The next morning, Eryx stood at the edge of Verath, the village he’d known his entire life, with a backpack slung over one shoulder and the crimson relic tucked carefully into a pouch. Finn stood beside him, looking far too excited for someone about to embark on a dangerous quest.

“So, this is it, huh?” Finn said, nudging Eryx with his elbow. “First step of our grand adventure.”

Eryx shot him a look. “I still don’t understand why you’re coming.”

Finn grinned. “What, you think I’m going to let you face ancient monsters and mystical caverns all by yourself? Besides, you’ll need someone to carry all the snacks.”

“Snacks. Right. That’s why you’re coming.”

Finn shrugged. “Plus, it’s not like you know how to navigate the mountains. You’d get lost by the second hill.”

Eryx sighed, trying to shake off the unease in his gut. The truth was, he was glad Finn was coming. He wasn’t sure he could face all of this alone.

As they started down the dirt path that led out of Verath, Finn continued his cheerful chatter. “So, what do you think these Ember Caverns are like? Hot, probably. I mean, ‘ember’ is in the name. Maybe we’ll get a nice tan.”

Eryx rolled his eyes. “Finn, we’re heading into a dangerous, possibly cursed mountain range to find a mystical fire that can reforge a centuries-old sword. This is not a vacation.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Finn said with a grin, adjusting the pack on his shoulders. “Besides, we’ve got Kaelen looking out for us. How bad could it be?”

Eryx cast a glance over his shoulder. The mysterious Guardian had left them the night before, saying she had “other matters” to attend to. But she’d promised to find them again once the sword was reforged. Until then, they were on their own.

“Bad. It could be really bad,” Eryx said, kicking a rock along the path.

As they walked, the landscape around them gradually shifted from rolling hills to jagged cliffs, the peaks of the Silverthorn Mountains looming in the distance. The air grew colder, and the trees thinned out, leaving behind rocky terrain that felt harsh and unwelcoming.

“This place feels… off,” Eryx muttered.

Finn glanced around. “Yeah, it’s like someone sucked the life out of the land. You think it’s the relic?”

Eryx didn’t know, but he had a sinking feeling that whatever lay ahead would be far worse than anything they’d faced so far.

Just as the sun began to dip below the horizon, they spotted a small campfire flickering in the distance. Finn perked up immediately. “Hey, look! Maybe we can share their fire.”

Eryx hesitated. “We should be careful. Kaelen said others might be looking for the relic.”

Finn grinned. “Come on, Eryx. Not everyone is out to kill us or steal some ancient sword. Let’s not get paranoid before we even get to the caverns.”

Eryx hesitated, his eyes narrowing on the flickering fire in the distance. He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but there was something unsettling about the way the light flickered and danced, as though it was being stirred by something more than just the wind.

Finn, ever the optimist, bounded ahead without waiting for Eryx’s reply. “Hey! Anyone home?” he called out cheerfully.

Eryx rushed to catch up, muttering under his breath. “Idiot. If we get ambushed, I’m blaming you.”

As they neared the campfire, Eryx’s hand instinctively rested on the pouch that held the Crimson Relic. The last thing he wanted was to attract the wrong kind of attention. But when they arrived, it was clear that the camp was deserted. A small, crude shelter had been set up, and a pot of soup bubbled over the fire, but there was no sign of anyone nearby.

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“Strange,” Finn muttered, glancing around. “You’d think they’d at least leave someone behind.”

Eryx’s eyes scanned the surrounding area, but the eerie quiet set his nerves on edge. “This doesn’t feel right. Maybe we should keep moving.”

Finn, however, was already crouching by the fire, poking at the soup with a stick. “What are you talking about? This is great! We’ve got food and a warm fire for the night. Let’s not waste it.”

Eryx was about to argue when a rustle in the bushes caught his attention. He spun around, his heart leaping into his throat. “Did you hear that?”

Finn froze, his hand still halfway to the pot. “Uh… yeah. Yeah, I did.”

They stood still, listening intently as the rustling grew louder, more deliberate. Then, without warning, a figure burst out from the shadows—a tall, muscular man with wild eyes and a scraggly beard. He was holding a sword that looked like it had seen better days, and he didn’t look too pleased to see them.

“What do you think you’re doing at my camp?” the man growled, his voice rough and gravelly.

Finn jumped to his feet, holding his hands up in surrender. “Whoa, whoa, easy there! We didn’t mean any harm. Just thought the camp was empty.”

The man’s eyes darted between them, suspicion written all over his face. “You thought wrong. Now, get out before I gut you like fish.”

Eryx stepped forward, trying to keep his voice calm. “Look, we’re just passing through. We don’t want any trouble.”

The man’s gaze landed on the pouch at Eryx’s side, and his eyes widened slightly. “What’s that?”

Eryx’s grip on the pouch tightened instinctively. “Nothing. Just supplies.”

The man took a step closer, his sword raised. “That doesn’t look like just supplies to me. Hand it over.”

Finn, ever the talker, jumped in before things could escalate. “Okay, let’s all just take a breath. No need to start waving swords around. We’ll just be on our way, alright?”

The man wasn’t listening. His eyes were locked on the pouch, and Eryx knew that there was no talking their way out of this. With a grimace, he slowly reached for his own weapon—a small dagger that felt woefully inadequate in comparison to the man’s sword.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Eryx warned, but the man lunged forward, swinging his sword in a wide arc.

Eryx barely had time to duck, the blade whistling past his ear. Finn scrambled backward, grabbing a branch from the fire and brandishing it like a club. “Whoa! Whoa! Easy now!”

The man’s next strike was more calculated, aiming for Eryx’s side. Eryx parried with his dagger, but the force of the blow sent him stumbling back. “Finn, a little help here!”

“I’m trying!” Finn swung his flaming branch wildly, managing to distract the man for a moment. But it wasn’t enough to stop him.

Eryx’s mind raced. He couldn’t afford to lose the relic—if this stranger got his hands on it, there was no telling what could happen. Desperation surged through him as the man advanced again, his eyes gleaming with greed.

Then, just as the man was about to strike again, a voice rang out from the darkness.

“That’s enough.”

The man froze, his sword hovering in midair. Eryx turned to see Kaelen emerging from the shadows, her silver hair gleaming in the firelight, her eyes cold and dangerous.

“I suggest you leave these two alone,” she said, her voice low and menacing.

The man’s bravado faltered, and he took a hesitant step back. “Who the hell are you?”

Kaelen didn’t answer. She simply raised one hand, and a pulse of energy shot out from her palm, hitting the man square in the chest. He let out a strangled cry as he was flung backward, crashing into the bushes.

Eryx blinked, stunned. “Uh… thanks?”

Kaelen’s expression softened slightly as she approached. “I told you there were others after the relic. You need to be more careful.”

Finn, still holding his makeshift club, gaped at her. “What was that? Some kind of… magic?”

Kaelen gave him a dry look. “Yes, Finn. Magic.”

Finn grinned. “Awesome.”

Eryx, still trying to catch his breath, shook his head. “You said we wouldn’t be alone, but I didn’t expect random sword-wielding maniacs to jump out of the bushes.”

Kaelen raised an eyebrow. “You’d be surprised how many people will do anything for a bit of power.”

Eryx glanced at the bushes where the man had disappeared. “What happens if more of them show up?”

Kaelen’s eyes darkened. “They will. And they’ll be stronger than this one. That’s why we need to move quickly. The Ember Caverns won’t be safe for long.”

Eryx felt a chill run down his spine. “Great. No pressure, then.”

Finn, ever the optimist, clapped him on the back. “Hey, look on the bright side—at least we’ve got her on our team.”

Kaelen didn’t smile. “For now. But once the sword is reforged, things will get much more dangerous. You must be prepared.”

Eryx sighed. “I’ve got a feeling this is only the beginning, isn’t it?”

Kaelen nodded grimly. “It is. And the worst is yet to come.”

As the fire crackled and the shadows danced around them, Eryx couldn’t shake the feeling that he was standing on the edge of something far bigger than he could ever have imagined. The journey to the Ember Caverns had just begun, but the real battle was still waiting in the shadows, and Eryx knew that if he wasn’t careful, the world he knew could be consumed by darkness.

“Alright,” he muttered to himself. “Let’s get this over with.”

Finn grinned, picking up his pack. “Adventure awaits, my friend. Let’s go save the world.”

Eryx shot him a look. “You really need to stop enjoying this so much.”

With Kaelen leading the way, the three of them set off into the night, the flickering fire behind them fading into the distance as they ventured deeper into the unknown.