The air was thick with tension as Harris and Liam made their way back into the woods. Liam had brought his short sword, clearly eager to help with whatever trouble awaited them, but Harris knew this wasn’t the kind of fight that could be easily solved with a blade. They were up against something unseen, something that had begun to choke the life out of the forest.

“Are you sure this is the right way?” Liam asked, glancing around at the thinning trees. The leaves were sparse, and the ground beneath their feet was dry, cracked in places where it should have been soft. The signs were getting worse the further they went.

“Yes,” Harris replied. His senses led him towards the clearing, the subtle pulse of something wrong growing stronger with each step. It was almost like a dark echo, a resonance that pulled at the edges of his awareness. Liam’s eyes were sharp, but he didn’t have the same connection to the magic around them.

Soon they reached the clearing where the goblins were huddled, their eyes wide and wary as they spotted the approaching pair. The goblin Harris had spoken with earlier came forward, wringing her hands nervously.

“You bring food?” she asked, her gaze flickering to Liam. Harris nodded, lifting the sack he had brought with him from the village. Inside were fruits, bread, and cured meat, enough to help them for now.

“Here,” Harris said, handing the sack to her. She took it, nodding her thanks, but her eyes remained fixed on Liam, suspicion clear in her gaze.

Liam smiled awkwardly, trying to be non-threatening. “We’re here to help,” he said, though Harris could tell the goblins were still on edge. They had every reason to be.

“What’s happening to the forest?” Harris asked, his voice softer as he looked at the older goblin. She sighed, her eyes weary as she gestured to the dry ground.

“Something dark,” she whispered. “Something wrong. It came from the deep woods, spread like sickness.”

Harris frowned, kneeling to touch the earth. He could feel it, that faint trace of something twisted. It was old magic, something primal and wild, but corrupted somehow. He could sense its tendrils winding through the soil, draining the life from it. He stood, his mind working quickly.

“We need to find the source,” he said, turning to Liam. “It’s deeper in the woods. Whatever this is, it’s spreading.”

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Liam nodded, gripping his sword tighter. “Lead the way.”

The goblins watched them leave, their eyes filled with a mix of fear and hope. Harris knew they were desperate, and he couldn’t blame them. The forest was their home, and it was dying. He had promised them help, and he intended to keep that promise, even if it meant delving into places he would rather avoid.

As they moved deeper into the woods, the light grew dimmer, the branches above twisting together like skeletal fingers. Harris could feel the weight of the magic pressing down on them, and he glanced at Liam, who was clearly growing uneasy.

“This place feels... wrong,” Liam said, his voice barely a whisper.

Harris nodded. “It is. Stay close, and whatever happens, don’t panic.”

They continued on, the air growing colder with each step. Harris could feel it now, the pull of something ancient, a force that had long been dormant but had recently stirred. He had dealt with dark magic before, but this felt different—less like a deliberate curse and more like something that had grown wild and unchecked.

Finally, they came to a clearing, and Harris stopped, his eyes narrowing. In the center of the clearing was a tree, its bark blackened and twisted, the ground around it cracked and dry. The air shimmered with a dark energy, and Harris knew they had found the source.

“What is that?” Liam asked, his voice filled with awe and fear.

“It’s a corrupted heartwood,” Harris said, stepping closer. “A tree that once held magic, twisted by something dark.”

Liam frowned. “Can we fix it?”

Harris studied the tree, feeling the pulse of the dark magic within it. “Maybe,” he said. “But it won’t be easy.”

He reached out, his fingers brushing the bark, and immediately he felt the surge of power, the dark energy pushing back against him. He gritted his teeth, focusing, his own magic rising to meet it. He could feel the corruption, the way it had spread, latching onto the life around it and draining it away.

Liam watched, his eyes wide as Harris worked. The air around them seemed to thrum with energy, the wind picking up and swirling through the clearing. Harris could feel the strain, the way the dark magic fought against him, but he pushed back, his own power surging through the tree, driving out the corruption bit by bit.

Finally, with a shudder, the dark energy broke, dissipating into the air. Harris staggered back, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The tree, though still scarred, seemed to stand a little straighter, the blackness fading from its bark.

Liam stepped forward, his eyes wide with awe. “You did it,” he said, his voice filled with admiration.

Harris shook his head. “It’s not done. The corruption is still in the forest. But this is a start.”

He looked at Liam, his expression serious. “We need to keep this quiet. If the villagers find out what’s happening here, it could cause a panic.”

Liam nodded, his face determined. “I understand. Whatever you need, I’m with you.”

Harris felt a flicker of something—gratitude, perhaps. He had spent so long pushing people away, but here, in this quiet village, maybe he had found someone he could trust. Maybe, just maybe, this life could work after all.