The path out of the Whispering Tree’s clearing led Elijah and Kael into a narrow canyon, its walls dark and jagged. Mist curled along the ground, obscuring their steps. The forest behind them felt distant, like a memory fading under the weight of impending danger.


“Something’s wrong,” Kael muttered, his hand brushing the hilt of his dagger. “I can feel it.”


Elijah nodded, listening. The wind carried whispers again, but these were sharper, colder — not dragons, but something else. Something alive.


Suddenly, a figure dropped from the canyon wall. She landed silently, crouched on a ledge like a shadow stitched from the night.


“Elijah,” a voice hissed. “The Flame-Bearer travels far.”


Elijah froze. The figure stepped closer, revealing herself: tall, lithe, clad in dark leather and a hood that hid most of her face. Twin daggers gleamed in her hands, their edges catching the faint light of the mist. Her eyes — sharp, amber, and unreadable — locked onto him.


“Who are you?” Elijah demanded, raising his sword instinctively.


She tilted her head. “I am Seris. The Huntress of Shadows. And you… are the boy who carries fire where it does not belong.”


Kael stepped forward, crossbow ready. “And you’re supposed to be…?”


“Dangerous,” Seris said simply. “For both of you.”


Without warning, she lunged. Her movement was a blur, faster than the eye could follow. Kael barely fired a bolt, which she deflected midair with a dagger. Elijah swung his sword, but Seris danced around him, landing strikes that didn’t cut but tested his reflexes.


“You’re fast,” Elijah said, breathing hard.


“I am trained,” she said, voice like steel. “But it’s not speed alone that matters. It’s precision. Control. Knowledge of shadow and strike. And you…” she paused, eyes narrowing, “you have fire. But it burns too much, too wide, too… uncontrolled.”


The words hit him harder than any blow. He tightened his grip on the sword. “I’m learning,” he said.


Seris tilted her head. “Perhaps. But learning isn’t enough. The Vale spreads. Shadows grow. And yet here you wander, untested. I cannot allow you to continue unprepared.”


Kael growled, backing up. “I don’t like the sound of that.”


“You will,” Seris said. “If you live.”


Suddenly, the canyon walls seemed to pulse. Shadows surged up from the ground, curling into grotesque shapes — claws, fangs, and writhing darkness. The Huntress moved with them, blending seamlessly into their forms, attacking with deadly accuracy.


Elijah felt panic rise, but the pendant pulsed warmly against his chest. The flame within answered. He raised the sword, letting the fire flow through him, not outward but around him, forming a protective aura. Shadows shrieked and recoiled.


Seris landed in front of him, eyes piercing. “You feel it, don’t you? The fire listens… but only to you. Control it, or it will consume what you seek to protect.”


Elijah nodded, focusing. He didn’t strike. He didn’t fight. He moved with the fire, guiding its heat to repel the shadows and push them back into the cracks of the canyon floor.


When the last wisp of darkness dissipated, Seris lowered her daggers. “Better,” she said softly. “But not enough. You must learn more than fire, Flame-Bearer. You must learn discipline, strategy… and when to bend, not break.”


Kael exhaled, running a hand down his face. “She’s terrifying.”


Elijah glanced at Seris. “Are you going to… follow us?”


“I am not your ally,” she said. “Nor am I your enemy… not yet. But you will need guidance. And whether you accept it or not, I will be there when the shadows grow.”


She melted into the mist like smoke, leaving only the faint scent of iron and ash behind.


Elijah looked at Kael. “Did she just disappear?”


Kael shook his head. “Welcome to Eldoria, Flame-Bearer. Things just got a lot more complicated.”


Elijah held his sword tighter, heart racing. Somewhere deep in the shadows, he could feel a presence — watching, waiting, patient. And he knew that the Huntress’s words were true.


The Vale was spreading. The shards of dragon fire awaited. And his trials had only just begun.