The shard’s faint green glow pulsed in James’ hand as they pressed deeper into the forest. Its cool weight felt both comforting and ominous, a constant reminder of the encounter in the glade. Each step forward was heavy, their silence filled with unspoken tension.

Derrin broke the quiet first. “That... thing back there. What do you think it meant?”

Rook glanced back, his face shadowed by the dense canopy above. “It meant we’re walking into something bigger than we understand. We need to keep moving.”

Vance snorted, his daggers flashing as he absentmindedly spun them. “Right, because walking straight into danger has worked so well for us so far.”

“Enough,” Rook snapped, his tone sharp. “Save your energy for something useful. Complaining won’t help us survive.”

Derrin shifted the child in his arms, glancing down at the boy’s sleeping face. “He hasn’t stirred at all. Is that normal?”

James moved closer, peering at the child. His pale skin seemed almost translucent, his breathing shallow but steady. “I don’t know,” James admitted. “Maybe whatever happened to him… changed him.”

“Like the Veil changes things,” Vance muttered, his voice low.

The weight of his words hung in the air, unchallenged.

The forest began to shift again as they walked. The towering trees grew darker, their bark twisting unnaturally. The undergrowth thickened, vines curling around their ankles and forcing them to hack their way forward.

“Are we even going the right way?” James asked, frustration creeping into his voice.

Rook pulled the map from his satchel, unfurling it carefully. He pointed to their location, marked with the faint "X" they had placed earlier.

“If the map is accurate, we’re on track to hit a settlement just beyond this forest.”

James stared at the map, the faint lines and markings offering little comfort. “How far?”

“Another day or two, if we’re lucky,” Rook replied, rolling the map back up.

Derrin groaned. “We’re running low on supplies as it is. How are we supposed to last that long?”

Vance leaned against a tree, his expression grim. “We could hunt, but this place… it doesn’t exactly scream ‘safe game.’”

The group fell into uneasy silence again, their situation growing more dire with each passing hour.

As the sun began to set, the forest seemed to come alive around them. The rustling of leaves and the distant chitter of unseen creatures set their nerves on edge.

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“Camp here,” Rook finally decided, his voice firm. “We need rest, and wandering through the dark is suicide.”

They set up a small camp in a clearing, the firelight barely penetrating the oppressive gloom around them. James took the first watch, his eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement.

The shard in his pocket pulsed faintly, its green light barely visible. He pulled it out, turning it over in his hands. It felt alive, the energy within it humming softly.

“You keep staring at that thing, it’ll start staring back,” Derrin said, settling down beside him.

James offered a weak smile. “You’re not wrong. I don’t know what it is, but it feels... important.”

“Important or not, let’s hope it doesn’t bite us in the back later,” Derrin said, leaning back against a tree.

The night stretched on, each of them taking turns keeping watch. But as the fire burned low and the shadows deepened, James couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched.

Just before dawn, the forest grew eerily still. The usual sounds of rustling leaves and distant chittering ceased, replaced by an oppressive silence.

James sat upright, his hand instinctively going to his sword. “Rook,” he hissed, nudging the older man awake.

Rook was on his feet in an instant, his hand on his weapon. “What is it?”

“I don’t know. Something’s—”

A soft whisper cut through the silence, faint and almost melodic. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, wrapping around them like a chilling breeze.

“...Turn back...”

James’ blood ran cold. “Did you hear that?”

Rook nodded, his eyes scanning the darkness. The others were awake now, their weapons drawn as the whispering grew louder.

“...You do not belong...”

The voice was ethereal, disembodied, and filled with a sadness that sent shivers down James’ spine.

“Stay close,” Rook ordered, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.

The whispering continued, growing more insistent. Shadows began to shift at the edges of the clearing, shapes flickering just beyond the firelight.

“...The Veil will consume you...”

James tightened his grip on his sword, his heart pounding. “What do we do?”

“We hold our ground,” Rook said firmly. “Whatever this is, it wants to scare us. Don’t let it.”

As if in response, the shadows coalesced into a single figure—a tall, slender form draped in tattered black. Its face was hidden beneath a hood, and its presence exuded an unnatural cold.

“...Why do you trespass?” the figure asked, its voice echoing like a mournful wind.

James stepped forward, his sword raised. “We don’t mean any harm. We’re just trying to get through the forest.”

The figure tilted its head, as if considering his words. “...The forest is not for the living... The Veil’s shadow touches you... You cannot escape it...”

The shard in James’ hand pulsed violently, its light flaring brighter than before. The figure recoiled slightly, its form flickering.

“...The Glade has marked you...”

“What does that mean?” James demanded, his voice shaking.

The figure did not answer. Instead, it dissolved into the shadows, its presence vanishing as suddenly as it had appeared.

The whispering ceased, and the forest fell silent once more.

The group stood frozen, their breaths heavy in the quiet.

“What the hell was that?” Vance finally asked, his voice breaking the silence.

“I don’t know,” Rook said, his eyes still scanning the shadows. “But we’re not safe here. Pack up. We move now.”

No one argued. They quickly gathered their things, extinguishing the fire and preparing to leave.

As they set off, James couldn’t help but glance back at the clearing. The shard in his hand was warm now, its glow steady.

The Veil’s shadow touches you.

Whatever that meant, he knew it wasn’t something he could ignore. The shard, the glade, the creature—they were all connected. And as much as he wanted to believe they could leave it behind, he knew deep down that the Veil wasn’t done with them yet.