Kael stood in front of the broken shrine, his fingers tracing the cold, damp stone. Strange symbols were carved into the surface—faded by time, yet still glowing faintly. The air felt heavy, as if the shrine was holding something in… or keeping something out.
"Do you hear that?" Selene whispered beside him.
Kael didn't respond with words. He just nodded. It wasn't a sound he could explain. It was more like a deep hum—like something ancient was stirring, calling to him not through his ears, but through his entire body.
Suddenly, the fog around them shifted. It parted just enough to reveal a narrow path that hadn't been there before, stretching deeper into the forest.
"We're not supposed to see that," Selene murmured, eyes narrowing.
"But it's calling me," Kael said, his voice quiet, almost dreamlike.
Together, they stepped onto the path. The further they walked, the heavier the air became. The strange humming grew louder. Whispers floated in the mist—too soft to understand, but somehow familiar. And among them, one name was repeated: Kael.
Eventually, the trees gave way to a sunken clearing. At its center stood a giant stone door carved into the cliff face. The same glowing symbols from the shrine covered it.
Kael stepped forward, his hand shaking as he reached out.
The moment his fingers touched the door, a voice echoed in his mind—not spoken aloud, but felt inside his skull: "Return…"
Selene grabbed his arm. "Kael. Don't respond. Not yet."
He turned to her, eyes wide. "What if I already have?"