Dawn arrived quietly.
Too quietly.
The golden light of morning stretched across the land, brushing against the palace walls and spilling into the vast training grounds. Normally, it was a sight that brought peace—a sign of balance, of order, of a world still under control.
But today—
It felt like a lie.
Heron stood alone at the far edge of the training grounds, his figure still against the soft wind that passed through the open space. His eyes were fixed on the horizon, but he wasn't truly seeing it.
His mind was elsewhere.
Far below.
He hadn't slept.
Every time he tried, the same thing happened.
Darkness.
A presence.
And that voice.
Come closer…
It echoed endlessly in his thoughts, not loud—but impossible to ignore.
Like something waiting.
Calling.
Heron exhaled slowly, his hand tightening into a fist.
"I'm coming," he said quietly.
"You keep saying that like it's a promise."
Heron turned slightly.
Kaelion approached, his steps calm but deliberate. There was no usual ease in his expression today. His eyes were sharp, observant, watching Heron carefully.
"You didn't sleep either," Kaelion added.
Heron shook his head. "Not really."
Kaelion stopped beside him, folding his arms. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence between them was heavy, filled with unspoken thoughts.
Then Kaelion said, "It's getting stronger."
Heron didn't deny it.
"…Yeah."
Kaelion glanced at him. "That thing… whatever is under the earth… it's not just there."
Heron frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"It's aware," Kaelion said.
That word—
Stayed with him.
Aware.
Heron's chest tightened slightly.
"I know," he admitted.
Another silence followed.
Then Kaelion spoke again.
"And it's connected to you."
Heron looked away.
"I didn't choose that."
"No," Kaelion replied calmly. "But it chose you."
Before Heron could respond—
A strong gust of wind swept across the grounds.
Zephyros appeared, his form stabilizing as the air around him settled.
"Aethrion is calling everyone," he said.
Heron didn't hesitate.
"It's time," he muttered.
Kaelion nodded.
"Yeah… it is."
Moments later, they stood within the council chamber.
The gods were already gathered.
Aethrion stood at the center, his presence commanding, though there was something different today. A weight behind his expression. A seriousness that could not be ignored.
Ignivar stood nearby, flames flickering faintly around him. Solvyn and Calyra stood together, their expressions calm but focused. Veyra rested her hand lightly against the stone wall, her connection to the earth clearly active.
And Thalor—
Watched.
Silent.
Still.
"You will go," Aethrion said without delay.
Heron stepped forward slightly.
"To the village?"
Aethrion nodded.
"The disturbance has intensified. We need confirmation."
Kaelion crossed his arms. "So we observe."
"Yes," Ignivar said firmly. "Observe only. We do not engage unless absolutely necessary."
Heron nodded.
But something deep inside him—
Disagreed.
The journey began immediately.
With Zephyros guiding them, the wind carried the group swiftly across the land. The ground below passed in a blur—forests, hills, rivers—until finally—
They arrived.
The village felt… empty.
Heron stepped forward slowly.
The silence was overwhelming.
Doors were left open.
Cloth drifted gently in the wind.
Tools lay scattered where they had been abandoned.
"They left in a hurry," Kaelion said quietly.
Veyra nodded. "The earth forced them to."
Heron looked around.
No signs of struggle.
No destruction.
Just—
Fear.
Then—
They reached the river.
Everything changed.
The air turned cold instantly.
Heavy.
Unnatural.
Heron's chest tightened.
The river was no longer clear.
It had turned dark—almost black—its surface constantly shifting, twisting as if something beneath it refused to stay still.
A deep sound echoed.
Low.
Ancient.
Ignivar stepped forward. "Stay alert."
Zephyros hovered slightly above the ground. "Yeah… this is definitely not normal."
Thalor said nothing.
But his gaze—
Never left the water.
Heron stepped forward.
The moment he got closer—
The pull hit him.
Stronger than ever before.
It wasn't just a feeling now.
It was a force.
"Heron," Kaelion warned.
But Heron didn't stop.
Step.
The water rippled.
Step.
The surface twisted.
Step.
It reacted to him.
"It's calling me…" Heron said softly.
The river responded.
Not like water.
Like something alive.
Aethrion stepped forward instantly. "That's far enough."
Heron stopped.
But the connection didn't.
It surged.
Suddenly—
The ground trembled.
Cracks spread across the riverbank.
The water began to rise.
Faster than before.
"Move back!" Ignivar shouted.
Everyone stepped away—
Except Heron.
He couldn't.
The water twisted upward into a spiraling mass of darkness.
A shape formed within it.
Massive.
Unclear.
Alive.
Heron's breathing became uneven.
His eyes locked onto it.
He could see it now.
Not fully.
But enough.
Something enormous beneath the surface.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then—
The voice returned.
Clear.
Close.
"You have come…"
Heron froze.
"That wasn't just you, right?" Kaelion said sharply.
But Heron didn't answer.
He couldn't.
The water exploded upward.
A massive surge shot into the air as the river parted unnaturally. The shape beneath pushed closer, its presence overwhelming everything around it.
Even the gods reacted.
Ignivar's flames flared.
Zephyros pulled back.
Veyra's expression tightened.
And Thalor—
For the first time—
Looked uneasy.
Heron stepped forward.
"Heron, STOP!" Kaelion shouted.
Too late.
The surface broke.
A massive form pressed just beneath it.
A glowing mark pulsed within the darkness.
It moved.
Toward him.
"It knows me…" Heron whispered.
Then—
CRACK.
The ground beneath him split open.
"HERON!" Aethrion's voice thundered.
But Heron didn't hear.
The voice filled everything.
"Come… closer…"
Heron stepped forward—
And the world beneath him vanished.
He fell.
Into darkness.