The journey eastward stretched on for days, each step heavier than the last. The world seemed to grow darker with every mile, as if the land itself had become aware of the Ember's presence. The air was thick with the scent of wet earth and ice, and the skies, once grey and brooding, had now turned an oppressive shade of black, like a blanket being pulled over the world's shoulders. Every step felt as though it brought Kaelen closer to something—something inevitable—and yet, he couldn't say what it was.
Aelric led the way, his pace steady and confident, as though the strange world they were walking into was an old friend. He spoke little, preferring to keep to himself, his dark cloak flowing behind him like a shadow. Kaelen, for his part, kept his eyes on the road, but his thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and fear. The Ember pulsed softly against his chest, a reminder that nothing was as it seemed. Even the mountains seemed to shift in his vision, like a twisting, dark dream that threatened to swallow him whole.
As they moved deeper into the wilds, the forest began to change. The trees, once gnarled and skeletal, now grew thick with twisted roots, their bark slick with moss and frost. The path underfoot became less defined, as though nature itself was trying to erase their passage. The wind howled through the branches like whispers from unseen mouths, and the ground felt uneven beneath them, as though it was trying to throw them off balance.
They had just crossed a narrow river that cut through the landscape like a jagged scar, when Aelric stopped suddenly, holding a hand up.
"Do you hear that?" he asked, his voice low, almost reverent.
Kaelen paused, straining to listen. The wind, for once, was silent. No birds, no rustling of leaves. Just the sound of their breathing and the distant rush of the river.
He frowned. "What is it?"
Aelric's eyes narrowed as he scanned the trees ahead, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword. "Something's wrong. Stay close."
They moved forward slowly, with Kaelen's heart pounding in his chest. The Ember pulsed again, a steady thrum that seemed to echo in his bones. It wasn't just the land that felt wrong now; there was something more, something beneath the surface that tugged at him, urging him onward.
And then, they saw it.
A figure stood at the edge of the path, cloaked in dark robes. The figure was tall, almost unnaturally so, and its face was obscured by a hood. It stood perfectly still, as if waiting for them to approach. The air grew colder as they neared, the temperature dropping so quickly that Kaelen's breath fogged in the air.
Aelric's hand tightened on his sword, but he didn't draw it. Instead, he stepped forward, his voice calm but wary. "Who are you?"
The figure didn't move, didn't speak, but Kaelen felt its gaze upon him, sharp and unsettling. It was as if the creature wasn't looking at him, but through him, as though it saw something he couldn't even understand.
Finally, the figure spoke, its voice low and gravelly, like a stone being scraped across the earth. "You carry the Ember."
Kaelen's heart skipped a beat, the weight of the words landing like a stone in his gut. He instinctively reached for the Ember, which pulsed beneath his shirt as though it were alive.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice shaky. "What do you want with me?"
The figure tilted its head slightly, and then, in a voice that seemed to come from deep within the earth, it replied, "We are the Watchers. We have watched since the beginning. And now, we are bound to the Ember. Its fire will consume all… unless it is quenched."
Kaelen took a step back, his hand still on the Ember. "What do you mean, quenched?"
"The Ember carries with it the fire of creation," the Watcher intoned, its voice growing colder still. "It is both a gift and a curse. If its fire is not stilled, it will burn the world. And when the world burns, all that remains is ash."
Kaelen's mind raced, trying to process the words. The Watcher was right. He could feel the Ember's power growing stronger with every passing hour. It was as though the flame inside of him was waking, stirring with an insatiable hunger. What had he unleashed?
Aelric took a step forward, his expression hard. "How do we stop it?"
The Watcher's gaze shifted from Kaelen to Aelric, and for the briefest moment, Kaelen thought he saw a flicker of something—recognition, perhaps?—pass between them.
"The path to quenching the Ember is fraught with sacrifice," the Watcher replied. "You must seek the Forgotten Temple. There, you will find the answers you seek. But be warned: not all will survive the journey."
Kaelen felt a chill creep down his spine. "The Forgotten Temple? Where is it?"
The Watcher did not answer. Instead, it raised one long, bony finger and pointed toward the heart of the mountains. "Follow the path. But know this: the world will not forgive you for carrying the Ember. And those who seek it will come for you."
Before Kaelen could respond, the Watcher began to fade into the mist, its form dissolving like smoke in the wind. The temperature began to rise again, and the world around them felt… normal once more. But Kaelen knew it wasn't.
"We're not alone anymore," Aelric muttered, his gaze shifting to the now-empty space where the Watcher had stood.
Kaelen swallowed hard. "What did it mean? The Forgotten Temple?"
Aelric turned back to him, his face grim. "It means our road just got a whole lot more dangerous. The Forgotten Temple isn't just a place—it's a legend. And legends have a way of drawing all kinds of unwanted attention."
Kaelen looked toward the mountains, now looming before them like silent giants. The Watcher had said they would come for him. The king's men, the monsters from the shadows, and perhaps something darker, something older than all of them. And all the while, the Ember in his chest burned brighter.
"Let's go," Kaelen said, voice steely. "We have to find the temple before they do."
Aelric nodded, and for a moment, Kaelen saw something flicker in his eyes—something almost like respect.
"Yeah. We do."
And so, they continued on, stepping into the unknown. But as they moved forward, Kaelen couldn't shake the feeling that the path they walked now was not just one of survival. It was a path toward an ending — an ending that had already begun.