After the harrowing encounter with the goblin boss, Lavanya and Evrin continued deeper into the forest, their bodies weary but spirits buoyed by their narrow escape. The forest around them felt alive, as if watching and whispering about the duo who dared to challenge the darkness within its depths.
As they navigated through a particularly dense thicket, the trees began to thin, revealing a clearing bathed in an unnatural light. At the center stood an ancient altar, made of stones so old that moss had nearly overtaken them completely. It was unlike anything Evrin had ever seen, even in his father’s extensive library of mystical and sacred texts.
The altar pulsed with a soft, ethereal glow, drawing Lavanya forward as if it recognized her presence. Evrin followed, his curiosity piqued but his body still shaking from the residual adrenaline of battle. He watched, fascinated, as Lavanya approached the stone structure.
As soon as Lavanya’s paw touched the base of the altar, the air around them seemed to hum with power. The glow intensified, enveloping her in a light so pure it was almost blinding. Evrin shielded his eyes, taking a step back, his mind reeling with questions.
The altar began to emit a low, melodic tone, and then, clear as the dawn, a voice resonated, not through the air, but directly into Lavanya’s mind. “Chosen of the light,” the voice intoned, its timbre both ancient and comforting, “you walk the path of destiny, but it is fraught with shadows. Seek the three relics of the Ardent Moon, for they alone can clear the path ahead.”
Lavanya sat, mesmerized by the voice, her heart racing with the realization of her purpose. The words spoke of legends she had heard in whispers in her past life, tales of powerful artifacts lost to time.
Evrin, observing Lavanya’s reaction and feeling a wave of dizziness wash over him, called out, “Audrey? What’s happening?” His voice trembled, betraying his fear and confusion.
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Before Lavanya could react or even process the full weight of the altar’s message, Evrin’s knees buckled, and he crumpled to the ground in a faint. The shock of the recent fight combined with the overwhelming presence of the divine had proven too much for him.
Lavanya, torn between the revelation she had received and her concern for Evrin, hurried to his side. She nudged him gently with her nose, but he was unresponsive, lost in a deep, exhaustion-induced slumber.
With a worried glance at the still-glowing altar, Lavanya decided they could not remain in the open, vulnerable and exposed. She used all her strength to drag Evrin by the collar of his tunic to the shelter of a nearby tree. There, she cleaned her paws and settled beside him to guard over his slumber.
As Evrin rested, oblivious to the divine encounter, Lavanya pondered the voice’s message. The three relics of the Ardent Moon—what powers might they hold? And how could she, a small cat with newfound magical abilities, hope to find them in this vast, treacherous world?
The hours passed, and Evrin slowly stirred from his faint, blinking against the light of late afternoon. He looked around, disoriented, then his eyes fixed on Lavanya. “Did I pass out?” he asked sheepishly, sitting up with a groan.
“Yes, you did,” Lavanya wanted to say, her gaze soft and forgiving. Instead, she simply meowed and licked his hand, which made him chuckle weakly.
“Guess I’m not as tough as I thought,” Evrin admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Did I miss anything important?”
Lavanya looked back at the altar, which had returned to its dormant state, indistinguishable from any ordinary ruin. She knew the journey ahead had changed, had deepened in its purpose and peril. But how to convey this to Evrin without alarming him further?
For now, she chose to keep the altar’s message to herself, her eyes reflecting a resolve born of newfound knowledge. They needed to move forward, to find a way out of this forest and into the wider world where the answers—and the relics—might be found.
As they resumed their journey, Lavanya with her secret burden and Evrin with his renewed determination to protect his mysterious feline companion, the forest seemed to whisper around them, leaves rustling with the winds of destiny. The path forward was unclear, fraught with dangers and wonders alike, but together, they would navigate whatever came their way.