The forest felt different that morning.
The dawn was cold, a pale grey light creeping through the mist that clung to the trees, thicker than it had been in days. Even the birds were silent, and every breath tasted of iron and damp earth.
They walked quietly, boots sinking into the soft moss, leaves brushing against their cloaks like hesitant hands. Each step felt measured, cautious, as though the forest itself was watching.
Aeris kept his eyes ahead, though his mind was elsewhere, on the ember pulsing within him, hot and restless, each heartbeat accompanied by a faint glow beneath his ribs that he could feel, even if it could not yet be seen.
The ember was alive today, almost speaking, humming softly beneath his skin as though it could sense something was coming.
Ahead, Evin moved in silence, sword strapped across his back, green eyes sharp as he scanned the tree line. His presence was steady, a quiet promise, the kind that said he would stand between them and whatever the forest held.
Mira walked close to Aeris, her staff tapping softly against roots, her eyes drifting to him often, the worry there unspoken. She had seen how the ember left him shaking at night, how the light sometimes flickered in his gaze when he closed his eyes too long.
Liora followed, the silver bell at her waist chiming softly, her small hand clutching Aeris's cloak when the mist grew thicker. She was quiet, but every now and then her storm-grey eyes would flick toward the shadows, her lips parting as though she were listening to something no one else could hear.
"They're moving," she whispered once, so soft that Aeris almost missed it.
"Who?" he asked.
"The ones who cry in the dark."
He squeezed her hand gently, trying to offer comfort, but the ember within him pulsed sharply, as if warning him that she was right.
They followed the stream deeper into the forest, past fallen trees covered in moss, past stones carved with old runes, half-swallowed by the earth. The mist swallowed their footsteps, muffling the sound until all that was left was the quiet rush of water and the hush of the wind through the leaves.
It felt like hours before the forest opened into a clearing.
A circle of ancient trees stood around a pool of black water, steam rising from its surface, carrying the scent of iron and something older, something that made Aeris's stomach tighten.
The hush here was different.
Heavy.
Alive.
Evin stopped at the edge of the clearing, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, his eyes scanning the shadows.
"Something's here," he said, voice low.
Liora whimpered, clutching Aeris's cloak, the bell at her waist ringing sharply once before falling silent.
The water rippled.
At first, it was subtle, a single ripple across the black surface, but then more followed, the water breaking as shapes began to rise.
Eyes.
Dozens of pale, empty eyes, staring up at them from beneath the surface, unblinking, unseeing.
Mira stepped forward, her staff raised, light blooming at its tip as she whispered a soft prayer under her breath.
"Aeris…"
He felt it before he saw it—the ember flaring hot, light seeping into his veins, up his throat, into his mouth until he tasted fire on his tongue. His vision blurred, light leaking into the edges of the world.
The surface of the water shattered.
Creatures pulled themselves free of the black pool, their bodies slick with ichor, limbs twisted, their mouths open in silent screams. They crawled on hands and knees, dragging themselves toward the edge of the pool, toward them, leaving trails of darkness in their wake.
Evin drew his sword in a single, practiced motion, the steel catching the light from Mira's staff before he stepped forward, planting himself between the creatures and the others.
"Stay back," he said, calm as the hush around them.
The creatures moved faster, their bodies jerking, eyes burning with pale light as they crawled, then stumbled upright, jaws snapping in silent hunger.
Evin moved, sword flashing, cutting down the first of the creatures with a single strike, ichor spraying across the moss with a hiss as it burned into the ground.
Mira's staff glowed brighter, a wave of warm light washing over them, pushing the creatures back, burning their flesh where it touched, filling the air with the smell of scorched rot.
Aeris felt the ember flare again, the heat almost unbearable, and he stepped forward, lifting his hand.
Light burst from his palm, a blue-white flame that roared as it left him, slamming into the creatures, burning them to ash in a rush of heat and fire that left the clearing filled with drifting embers.
For a moment, the forest screamed.
The creatures staggered back, hissing, writhing as the light consumed them, leaving behind only blackened husks that fell to the ground and crumbled into ash.
The hush returned, deeper now, the mist closing in around them as though the forest was drawing a breath.
Liora sobbed, clutching Aeris's cloak, the bell at her waist ringing in short, sharp bursts.
Mira lowered her staff, breathing hard, sweat shining on her brow, her eyes fixed on Aeris.
"Aeris…" she whispered. "Your eyes…"
He blinked, the glow fading, the ember's heat sinking back into him, leaving him cold, shaking.
"Did it hurt them?" he asked softly.
Mira nodded. "Yes. It did."
Evin cleaned his blade, his green eyes steady, meeting Aeris's gaze with a mixture of respect and warning.
"Whatever you're carrying," Evin said, "control it, or it will control you."
Aeris looked down at his hand, still faintly glowing, the ember pulsing softly beneath his skin, and nodded.
"I know."
⸻
They set up camp at the edge of the clearing, near the stream where the water still ran clean.
Evin patrolled the perimeter, checking the tree line, sword sheathed across his back but ready to be drawn in an instant.
Mira sat near the small fire they managed to light, grinding herbs into poultices, her eyes flicking up to watch Aeris as he sat on a moss-covered log, his leather journal open on his knees, the quill trembling in his hand.
Liora curled up beside Aeris, her head resting against his leg, her small hand clutching his cloak as she slept, the bell at her waist chiming softly with each breath.
Aeris dipped the quill into the ink and began to write.
The ember was restless today. It is burning too hot, like it wants to leave me, or consume me. I do not know if I can contain it for much longer, but I must, for them. For her. For this forest that still whispers hope beneath the Blight's cry.
He paused, the glow beneath his skin brightening for a moment before fading again.
I saw the creatures burning today, their pain, their silent screams. I wish I could save them, but I can only burn the darkness away. Is that enough? Will it ever be enough?
A tear fell onto the page, smudging the ink.
He closed his eyes, feeling the ember pulse, a soft warmth that almost felt like a heartbeat against his own.
Liora stirred in her sleep, mumbling softly, the bell ringing once.
"Little light…"
The voice was so soft, Aeris almost thought it was the wind.
He looked up, seeing the forest around them, the mist rolling through the trees, the hush holding them in its quiet embrace.
I am still here, he thought, pressing a hand to his chest.
And for now, that was enough.
⸻
That night, the mist thickened, rolling in waves through the trees, carrying the scent of earth and cold water.
They took turns on watch, Evin sitting with his back against a tree, his sword across his knees, eyes half-closed but never fully asleep.
Mira hummed softly as she sorted herbs, the glow of the fire lighting her face, shadows dancing across her cheeks as she worked.
Aeris sat near the fire, Liora asleep with her head in his lap, the bell at her waist quiet at last.
He wrote, the words flowing like a promise.
If I am to burn, let it be for them. Let this ember take what it will, but let it leave light behind.
Above them, the forest whispered, the wind carrying the soft sound of leaves rustling, the faint hush of water moving over stones.
In the darkness, Aeris could see the shapes moving, could feel the Blight pressing closer, the creatures watching from the shadows, waiting.
The ember pulsed in answer, a soft glow beneath his skin, warming him even as the cold seeped in from the mist.
"We are still here," he whispered.
And in the hush of the forest, the ember answered.
Yes.