The dense canopy swallowed the sun. Leiya led the way with a mask of grim determination. They kept their eyes on the treeline as if the shadows might reach out.
Mira wiped sweat from her forehead. "Leiya, wait up!" she called out. "Where are we even going? We've been walking for hours. Can you at least tell us the destination?"
Leiya didn't slow her stride. "Home," she replied. "We're heading for the estate, Mira."
Mira frowned. "Answers?"
Thorne stepped up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mira, be quiet. Let's just focus on the path."
Leiya remained focused on the trail, though she saw the tension radiating off Kota. He followed behind them, unusually still. "I hope we find whatever you're looking for, Kota," she said softly.
They walked for miles as the terrain grew hostile. The path vanished beneath thorny vines. Kota stopped abruptly and gripped his pack.
Leiya turned back to him. "You've been quiet for a long time, Kota. Even for you, this is different. Are you okay?"
Kota looked down at her with bloodshot eyes. "I've been hallucinating, Leiya. I'm hearing voices."
Leiya tightened her grip on his sleeve. Her eyes widened. "What do you mean hearing voices?"
"I heard the voice after being hit," Kota admitted. "I thought it was just from being hit in the head, but I heard the voice before we left."
The confession hung heavy in the damp air. The woods seemed to press in closer as if the trees themselves were straining to overhear. Kota rubbed his temples to massage away the dull throb behind his eyes. He didn't look at the others. He couldn't bear to see the pity or the fear that surely clouded their expressions.
Kota looked at Leiya. "How far are we from our destination? How close are we to the ruins of the estate?"
Leiya checked the horizon. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the peaks in the distance. "We're far, Kota. We're making progress, but we aren't there yet."
"We've got to keep moving," Kota said, his voice regaining its hard edge. "The answers won't come to us while we're standing still in the mud."
"We'll be close to the forest soon," Leiya said, pointing toward the darkening treeline ahead.
The group fell back into a rhythm. Leiya navigated through a transitional zone where the forest began to thin into rocky outcroppings and steep ridges. The ground was slick. Every step was a calculated risk. The silence of the woods was absolute, broken only by the sound of their own footsteps.
"If the voices started before the sanctuary," Leiya whispered, slowing down to walk beside Kota, "why didn't you say something then?"
"I thought I could handle it," Kota replied. "I thought it was just the stress of the journey. But now it feels different. It feels like something is trying to guide me or lure me away."
Thorne whispered to Mira, eyes scanning the ridges above them. "We should be careful. We can't afford any more delays."
As they climbed, the wind began to howl through the narrow ravines. It was a mournful sound that mimicked the whispers in Kota's mind. He saw a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. A tall, shadowy figure stood on a distant peak. When he blinked, it was gone, leaving only the grey mist swirling around the rocks.
"Did you see that?" Mira asked, her voice trembling.
"See what?" Thorne grunted.
"Nothing," Kota said quickly. "Keep your eyes on the path. We aren't stopping for ghosts."
The terrain became a labyrinth of jagged stone and narrow crevices. They moved in a tight line. The sound of their breathing was heavy and labored.
A woman began humming inside of Kota's head. The tune was melodic yet haunting. It vibrated against his eardrums from the inside.
"Why are you humming?" Kota asked out loud.
Leiya stopped and looked back at him, her brow furrowed. "What? Who are you talking to?"
Kota shook his head quickly, his face flushing with frustration. "No one. Never mind."
"Careful boy," the voice said in a silky tone. "You don't want to startle your friends."
Kota felt the voice scratching at the base of his skull. It was a low murmur that he couldn't quite understand. It was cold and ancient. A remnant of something that should've stayed buried.
"How much further?" Mira asked, her breath hitching.
"Far," Kota muttered.
He looked back at the trail they'd left behind. The valley below was empty and still, draped in a heavy fog that obscured the forest floor. There was no sign of anyone following them, yet the feeling of being watched persisted, settling deep into Kota's mind.
"The air is getting colder," Leiya said, pulling her cloak tighter as she led them upward.
"Then we move faster," Kota replied.
"Boy," the voice called out again. Its melodic tone shifted into something more inquisitive. "What are you seeking?"
Kota didn't respond. He bit his lip, focusing entirely on the placement of his boots on the jagged shale. He tried to drown out the sound with the rhythm of his own heavy breathing.
"BOY!" the woman yelled inside his skull. Her voice vibrated with a sudden, violent intensity. "Answer me! What are you seeking?"
Kota winced. A sharp spike of pain lanced through his temples, but he kept his jaw locked tight. He refused to give the voice the satisfaction of a reply. He caught Leiya looking at him again, her eyes filled with a mix of dread and confusion, but he merely gestured for her to keep going.
The path led them into the familiar thicket where they'd once fled for their lives. The memory of their desperation hung in the air. The trees loomed like silent witnesses to their past terror.
"We're back here," Leiya whispered, recognizing the massive oak. "This is where we almost lost them."
"I remember," Kota muttered.As they reached the heart of the woods, Kota felt a sudden, sharp pain in his chest. He buckled, catching himself against the cold bark of a tree. His breathing became ragged. His skin took on a deathly pallor.
Suddenly, a faint, wispy vapor began to curl from Kota's skin. Shimmering energy flickered like dying embers. His Yen was starting to leak. The internal pressure of the void was forcing his life essence out through the cracks in his mental armor.
The voice in his head began to laugh. It was a cruel, melodic sound that seemed to feed on his exhaustion. The laughter echoed through his mind, growing louder and more frantic as his energy dissipated into the cold air.
"Your Yen," Thorne hissed, stepping forward as the vapor swirled. "Are you losing control, Kota?"
"I'm fine," he gasped, though his vision was swimming.
"We can't stay here," Thorne warned. "This place feels unstable."
"We've got to pass through it," Leiya said, taking charge. "It's the only way to get back to where we came from.
"They stepped into the deeper shadows. The air inside was freezing, smelling of ozone and ancient dust. Every footstep echoed like a drumbeat. Kota felt a presence moving through him. It was a hunger. A void that wanted to be filled.
"Thorne, Mira, stay close," Leiya commanded. "Don't look at the shadows."
The trees seemed to writhe in the dim light. Mira kept her eyes squeezed shut, holding onto Thorne's cloak for guidance.
"We're almost through," Leiya whispered.They emerged from the other side of the woods, standing on a narrow ledge that overlooked the rolling landscape. In the distance, they could see the small, flickering lights of the settlements they'd passed through days before.
Leiya looked at the exhausted group. "Let's set up camp around here and tomorrow we'll continue on."
She reached into her satchel. "Kota, take the medicine now."
Before Leiya could pass the vial to Kota, the voice in his head spoke with a chilling clarity.
"How long do you plan on running from your truth, boy? That medicine won't contain what is coming and you know that. You can't stop what's coming. But farewell for now, boy!"
The voice screamed the final words in a deafening yell that made Kota stumble. He took the vial with trembling fingers. His eyes were fixed on the darkness.
"I'll come back and level that forest when I'm done gathering answers," Kota said.
In the distance, hidden by the jagged rocks and the shifting fog, a figure watched them. Jaeger Whiteflame stood perfectly still. He'd been secretly following them since they left the doctor's home. He was a silent shadow in the night. He watched the group settle and looked toward the horizon with a heavy gaze.
"I want to join them," Jaeger whispered to the wind. "I want to help the boy."