largest cities in the region," he said, gesturing animatedly. "They say it was a hub for magic and invention—people came from all over the world to study there. But then... well, no one knows exactly what happened. Some say a magical experiment went wrong. Others think it was a natural disaster. Either way, the city was destroyed. It sank into the swamp, and whatever survived was lost."
"And now people are disappearing," Drea muttered, scanning the woods as we walked. "Sounds cursed to me."
"Cursed or not, we’ll find out what’s going on," Garvin said confidently.
I didn’t say anything, but the unease in my chest grew with every step. I’d been through enough already to know that things like this—old ruins, strange disappearances, magical disturbances—were never as simple as they seemed.
And if Eldruhn really was tied to magic, there was a chance the Darkness might stir again.
By the time we reached New Fenrir, the sun was low in the sky, casting a faint orange glow over the swampy town. The buildings were simple and weathered, their wooden walls warped by moisture. A faint mist clung to the ground, swirling around our feet as we walked through the muddy streets.
The townsfolk gave us wary looks as we passed, their faces gaunt and tired. It was clear they were on edge, and I couldn’t blame them.
As we approached the inn where we planned to stay the night, Garvin turned to us, his grin replaced by a determined look.
"This is it," he said. "We’re going to figure out what’s going on here. Let’s get some rest and start fresh in the morning."
Drea nodded; her usual smirk replaced by a more serious expression. Malric, as always, said nothing, but his eyes scanned the misty streets like he expected something to jump out at any moment.
I followed them into the inn, my hand brushing the hilt of my sword. Something was waiting for us in Eldruhn. And I wasn’t sure we were ready for it.
The inn was small and cramped, like most of the buildings in New Fenrir. Its wooden walls were warped and damp from the swamp air, and the faint smell of mildew lingered despite the best efforts of the owner, a stout man with a weary face and a voice like gravel. He didn’t ask many questions, which I appreciated, and showed us to our rooms with little more than a grunt and a nod.
The rooms were simple—bare wood floors, a straw mattress, and a single window that barely kept the mist out. The swamp seemed to press against the walls, seeping into every crack and corner. The faint hum of insects buzzed in the distance, a constant reminder of where we were.
After settling in, the group gathered in the small common room downstairs, where a meager fire crackled in the hearth. The owner had put together a basic meal for us—stew and stale bread—but it was warm and filling, and no one complained.
The tension in the room was palpable. Garvin, who normally would have been regaling us with another one of his grandiose stories, was uncharacteristically quiet, staring into his bowl as he absently stirred the stew with a spoon. Drea leaned back in her chair, her axe resting against her leg, while Malric sat with his back to the wall, his sharp eyes flicking between the door and the windows as he ate.
“So,” Drea said finally, breaking the silence. She looked at Garvin, then at me. “What’s the plan? We going straight into Eldruhn tomorrow, or are we poking around here first?”
Garvin set his spoon down and leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. “We’ll start by talking to the locals,” he said. “See if we can get more information about what’s been happening. The quest details were pretty vague, and if we’re walking into a cursed city, I’d like to know what we’re up against.”
“Smart,” Drea said, nodding. “But don’t expect them to be too forthcoming. People around here look like they’ve seen some shit.”
“They have,” I said, glancing around the room. “You can see it in their faces. Whatever’s happening here, it’s been going on for a while.”
Garvin gave me a curious look. “What do you mean?”
“People don’t look this way overnight,” I said, gesturing toward the innkeeper, who was cleaning mugs behind the counter with a vacant expression. “Sunken eyes, hollow cheeks, like they’ve been losing sleep for weeks, maybe months. Whatever’s going on in Eldruhn has been spilling out into the town for a while. We just don’t know how bad it’s gotten.”
Malric nodded faintly, his silence giving way to a single, soft word. “Observed.”
Drea raised an eyebrow at him, but Garvin seemed to take it in stride. “Right,” he said. “We talk to the townsfolk in the morning. Get a lay of the land. Then we head for Eldruhn.”
“And if the townsfolk don’t talk?” Drea asked.
Garvin smirked, his confidence flaring for just a moment. “Then we’ll figure it out ourselves. That’s what we do, right?”
The night passed uneventfully, but I didn’t sleep well. The mattress was lumpy, and the swamp air seemed to cling to me no matter how many times I shifted the blanket. Worse than that, though, was the sense of unease that hung over the town.
It was the kind of feeling you couldn’t quite explain—like being watched, even when you were alone. Every creak of the wood, every gust of wind rattling the window made my heart jump just a little. And beneath it all, faintly, I thought I could feel the Darkness stirring in the back of my mind, like it was aware of something I wasn’t.
The next morning, we regrouped in the common room, where the innkeeper handed us a simple breakfast of porridge and tea. He barely spoke as we ate, his eyes darting nervously to the window every so often.
Garvin, ever the people person, took the opportunity to try and coax some information out of him. “So, what’s the deal with Eldruhn?” he asked casually, leaning on the counter. “I hear the city used to be a big deal back in the day.”
The innkeeper hesitated, his hands stilling as he dried a mug. “Used to be,” he said slowly. “Not anymore. Ain’t nothing there now but mud, ruins, and trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?” Garvin pressed.
The man glanced toward the window again, then leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. “Strange things. People going missing. Livestock turning up dead, half-sunk into the swamp. Lights in the fog at night, like something’s moving out there.”
“Have you lost anyone?” Garvin asked.
The innkeeper frowned, his grip tightening on the mug. “My nephew. He went out there with some friends a few weeks ago. Said they wanted to see if the rumors were true. They never came back.”
Drea, who had been leaning against the counter with her arms crossed, straightened. “What rumors?”
The man hesitated again, his eyes flicking between us. “They say there’s treasure out there,” he said finally. “Left behind when the city sank. Gold, jewels, magic. Enough to make a man rich for the rest of his life. That’s why people keep going. That’s why they don’t come back.”
The words hung heavy in the air.
“Thank you,” Garvin said, his voice softer now. “We’ll be careful.”
The innkeeper nodded but didn’t say anything else. He just went back to his work, his shoulders hunched as though he wanted to shrink into himself.
We spent the rest of the morning gathering supplies and speaking with a few other townsfolk. The stories were all the same—disappearances, strange lights, unnatural sounds in the night. No one knew exactly what was happening, but everyone agreed on one thing: the swamp wasn’t safe anymore.
By the time we set out, the sun was high, though the light barely pierced the thick mist that clung to the ground. The air was heavy, humid, and smelled faintly of rot. The path to Eldruhn was barely a path at all, just a series of muddy tracks that wound deeper into the swamp.
The deeper we went, the quieter it got. The birds stopped chirping. The insects fell silent. Even the wind seemed to die, leaving nothing but the sound of our boots squelching in the mud and the occasional creak of a tree swaying under its own weight.
“This place feels wrong,” Drea muttered, her voice low.
“It is wrong,” Garvin replied, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
I stayed quiet, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was right. The swamp wasn’t just dangerous—it felt alive, like it was watching us. Waiting.
And deep down, in the pit of my stomach, I knew this was only the beginning.
The swamp felt heavier the further we ventured from New Fenrir. The air hung thick with humidity, clinging to our skin and weighing down every breath. The faint mist from the town had thickened into a dense fog, wrapping around the gnarled trees and obscuring the path ahead. The smell of rot and stagnant water grew stronger, and the ground squelched underfoot, threatening to pull at our boots with every step.
Garvin was unusually quiet. He led the way with his sword drawn, his shiny armor dulled slightly from the grime of the swamp. Drea followed close behind, her axe resting against her shoulder, her eyes scanning the trees for movement. Malric took up the rear, his bow in hand, an arrow already nocked and ready. I stayed somewhere in the middle, my steel sword at my side and my thoughts swirling as we walked.
The swamp was eerily silent. No birds, no insects—just the occasional creak of a tree bending in the wind and the faint sound of water dripping somewhere in the distance. The further we went, the more oppressive the atmosphere became, like the swamp itself was watching us, waiting for us to make a mistake.
"This place sucks," Drea muttered, breaking the silence. "I can’t believe people used to live out here."
"People didn’t live in the swamp," Garvin said without looking back. "Eldruhn was a city—aboveground, thriving. The swamp came later, after... whatever happened to it."
"Yeah, well, I’m starting to see why they didn’t rebuild," Drea shot back, stepping over a root that jutted out of the muddy path. "Who’d want to live in this mess?"
Garvin chuckled softly but didn’t respond. His grip on his sword tightened, and I could tell he was just as uneasy as the rest of us.
We’d been walking for hours when we finally came across something that broke the monotony of the swamp: a bridge.
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It wasn’t much—a simple wooden structure spanning a wide stretch of water, the boards warped and half-rotted from years of neglect. The handrails were gone, leaving nothing to stop someone from slipping into the murky depths below.
"Think it’ll hold?" Drea asked, eyeing the bridge warily.
"Only one way to find out," Garvin said, stepping forward. He tested the first few boards with his foot, and when they didn’t immediately collapse, he started across.
The rest of us followed one by one, keeping some distance between us in case the bridge decided to give out. The water below was dark and still, reflecting the foggy sky like a sheet of black glass.
Halfway across, a faint ripple broke the surface.
"Did anyone else see that?" I asked, stopping in my tracks.
"See what?" Drea said, glancing over her shoulder.
Before I could respond, the ripple came again, larger this time, followed by a faint bubbling sound.
"Move," Malric said sharply, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife.
We didn’t need to be told twice. Garvin picked up the pace, his armor clanking loudly as he reached the other side. Drea and I followed close behind, and Malric, ever the calm one, kept his bow ready as he brought up the rear.
Just as I stepped off the bridge, the water beneath it erupted.
A massive shape shot up from the depths, water cascading off its slimy, black-green skin. It was like a massive toad, but grotesquely twisted—its eyes glowed faintly in the mist, and its mouth was filled with rows of jagged teeth. Long, spindly limbs ended in webbed claws, and its bloated body heaved with every breath.
"What in the gods’ names is that?" Garvin shouted, drawing his sword.
"Monster," Malric said simply, raising his bow.
The creature let out a guttural croak that rattled my bones, then lunged toward the bridge with shocking speed. Its claws tore through the rotted wood like paper, and the entire structure collapsed into the water with a loud splash.
"Guess we’re not going back that way," Drea muttered, stepping forward with her axe at the ready.
The fight was chaotic.
Malric’s arrows struck true, embedding themselves in the creature’s soft underbelly, but they didn’t seem to do much more than piss it off. It swiped at him with one of its long limbs, but he rolled out of the way with practiced ease, firing another shot as he moved.
Garvin charged in next, his armor clanking as he swung his sword at one of the creature’s legs. The blade bit into its slimy flesh, but the cut was shallow, and the creature retaliated with a swipe that sent him stumbling backward.
Drea roared as she swung her axe, aiming for the creature’s head. The blow connected, leaving a deep gash across its face, but the monster barely flinched. It lunged at her, its massive mouth snapping shut just inches from her shoulder.
And me? I hung back at first, unsure of how to help. My steel sword felt useless against something this big, and I couldn’t risk using the Darkness with the others watching.
But as the fight dragged on, it became clear we couldn’t keep this up forever. The monster was too strong, too fast, and it wasn’t going down without a fight.
I gritted my teeth, gripping my sword tightly. If I didn’t do something, someone was going to get hurt—or worse.
"Distract it!" I shouted, stepping forward.
Garvin, Drea, and Malric all glanced at me, but to their credit, they didn’t question it. Garvin swung his sword again, drawing the creature’s attention, while Drea darted to the side, her axe gleaming as she prepared for another strike.
Taking advantage of the distraction, I sprinted toward the monster’s side. I leapt onto one of its limbs, using the slimy surface for leverage as I climbed up its bloated body. It roared and thrashed, trying to shake me off, but I held on, using my sword to anchor myself.
When I reached its head, I drove the blade down with all my strength, aiming for one of its glowing eyes. The creature let out an ear-splitting screech, thrashing even harder, but I held firm, twisting the blade as black ichor sprayed across my face.
With one final, shuddering croak, the monster collapsed, its massive body slumping into the mud.
I rolled off it, landing hard on the ground as the others rushed over.
"You alright?" Garvin asked, offering me a hand.
I nodded, breathing heavily. "Yeah. Just... slimy."
Drea smirked, wiping her axe on the grass. "Not bad, Sigvard. Not bad at all."
Malric didn’t say anything, but he gave me a small nod, which, coming from him, might as well have been a standing ovation.
Garvin clapped me on the back, his grin returning. "See? Told you we’ve got this."
I forced a smile, wiping the black ichor from my face. But as I looked at the creature’s lifeless body, a nagging thought crept into my mind.
If this was just the swamp’s outskirts, what were we going to find when we reached Eldruhn?
We trudged deeper into the swamp, the air growing heavier with every step. The mist thickened, curling around the trees like something alive, and the light from the overcast sky grew dim, leaving the world in a gray haze. The dead toad-like creature lay behind us, its massive bulk half-submerged in the mud, but none of us spoke about it. We were too focused on the journey ahead—and on what might be waiting for us.
The swamp wasn’t just eerie now; it was oppressive. Each step felt like it carried more weight, the mud sucking at our boots and slowing us down. The silence was the worst part. After the fight, even the faint background sounds of water dripping and wind rustling the trees seemed to have vanished, leaving only the sound of our breathing and the squelch of mud beneath our feet.
Garvin broke the silence first, his voice cutting through the gloom. "That thing back there... what the hell was it? I’ve seen some big creatures before, but nothing like that."
"Corrupted," Drea said simply, her axe resting on her shoulder. "It didn’t look natural, and it sure as hell didn’t act natural. Could’ve been magic, maybe something leaking out of Eldruhn. You saw the glowing eyes—nothing about that was right."
Garvin frowned, his gaze flicking back the way we’d come. "If the corruption’s spreading this far out, then the city’s worse off than we thought."
"Assuming that’s what it is," I said, my voice low. I kept my eyes forward, scanning the path ahead. "Could be something else entirely. We won’t know until we get there."
Drea glanced at me, her brow furrowing, but she didn’t say anything. Malric, as always, remained silent, though his eyes were sharper than ever, darting toward every shadow and movement in the trees.
The mist grew thicker as we pressed on, to the point where I could barely see a few feet in front of me. The trees became even more gnarled and twisted, their roots rising out of the mud like skeletal hands reaching for the surface. In some places, the ground wasn’t even ground anymore—just patches of soggy earth surrounded by shallow pools of water.
We came to a halt when we reached a wide, murky expanse. The trail disappeared into the water, the edges of the swamp spreading out in all directions like a massive, stagnant lake. Broken trees jutted out of the water, their roots snaking across the surface like veins. In the distance, barely visible through the fog, I could make out the faint outline of crumbling stone structures. Eldruhn.
"Looks like we’re here," Garvin said, his voice quieter now.
"Not yet," Drea corrected. She pointed to the water. "We still have to get across that."
Garvin groaned, shaking his head. "Of course. Nothing’s ever easy, is it?"
I stepped closer to the water’s edge, crouching down to inspect it. The surface was dark and murky, reflecting the pale gray of the sky above. Ripples moved across it occasionally, though I couldn’t tell if they were from the wind or something beneath. The smell of rot was stronger here, thick and cloying, and the air itself felt colder.
"We’re not wading through that," I said, standing up. "It’s too deep, and who knows what’s in there."
"Then what’s your plan?" Drea asked, crossing her arms.
I scanned the area, looking for anything that might help. After a moment, I spotted something—half a dozen fallen trees stretching across the water like natural bridges. They were uneven and slick with moss, but they might hold our weight if we were careful.
"Over there," I said, pointing. "We use those."
Drea sighed. "Of course. More slippery death traps."
"Got a better idea?" I shot back.
She smirked faintly, shaking her head. "Alright, Ranger. Lead the way."
I didn’t bother correcting her, though the word "Ranger" still made my stomach twist. I drew my sword, just in case, and stepped onto the first fallen tree. It wobbled slightly under my weight, but it held. I gestured for the others to follow, and one by one, we made our way across.
The crossing was slow, each step requiring careful balance to avoid slipping into the water below. Drea grumbled under her breath the whole way, and Garvin cursed more than once as his armor made him wobble precariously on the slick surface. Malric, of course, moved like a shadow, his footsteps barely making a sound.
About halfway across, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I froze, gripping the tree beneath me tightly as I scanned the water. There it was again—a ripple, larger this time, moving steadily toward us.
"Something’s in the water," I said, my voice low but urgent.
Malric stopped behind me, his bow already in hand. Drea and Garvin both tensed, their eyes darting to the rippling surface.
The first attack came fast. A long, serpentine creature burst from the water, its scales glistening with slime. Its mouth was filled with rows of needle-sharp teeth, and its body coiled around one of the fallen trees, shaking it violently.
Garvin was the first to react, lunging forward with his sword. His blade struck the creature’s side, but the attack only seemed to enrage it. The serpent let out a piercing screech, lashing out with its tail and nearly knocking him into the water.
"Drea, Malric, back him up!" I shouted, gripping my own sword tightly.
The fight was chaos. Drea swung her axe with practiced precision, her strikes powerful enough to crack the serpent’s scales. Malric’s arrows found their mark, embedding themselves in the creature’s head and neck. Garvin, to his credit, held his ground, his sword flashing as he blocked and countered the serpent’s attacks.
But there were more ripples now—more creatures stirring beneath the surface. Another serpent burst from the water, then a third, their sleek bodies circling us like predators stalking prey.
My mind raced. We couldn’t keep this up. The trees weren’t stable, and if one of us went into the water, we’d be finished. The serpents were faster, stronger, and there were too many of them.
"Stay on the trees!" I yelled, moving toward the nearest serpent. I ducked under its snapping jaws and drove my sword into its side, feeling the blade sink deep into its flesh. It let out a shriek, thrashing violently before slumping forward, dead.
The others were holding their own, but the serpents weren’t letting up. Drea managed to cleave one in half with a powerful swing of her axe, but her balance faltered as the tree beneath her wobbled. Malric fired arrow after arrow, keeping one serpent at bay, but he was running low on ammunition.
And then there was Garvin. He fought with determination, but his armor weighed him down, slowing his movements. One of the serpents lunged at him, its jaws snapping shut around his arm. He screamed, dropping his sword as the creature tried to drag him into the water.
I didn’t think. I just moved.
In one fluid motion, I leapt across the gap between the trees, landing behind the serpent that had Garvin in its jaws. My hand shot out instinctively, and before I even realized what I was doing, the black ooze of the Darkness erupted from my palm, forming a shadowy dagger.
I drove the blade into the serpent’s neck, the inky weapon sinking deep and dissolving into mist as the creature collapsed.
Garvin stared at me, wide-eyed and breathing heavily, but before he could say anything, I stepped back, dismissing the shadow entirely.
"Move," I said, grabbing his arm and pulling him upright. "We’re not dying here." The fight wasn’t over yet.
The fight raged on, and the serpents kept coming. Each one moved with terrifying speed, their slick, glistening bodies coiling around the fallen trees and lunging with jaws wide enough to snap bone. For every one we killed, it felt like two more replaced it, their bodies slithering through the water with almost no sound except the occasional splash.
“Malric!” I shouted, pointing to one of the serpents circling around toward his flank. He turned just in time to loose an arrow, his movements precise and calm despite the chaos. The arrow struck the serpent’s open mouth, sinking deep into the soft tissue inside. It screeched and thrashed violently, its coils snapping one of the smaller trees in half before sinking back into the water.
Drea was holding her ground on one of the wider trees, her massive axe swinging in deadly arcs. Another serpent lunged at her, and she ducked low, using the momentum of its attack to bury her axe into the base of its neck. With a roar of effort, she wrenched the blade free, black blood spraying as the creature collapsed into the water with a sickening splash.
“Any ideas, genius?” she shouted, glancing over at me as she adjusted her stance. “We can’t keep this up all day!”
I gritted my teeth, scanning the scene. Garvin was barely holding it together, his armor dragging him down as he blocked strike after strike from one of the serpents. Malric was running low on arrows, and while Drea was faring better, even she couldn’t keep fighting like this indefinitely. The fallen trees we were using as bridges were starting to crack and sag under the strain of our weight and the serpents’ relentless attacks.
We had to do something. We needed a way to end this, and fast.
“Get to the other side!” I yelled. “We have to make a break for it before these trees collapse!”
“How exactly are we supposed to do that?” Garvin shouted back, narrowly dodging another snapping jaw.
“Keep them distracted! I’ll clear the way!” I didn’t wait for a response.
Pushing everything else out of my mind, I leapt from my tree to the next one, the muscles in my legs burning with effort as I landed hard and rolled to keep my balance. I could feel the Darkness stirring beneath my skin, eager and hungry, but I forced myself to hold back. Not yet. I couldn’t risk them seeing—not unless I had no other choice.
Another serpent lunged at me, its massive body surging out of the water with terrifying speed. I ducked low, my sword flashing as I slashed upward, slicing deep into its side. The creature screeched, black ichor spilling from the wound as it twisted away, but I didn’t stop. I kept moving, cutting a path through the serpents as I leapt from tree to tree, my mind focused entirely on clearing the way forward.
Behind me, Drea and Malric moved into position, covering Garvin as he stumbled toward the rear of the group, clutching his injured arm. I could hear Drea’s axe cleaving through another serpent, the wet sound of flesh tearing mingling with her furious battle cries. Malric’s arrows continued to fly, each one finding its mark with deadly precision, though his quiver was nearly empty now.
I reached the final tree and turned back, my chest heaving as I shouted to the others. “Go! Now!”
Drea didn’t hesitate. She surged forward, her boots slamming into the wood with enough force to make the tree wobble dangerously. Behind her, Malric moved like a shadow, his steps light and precise as he followed her. Garvin, slower and weighed down by his dented armor, brought up the rear, his face twisted in pain as he clutched his side.
But the serpents weren’t done with us yet.
As Drea and Malric reached the final tree, one of the largest serpents we’d seen yet burst from the water, its massive body coiling around the base of the tree like a living noose. Its glowing yellow eyes locked onto me, and I could see the intelligence behind them—this thing wasn’t just a mindless beast. It knew what it was doing.
The serpent lunged, its jaws snapping shut inches from my face as I ducked and rolled to the side. I came up swinging, my sword biting into its side, but the creature barely flinched. It reared back for another strike, and I could feel the cold weight of the Darkness pressing against me, whispering in the back of my mind.
Use it.
I clenched my teeth, gripping my sword tightly as I dodged another attack. I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to give in. But the others were counting on me, and if I didn’t stop this thing now, it would take us all down.
“Fine,” I muttered under my breath, the words barely audible even to myself.
I let the Darkness in.
The familiar black flames erupted from my body, wrapping around me like a cloak as I activated Shadowform. The world seemed to slow as my senses sharpened, every detail coming into focus with crystal clarity. My muscles felt like coiled springs, ready to launch me forward with impossible speed.
The serpent lunged again, but this time I was faster. I sidestepped the attack with ease, the black ooze of the Darkness pooling in my hands as I summoned twin shadowy blades. The weapons felt weightless, like extensions of my own body, and I didn’t hesitate as I leapt onto the serpent’s back.
It thrashed violently, its massive coils shaking the tree beneath me as it tried to throw me off, but I held firm. With a roar of effort, I drove both blades into the base of its skull, twisting them as the creature let out a final, shuddering screech. Its body went limp, collapsing into the water with a massive splash.
The other serpents, as if sensing the loss of their leader, hesitated for a moment before retreating, their sleek forms disappearing beneath the murky surface. The swamp fell silent once more.
I dismissed the Shadowform quickly, the black flames flickering out as I stumbled back onto the tree. My legs felt like jelly, my breathing ragged, but it was over. We’d made it. The serpent’s lifeless body was slumped halfway into the water, black ichor oozing into the swamp as the other creatures retreated into the depths.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence, broken only by the faint sounds of my own labored breathing. Then I heard them—the soft creak of boots on wood, the sharp clang of Garvin’s armor as he carefully stepped toward me.
“What the hell was that?” he said, his voice low, a mix of awe and something else—something closer to fear.
I turned, meeting his wide eyes. Drea and Malric stood behind him, their expressions harder to read. Malric’s bow was lowered, but his hand hovered close to his quiver, his sharp eyes watching me with quiet intensity. Drea’s grip on her axe was firm, and though her face was calm, I could see the tension in her stance.
“It’s…” I paused, swallowing hard. My throat was dry, and my mind raced for an explanation. “It’s something I’ve had for a while. I didn’t think I’d ever have to use it. But I couldn’t let those things kill us.”
Garvin stared at me, his gaze flicking to the spot where the black flames had been just moments ago. “That wasn’t just something, Sigvard. That was… that was like the corruption we’ve seen in those monsters.”
“I’m not a monster,” I said quickly, my voice firm but not defensive. “I’m still me. Whatever this is, I can control it.”
“Can you?” Drea asked, stepping forward. Her tone wasn’t accusing, but it wasn’t exactly comforting either. “Because I’ve seen what corruption does to people. It doesn’t end well. You saved our lives back there, and I’m grateful for that—but we need to know if you’re a danger to us.”
Her words hit like a punch to the gut, but I couldn’t blame her for asking. Hell, I’d been asking myself the same thing since the portal incident.
“I don’t know everything about it,” I admitted, forcing myself to meet her gaze. “But I know it’s not like the corruption we’ve seen. The monsters? They lose control. They go feral. I’m still me. I’m still in control.”
Malric finally spoke, his voice quiet but cutting through the tension like a blade. “For how long?”
The question hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. I didn’t have an answer.
“I don’t know,” I said after a long pause. “But I’m not going to let it take over. And I’ll never use it against you. You have my word.”
Garvin let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. He looked like he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. Drea glanced at him, then at Malric, then finally back at me.
“You’re lucky,” she said after a moment. “Lucky that you used it to save us. Lucky that it didn’t turn you into one of those things. But we’ve got to be clear, Sigvard. If that ever changes—if you lose control—we’ll put you down. No hesitation.”
The weight of her words settled over me like a lead blanket, but I nodded. “I understand.”
Garvin stepped forward, his usual grin replaced by a cautious, uneasy expression. “Look,” he said, his tone softer now, “I don’t know what’s going on with you, and yeah, this… thing you’ve got is scary. But you saved us. If you hadn’t used it, we’d be dead. So, for now, I’m with you. Just don’t make me regret it, alright?”
I forced a small smile, though it felt hollow. “I’ll do my best.”
Malric gave me one last look, his sharp eyes lingering on mine for just a moment before he turned away, his bow slung over his shoulder as he started walking toward the other side of the swamp.
Drea sighed, shaking her head as she followed him. “We’ll figure this out later. Let’s just get to those ruins before something else decides to attack us.”
Garvin clapped me on the shoulder—not as hard as usual, but enough to show he wasn’t ready to write me off just yet. “Come on, Shadow Man,” he said with a faint smirk. “We’ve got a city to investigate.”
We moved in tense silence after that, the atmosphere heavier than it had been before. I could feel their eyes on me every now and then, like they were waiting for me to slip up, to show some sign that I wasn’t as in control as I claimed to be.
And maybe they were right to be cautious. I didn’t fully understand the Darkness myself, and every time I used it, I felt it dig just a little deeper into me, like roots spreading through soil.
But I wasn’t going to let it define me. Not yet.
The ruins of Eldruhn loomed closer with every step, their crumbling stone walls and broken towers rising out of the swamp like the bones of some long-dead giant. The air grew colder, and the mist thickened, swirling around the ruins like a shroud.
Whatever waited for us in Eldruhn, I had a feeling it was going to be worse than anything we’d faced so far.
But for now, at least, we were still a group. Fractured, cautious, and a little shaken—but together. And I was going to do everything I could to keep it that way.