Morning broke softly, a dull gray light filtering through the cracks in the safehouse’s walls. The faint hum of the orb had continued through the night, a constant, rhythmic reminder of our task. I hadn’t slept much, my thoughts tangled in knots of doubt and determination.
When the others began to stir, I found myself standing outside, staring at the horizon. The faint silhouette of the distant Spire loomed against the sky, an unspoken reminder of how far we’d already come. The air was cold but crisp, its bite clearing my head more effectively than the cup of bitter tea Mal was brewing inside.
Logan joined me a moment later, his steps quiet but purposeful. He carried an air of focus, his golden eyes scanning the treeline before settling on me.
“Ready?” he asked.
I turned to him, the weight of the orb’s revelations heavy on my shoulders. “I don’t think any of us are ready, but we don’t have a choice.”
His expression softened, and he nodded, a silent agreement. “We’ll get through this. One step at a time.”
Behind us, the others emerged. Liam carried his pack slung over one shoulder, his journal tucked into an outer pocket. Mal trailed after him, her usual grumbling quieter than usual. She strapped her knives across her chest with practiced ease, though her tired eyes betrayed her lingering unease.
“So,” Mal said, glancing between us, “where’s our first stop on this grand tour of danger and doom?”
I pulled the orb from my bag, its surface still etched with the map-like runes. The glowing lines danced faintly, shifting to highlight a point northeast of our current position. “Here,” I said, pointing to the projection. “The closest fragment is two days’ walk through the forest. We’ll be skirting some void territory, but it should be manageable.”
“‘Manageable,’ she says,” Mal muttered. “I think you’ve redefined that word.”
Liam smirked faintly, though his eyes didn’t hold their usual humor. “What’s the alternative? Stay here until the void finds us?”
Mal didn’t reply, but the set of her jaw told me she wasn’t happy about it. None of us were, really. But what choice did we have?
As we packed up and set out, the forest seemed to close in around us. The trees grew taller, their twisted branches entwined overhead, blocking most of the morning light. Despite the relative quiet, an undercurrent of tension remained, a feeling I couldn’t quite shake.
The first half of the day passed in strained silence. Logan took the lead, his steps measured and purposeful as he scouted ahead. Liam and Mal walked in the middle, while I lingered at the rear, keeping one hand on the orb in my pack. Its steady pulse felt like a tether, grounding me as the dark woods whispered their secrets.
By midday, the tension had grown heavier, settling over us like a smothering blanket. Mal eventually broke the silence with a low grumble. “This whole place feels wrong. Anyone else getting the ‘we’re being watched’ vibe, or is that just me?”
“You’re not imagining it,” Logan said from the front without turning around. He slowed his pace, scanning the path ahead. “I’ve felt it too. Something’s following us.”
“Wonderful,” Mal muttered, pulling a knife from its sheath. “Well, if it wants a fight, I’m happy to oblige.”
“It’s not attacking,” Liam said, his voice quieter. “Why? The void doesn’t usually hesitate.”
I frowned, my grip tightening on the orb. “It could be testing us. Watching to see how we react.”
“Or waiting,” Logan added grimly.
The trail curved sharply ahead, leading to a narrow clearing bathed in weak, diffused light. Logan held up a hand, signaling for us to stop. The faint rustle of leaves echoed around us, and I saw him tense, his golden eyes scanning the shadows.
Suddenly, a shape darted out from the treeline. Logan moved in a blur, his blade flashing as he blocked the strike. The creature-a voidspawn, smaller than the molten beast from before-hissed and recoiled, its jagged limbs gleaming in the dim light.
“Ambush!” Logan barked.
More voidspawn emerged from the shadows, their inhuman forms twisting unnaturally as they charged. Mal leaped into action with a snarl, her knives slicing through the first creature that came too close. Liam stood firm beside her, his staff glowing faintly with defensive runes as he blocked a swipe aimed at her side.
I backed away, the orb’s light flaring to life as if sensing the threat. My mind raced, searching for the connection I’d felt before-the spark of energy that had allowed me to sever the void’s grasp in the cavern.
“Audrey!” Logan’s shout snapped me out of my thoughts. He fought his way toward me, felling a voidspawn with a swift strike. “We need you!”
The orb pulsed again, its glow blinding for a split second. I gasped as the runes flared, the same flood of energy surging through me as before. The connection was instantaneous, raw power coursing through my veins.
I extended a hand instinctively, and the orb’s light shot outward, forming a protective barrier around us. The voidspawn shrieked, their forms contorting as they struck the barrier. Each impact sent ripples of light across the surface, but it held strong.
The others regrouped inside the shield, their breathing ragged. Logan looked at me, his expression a mix of awe and concern. “You okay?”
“I think so,” I managed, my voice shaky. The orb’s light dimmed slightly, but the connection remained, thrumming faintly in the back of my mind.
Liam glanced at the remaining voidspawn, now circling the barrier like vultures. “How long can you hold this?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. The energy wasn’t infinite; I could feel it draining, bit by bit. “We need to move, fast.”
Logan nodded, his jaw tight. “We’ll cover you. Keep that shield up as long as you can.”
With the others protecting my flank, we pushed forward. The voidspawn grew bolder, their strikes hammering against the barrier with increasing force. Sweat dripped down my face as I focused on maintaining the energy flow, each step forward feeling like a battle against the pull of exhaustion.
At last, the forest thinned, and the faint glow of the orb’s next marked point appeared on the horizon. The voidspawn faltered, their hisses fading into the shadows as they retreated.
When we finally reached the edge of the clearing, I collapsed to my knees, the barrier dissipating with a soft shimmer. Logan was at my side instantly, helping me to my feet.
“You did it,” he said softly.
“We all did,” I replied, glancing at the others. Despite their exhaustion, a flicker of determination remained in their eyes.
The orb’s glow brightened, a faint hum filling the air as it pointed us toward the next fragment.
But I couldn’t shake the feeling that the worst was yet to come.