Branches tore at Dorian's clothes as he ran through the forest. His breathing came in short, uneven gasps, and with every few steps, he glanced over his shoulder.
Yet he refused to slow down.
"Dorian!"
A familiar voice echoed through the trees.
He came to an abrupt stop.
Aldric stepped out from between the trees with Evander close behind him. A moment later, Leoric emerged from another trail carrying a rabbit over his shoulder.
"There you are," Leoric said with a grin. "We thought you got yourself lost."
The smile faded the moment he saw Dorian's face.
"Dorian...?"
His clothes were soaked.
His hands trembled ever so slightly.
Even his breathing refused to steady.
Evander frowned.
"What happened?"
For a brief moment, Dorian almost told them.
He almost spoke about the Silent Well.
About the water.
About the ground that had shaken beneath his feet.
But the words refused to leave his mouth.
Instead, he forced a weak smile.
"I chased a deer too far into the forest," he lied. "I slipped into the river trying to catch it."
Leoric let out a laugh.
"So you lost the deer and nearly drowned?"
"I suppose I did."
Aldric remained silent.
His eyes lingered on Dorian for a moment longer, as if searching for something hidden beneath the answer.
Then he nodded.
"It'll be dark soon."
"We should head back."
No one argued.
The four friends began the journey back to Silvaris.
Leoric complained the entire way about losing the biggest deer he had ever seen, while Evander insisted the tracks had probably belonged to a wild boar. Their argument continued until Aldric finally shook his head with an amused smile.
"You'll still be arguing about this tomorrow."
Leoric laughed.
"I'll still be right tomorrow."
Normally, Dorian would have joined in.
Today, he couldn't.
Every sound around him felt different.
The rustling leaves.
The birds overhead.
Even the wind carried an unfamiliar weight.
His mind kept drifting back to the Silent Well.
The rising water.
The shaking earth.
The roar that had echoed through the forest.
He tightened his fists.
It wasn't real.
It couldn't have been.
As the trees began to thin, the familiar sight of Silvaris appeared in the distance.
Smoke curled from the chimneys.
Children raced through the narrow streets, laughing as they chased one another between the houses.
Merchants called out their final bargains before closing their stalls for the evening.
Everything looked...
Normal.
Dorian slowed his steps.
Nothing was wrong.
No one looked frightened.
No one had noticed anything.
Maybe...
It truly had all been his imagination.
Leoric stretched his arms above his head.
"I told you we'd make it back before sunset."
Evander smiled faintly.
"Barely."
Aldric glanced toward Dorian.
"You should get some rest."
Dorian forced a nod.
"Yeah..."
"I think I will."
The four friends stopped where the road divided.
"I'll see you all tomorrow," Leoric said before disappearing down the eastern path.
Evander offered Dorian one last curious look but said nothing.
Soon, only Aldric and Dorian remained.
Aldric studied him for a long moment.
"If something happened out there..."
He paused.
"...you can tell us."
For a moment, Dorian almost confessed.
Instead, he smiled.
"I'm fine."
Aldric didn't look convinced.
But he nodded anyway.
"Tomorrow, then."
As Aldric walked away, Dorian remained standing in the middle of the road. He watched his friends disappear one after another until he was finally alone.
His eyes drifted back toward the Mistwood Forest.
The trees stood perfectly still.
Dorian let out a slow breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"It was just my imagination," he whispered to himself.
He turned away from the forest and walked toward his small hut, closing the wooden door behind him.
Outside, Silvaris settled into another peaceful night.
Beyond the Mistwood Forest...
The Silent Well remained awake.