Veilstrum

The intelligent Nullborn had emerged from the shadows, its jagged, alien voice filling the air. Arkan gripped the shard tightly, its pulse synchronizing with his rapid heartbeat. Around him, the survivors were paralyzed by fear, and even Kaelith, for all her bravado, seemed unnerved by the creature's presence.

It spoke again, its voice jagged and cold. "Shard-bearer. Weaver. You cannot run from the void. Your light will flicker, then die."

Kaelith's blade gleamed in her hand as she stepped between Arkan and the creature. "Enough with the theatrics. If you want the shard, come take it."

"Kaelith, wait!" Arkan shouted, but the creature moved faster than words.

The Nullborn lunged, its shadowy form twisting like smoke, and Kaelith met it head-on, her blade slicing through its mass. The impact sent a shockwave through the clearing, forcing the survivors to scatter.

"We have to move!" Kaelith yelled, parrying another strike from the creature.

Arkan turned to the group of survivors, panic tightening in his chest. "Everyone, head for the trail! Follow it uphill!" he shouted. "We'll cover you!"

The survivors hesitated, their fear rooting them in place. "Go!" Kaelith barked, her voice cutting through the chaos like a blade.

Reluctantly, the survivors began to retreat into the forest, guided by the older man who had taken charge of the group earlier. Arkan caught sight of a teenage boy he had seen earlier, his wide eyes darting between the Nullborn and the forest.

"Go with them!" Arkan urged, but the boy hesitated, his gaze lingering on the Nullborn.

Arkan's pulse quickened as the boy raised his left hand. A dark mark, an unfamiliar sigil, glowed faintly on his wrist, barely visible under his sleeve. For a split second, Arkan's vision blurred, and a network of dark, twisted threads materialized around the boy. They pulsed ominously, coiling tightly around his heart like chains, connected to something far more sinister than Arkan could comprehend.

The threads faded as quickly as they had appeared, but the chilling impression they left lingered in Arkan's mind. Something wasn't right about the boy.

"Go with them!" Arkan urged again, his voice more forceful. "Keep them safe."

The boy hesitated for a moment longer, his eyes wide with uncertainty, before finally darting after the group, disappearing into the woods.

Kaelith struck hard, her blade biting into the creature's form, but it merely reformed, its glowing eyes narrowing with malice. Arkan stumbled back, the shard blazing in his hand as he instinctively wove threads of light to deflect a shadowy tendril.

"Into the cavern!" Kaelith shouted, motioning toward the jagged rock formation nearby.

Arkan hesitated, glancing back toward the retreating survivors. But the Nullborn pressed closer, its presence suffocating, and Kaelith grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the cavern.

The Nullborn gave chase, its movements unnervingly swift and fluid. As they entered the cavern, Kaelith turned, slamming her blade into the ground and releasing a burst of light that momentarily forced the creature back.

"That'll buy us a minute," she muttered, her breathing heavy.

Arkan's gaze lingered on the entrance, his thoughts with the survivors who had fled. "Do you think they made it?"

Kaelith didn't look at him, her eyes fixed on the dark tunnel ahead. "They've got a better chance than we do right now."

The shard pulsed in Arkan's hand, its light growing stronger as though pulling him deeper into the cavern. The walls shimmered faintly, reflecting its glow, and he could feel a strange energy emanating from the depths.

"We're not alone in here," Kaelith said, her voice low and tense.

Arkan swallowed hard, his grip on the shard tightening. "What now?"

Kaelith glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "Now, we find out if this shard of yours can do more than light the way."

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