Arinn's breath caught in his throat. The glowing blue eyes stared back at him from the darkness of the well, and the voice—so hauntingly familiar—whispered again.
"Arinn… my son…"
He felt an unnatural pull, as if something was reaching into his mind. The voice was warm yet wrong, filled with a hollow emptiness.
Then Rey grabbed him by the shoulder, yanking him back. "Arinn, step away!"
The well rumbled, and something rose from within—a figure, shifting between shadow and flesh, its face mimicking Rey and Arinn's father.
But it wasn't real.
Rey's eyes narrowed. "Seth's tricks."
The nightmare-born entity smiled. "You seek the truth… let me show you the pain your parents endured. Let me bring them back to you…"
A storm of memories crashed into Rey's mind—his mother's death, his father's final stand. The pain of their loss hit him all over again.
The one thing Rey couldn't see clearly was the man his father was fighting.
But Rey gritted his teeth and resisted. "No. You don't control me."
The shadow lunged, but this time, Rey was ready. He drove his sword forward, slicing through the illusion. The creature howled, then collapsed into the well, vanishing into the depths.
Silence returned.
Arinn was shaking. "What… what was that?"
Rhys exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow. "Seth's influence is growing. He's already reaching into this world, twisting memories, bending reality. If we don't stop him, he'll consume everything."
Rey tightened his grip on his sword. "Then we don't stop moving."
They turned their backs on the cursed village and resumed their journey.
But deep down, Rey knew.
This was only the beginning.
The night was silent as Rey, Arinn, and Rhys moved away from the cursed village. The encounter had left them shaken, but they had no time to dwell on it.
Their next stop was Ravenbrook, a town on the way to Newsville. It was said to have an ancient library that held records of old cities—including their home.
As they walked, Arinn asked, "Rey, what was our home like?"
Rey thought for a moment. "It was peaceful. A place where mom and dad smiled a lot. But I was too young to remember everything."
Arinn's eyes sparkled. "Then we'll find out together!"
Rhys smirked. "You two sure have a lot of determination. I respect that."
But as they neared Ravenbrook, they noticed something strange.
Smoke in the distance.
And the sound of screams.
Rey's instincts kicked in. "Something's wrong. Hurry!"
They broke into a run.