The silence in the ravine felt almost suffocating, like a heavy shroud pressing down on them. Every shadow seemed alive, every whisper of wind a warning. Amaya’s hands trembled slightly as she knelt beside the unconscious figure. The glowing light around them flickered, pulsing faintly, casting long, jagged shadows on the walls that loomed like silent sentinels.

The figure lay crumpled, their breathing shallow and uneven. Up close, Amaya could see just how fragile they looked—skin pale and almost translucent, smudged with dirt and bruises that ran in purplish trails down their arms. Their hair, tangled and matted, obscured part of their face, and a faint sheen of sweat glistened on their brow.

Amaya swallowed hard, glancing at Kai and Lina. The three of them stood in a tight circle around the figure, their expressions a mix of worry, confusion, and fear. They had been through a lot together already, but this—finding another guardian, one who seemed so lost and broken—felt different. More dangerous.

“Do you think… they’ll be okay?” Kai asked hesitantly, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Lina shot him a sharp look. “We can’t think like that. We just need to help them wake up.” Her tone was firm, but Amaya noticed the way her hands clenched at her sides, knuckles white.

Amaya took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. The fire inside her flared softly in response, warm and reassuring. She reached out, letting a tendril of golden flame dance along her fingertips. The glow around the figure seemed to react, pulsing in time with the flame, as if it were drawn to her power.

“I’ll try again,” she murmured, more to herself than to the others. Carefully, she reached forward, letting the fire spill from her fingers and flow gently over the figure’s form. The light brightened, casting a soft, golden halo around them.

“Please,” she whispered, the word a prayer. “Wake up.”

For a moment, nothing happened. The glow remained steady, but the figure didn’t stir. Amaya’s heart sank, a cold knot of fear tightening in her chest. What if she was doing it wrong? What if—

Then, slowly, the figure’s eyelids fluttered.

Amaya sucked in a breath, her heart leaping. She leaned closer, her eyes wide with hope. “Hey,” she whispered softly, her voice trembling. “Can you hear me?”

The figure let out a low, shuddering breath. Their body shifted slightly, muscles tensing as if fighting to wake up. Slowly, painfully, their eyes blinked open.

Amaya froze, staring down into a pair of deep, dark eyes—blue, almost black, and filled with confusion and pain. The figure blinked again, their gaze unfocused, drifting over Amaya’s face as if trying to place her.

“Wha… where…?” The voice was faint, barely more than a rasping whisper. The figure winced, a flicker of pain crossing their face. “Who… who are you?”

“We’re friends,” Amaya said quickly, her heart racing. She glanced at Kai and Lina, who were watching with tense expressions. “We’re here to help you.”

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“Help…” The figure’s gaze darted between them, panic flaring in their eyes. They tried to sit up, but their body gave a violent shudder, and they collapsed back against the tree root, gasping in pain.

“Hey, take it easy,” Kai murmured, kneeling beside them. His voice was soft, surprisingly gentle. “You’re safe. Just… just breathe, okay?”

But the figure shook their head, their expression twisting with fear. “No… no, you don’t understand,” they whispered, their voice cracking. “It’s not… it’s not safe. You have to go. You have to—”

A low, rumbling growl echoed through the ravine, cutting them off.

Amaya went still, her blood turning to ice. The sound vibrated through the air, deep and menacing, resonating in her bones. She glanced up sharply, her gaze sweeping the shadows that clung to the walls of the ravine. The darkness seemed to ripple, shifting and coiling around them.

“What was that?” Lina breathed, her eyes wide with fear. She took a step back, her gaze darting around frantically. “Amaya, what was that?”

“I don’t know,” Amaya whispered, her heart pounding. The growl came again, louder this time, a deep, guttural sound that seemed to reverberate through the very earth. It sounded… hungry.

“Kai, Lina,” she said urgently, her voice low and tense. “Get back.”

“But—” Kai started, but Amaya cut him off with a sharp look.

“Now!”

They scrambled back, positioning themselves in a defensive formation around the figure. Amaya stepped forward, her hands glowing softly as flames licked along her fingertips. Her pulse roared in her ears, every muscle tensed and coiled, ready to spring.

Then, slowly, something moved in the darkness.

A massive shape slithered out from the shadows, coiling and uncoiling with terrifying grace. It was enormous, its body long and sinuous, covered in dark, glistening scales that shimmered faintly in the dim light. Its head was broad and reptilian, with a maw lined with jagged, gleaming teeth. And its eyes—burning, ember-like eyes—fixed on them with a cold, calculating hunger.

“Oh my God,” Kai whispered, his voice shaking. He took a step back, his face pale. “What the hell is that?”

“A Shadow Serpent,” Lina breathed, her voice tight with fear. “I read about them. They’re… they’re guardians of dark places. Dangerous, vicious…”

The creature hissed, its long, forked tongue flicking out to taste the air. The sound sent a chill racing down Amaya’s spine. She could feel its power, dark and oppressive, pressing in on them like a suffocating weight.

“We need to get out of here,” Kai said desperately, his voice rising in panic. “We can’t fight that thing!”

“We can’t leave them!” Amaya shot back, jerking her head toward the figure lying motionless on the ground. “They’re one of us, Kai!”

“But we—”

“We won’t leave them,” Lina interrupted sharply. She stepped forward, her expression fierce, her gaze locked on the massive creature. “We fight.”

Amaya’s heart swelled with a rush of fierce pride. Despite the fear in Lina’s eyes, she stood tall, unyielding, her stance steady and sure. And Kai, though still trembling, nodded grimly, his jaw clenched.

“Fine,” he muttered. “But how do we—?”

The Shadow Serpent lunged.

“Get back!” Amaya shouted, thrusting her hands forward. Flames roared to life, a brilliant, blinding wall of fire that erupted between them and the creature. The serpent hissed, recoiling from the sudden heat, its eyes narrowing to slits.

But it didn’t retreat.

It circled them slowly, its massive body coiling around the narrow strip of ground, blocking any possible escape. The air was thick with the stench of sulfur and decay, the oppressive weight of its presence pressing down on them.

“Lina, Kai—protect them!” Amaya shouted, nodding toward the unconscious guardian. “I’ll hold it off!”

“What?” Kai’s eyes widened in shock. “You can’t—”

“I have to,” Amaya snarled, her gaze locked on the serpent’s burning eyes. She stepped forward, flames blazing around her, casting her shadow long and fierce against the ravine walls. “Stay behind me. And whatever happens—don’t let it get past you.”

And then, with a roar that echoed through the ravine, Amaya charged.