Moonlight shone across the balcony, the stars glimmering above the sky.
Aidan stood motionless, hands gripping the railing, eyes fixed on the horizon yet seeing nothing. The night wind ruffled his hair, but he didn't move. His shoulders were tense, breath shallow—in his own world of thoughts.
Aidan rubbed his eyes, the weight behind them making it harder to stay awake. He was exhausted. All he wanted was sleep.
But the moment his thoughts drifted, that familiar tension crept in.
He didn't know why—but he felt too anxious tonight. The visions had become less frequent, but for some reason, he had a premonition of some sort. Something about tonight felt… off.
He shifted on his feet, arms leaning on the railing, his chest pressed near the edge.
"I'm probably just being paranoid," he muttered. Part of him wanted to believe the reason he felt that way was because earlier today, Viscount John had brought information about the Dark Forest.
Aidan cast one last glance at the moon, its pale light doing nothing to calm the thrum in his chest.
He turned and walked back into his room, each step heavier than the last.
Reaching the bedside, he grabbed the glass with a slightly trembling hand, the water cool against his lips but doing little to settle him.
He sat on the edge of the bed, then slowly shifted to the center, the mattress dipping beneath his weight.
For a moment, he just lay there, staring up at the ceiling.
Then, with a quiet breath, he pulled the blanket over his head, cocooning himself in the faint warmth.
It wasn't much—but it made him feel safe. Safer, at least.
The moment Aidan's eyes drifted shut, the silence around him began to twist.
Somewhere deep within the Dark Forest, a beast's hollow cry echoed through the trees. The branches swayed as if stretching toward something, whispering secrets in a language older than man—it felt ancient.
A temple stood at the heart of the forest, its stone walls cracked and crumbling with age long lost to memory. Faded inscriptions lined its surface, etched in a forgotten language no one could read.
Mist clung to the ruins, curling like fingers around the weathered dragon statues that guarded the temple gate.
The air was cold. The very surroundings seemed to be watching the temple.
Deep within the temple, in the heart of that silence, lay an egg.
It pulsed faintly—alive. Waiting for his friend, his companion.
A soft thrum echoed from within, not a sound but a feeling, a call.
Not of desperation… but recognition.
It was calling for someone. A friend. A companion. And though it made no sound, the call echoed into the mist, into the Dark Forest like a whisper that refused to fade.
This time, the call was different. Stronger.
It rippled outward—beyond the crumbling temple, beyond the forest's edge—breaking through layers of silence like a heartbeat in the dark.
It reached a person sleeping on a bed.
Far away, the one it yearned for stirred. Its friend.
Its companion.
Aidan, who lay on the bed, stirred—his soul answering the call, recognizing the voice as his consciousness drifted toward it.
Aidan opened his eyes, feeling… different. In front of him stood the temple—a sight he had grown familiar with.
He turned his head, looking at the trees. The cold wind brushed against his skin, and the mist clung to the ground around him.
Even as he looked at the forest, his eyes always returned to the temple. As if it was the center of attention.
Aidan heaved a sigh. If this was all the vision had to show, he could handle it.
Just then, the temple doors creaked open. A voice echoed from within—faint, familiar. Aidan… Aidan… Aryan!
Aidan froze. His breath caught. That voice—it knew both his names.
He stepped forward, not expecting it to work. He had tried before, many times, but the vision had always stopped him. Not this time.
His foot landed on solid ground. The sound of a branch breaking echoed as he shifted slightly. He looked down and saw a branch snapped beneath his step. He frowned.
But even so, he took another step—his brow furrowing. Something about this felt… heavier.
The voice called again, drawing him deeper.
He followed, walking into the heart of the temple.
An egg.
Pulsing. Alive. Waiting. His vision blurred as tears welled in his eyes.
Without thinking, Aidan reached out—his hand trembling as it moved toward the egg, toward his friend.
Just then, the vision ended—his outstretched hand unable to reach the egg.
Aidan woke up. Sweat clung to his body, his breath heavy.
His hand went to his eyes as he felt the moisture on his cheeks.
Aidan shot up from his bed, rushing to the mirror in an instant.
His reflection stared back at him—eyes wide, face tight with pain, and tears still clinging to his cheeks.
Aidan was crying.
As Aidan stared into the mirror, his breath caught in his throat.
The reflection wasn't just his own—it felt like something was looking back.
His trembling fingers brushed his face, but the chill came from within.
And then it hit him.
The visions. The calling. The anomaly of the Dark Forest.
It was all connected.
All of it… led to the egg.
And the egg—it was calling him.
No, not just calling.
It belonged to him.
And somehow, in a way that twisted his gut with fear—he belonged to it, too.
Aidan's hand clenched into a fist, his nails digging into his palm as the truth settled. He knew what he had to do.
He had to go to the Dark Forest.
The thought churned his stomach, but the pull of destiny—or whatever it was—was too strong to ignore.
He had hoped to stay far away from it, to avoid this place that haunted his dreams, but now he understood.
It wasn't going to leave him alone, and for some reason, he too didn't feel like leaving the egg alone there either.
This life—his life—wasn't as simple as he'd thought. The vision was the result of the calling.
The calling was the reason—the thing that had plagued his every vision—was the reason behind it all.
And now, everything had come down to one undeniable truth.
He had to answer that call.
Aidan stared at his reflection, the weight of his decision settling over him like a dark shroud.
His eyes, filled with the remnants of tears, hardened as resolve took root.
There was no escaping it.
He had to go to the Dark Forest.
There was someone waiting for him. Someone very close to him.