Days turned into weeks as Clara and Kael followed the map’s cryptic guidance. The journey took them through landscapes warped by the Node’s destruction. Villages lay abandoned, their inhabitants vanished without a trace. Forests twisted into labyrinths, the trees whispering secrets to the wind.
It was in one such forest that they found the first clue. Deep within the heart of the woods, they stumbled upon a monolithic structure, its surface carved with symbols that seemed to shift and writhe. The air around it buzzed with an energy similar to the Node’s, but calmer, more controlled.
Kael stepped forward, brushing his fingers against the carvings. “This is a marker. It’s pointing us somewhere.”
“Where?” Clara asked, her voice hushed.
Kael traced one of the symbols, and a faint glow emanated from the monolith. “I don’t know yet, but it’s ancient. Whatever it’s leading us to, it’s older than the Nodes we know.”
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As they stood before the monolith, Clara felt a strange pull, a sense of being watched. She turned sharply, scanning the dark woods, but saw nothing. Still, the feeling lingered, a cold weight at the back of her mind.
“We should keep moving,” she said, breaking the silence. “Whatever’s out there, I don’t think it wants us here.”
Kael nodded, stepping back from the monolith. “Agreed. Let’s follow its direction and see where it leads.”
As they walked away, the monolith’s glow faded, its symbols returning to stillness. In the shadows of the forest, unseen eyes watched their departure, a low hum rising in the air.
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Far away, in a place untouched by the Node’s collapse, a figure stood before a similar monolith, their hand resting on its surface. The figure’s face was obscured, but their voice echoed with quiet power.
“The balance is broken,” they said, their tone equal parts regret and resolve. “And the pieces are already moving. Let’s see if they can survive the game.”
The monolith pulsed faintly, its light casting long shadows as the figure disappeared into the darkness.
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To be continued…