The circle of stones hummed with energy, their glowing runes casting strange shadows on the forest floor. Elyra stood at the edge of the largest stone, her pendant pulsing steadily as if in rhythm with the runes. Dain, his blade still in hand, scanned the clearing, his muscles tense from the earlier fight. "This place feels wrong," he muttered, his fiery orange eyes darting to every movement in the shadows.

Elyra ignored him, her gaze fixed on the central stone. The air around it shimmered faintly, as though it were alive. She placed her hand over her pendant, which had grown warmer as they approached.

"Elyra, don't," Dain warned, stepping closer to her. "We don't know what this will do."

"I have to," she said, her voice resolute. "I think it's been guiding us here."

Before he could stop her, she pressed both hands against the stone. A shockwave rippled through the clearing, causing the trees to sway as though caught in a violent wind. Dain staggered but remained on his feet, his instincts urging him to pull Elyra away. The ground within the stone circle shimmered, and an iridescent pool of light materialized in its center. Its surface rippled like liquid moonlight, its glow casting eerie reflections across the surrounding forest.noveldrama

"What is this?" Dain breathed, his grip tightening on his blade.

Elyra stepped closer to the pool, drawn to its glow. When she knelt beside it, the rippling light stilled, and images began to take shape. A silver-haired woman holding a child appeared first, her golden eyes fierce yet filled with sorrow. "That's..." Elyra hesitated, her heart racing. "It's her. The woman from my dreams."

The vision shifted. The woman stood in a storm, her arms outstretched as light radiated from her, battling against a monstrous shadow that loomed over her. The shadow's eyes glowed crimson, and its voice echoed faintly through the clearing: "The pact cannot hold forever."

Dain, standing just behind Elyra, felt the ground beneath him tremble as his reflection appeared in the pool. The image blurred and reformed, showing a man who looked eerily like him, older and surrounded by flames. The man's fiery orange eyes burned with fury, his expression cold and ruthless.

"Who... is that?" Dain asked, his voice thick with unease.

The pool began to murmur in an ancient, melodic language. Though they couldn't understand the words, a singular phrase rang clear and ominous: "A choice must be made. The bond will decide." "What choice? What bond?" Elyra whispered, her voice trembling.

The pool's glow began to dim, the visions fading into darkness. Elyra reached out instinctively, but the light flickered and vanished completely. A heavy silence settled over the clearing, broken only by the faint rustle of leaves in the wind. "What just happened?" Dain demanded, his voice edged with frustration.

"I don't know," Elyra admitted, her hands falling limply to her sides. She felt an inexplicable loss, as though a vital part of her had been stolen. "But we're supposed to be here. There's something about us, Dain-something tied to all of this."