Crimson & Light: Starting Over In A World Isn't As Easy As It Seems

The group moved cautiously through the forest, the aftermath of the fight with the shadow creature still weighing heavily on their minds. The air was damp, and the faint glow of magical flora illuminated their path, casting flickering shadows that danced like silent specters. The quiet hum of the forest felt heavier now, more oppressive, as if the land itself was watching them.

Merrick led the way, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, ever ready for danger. "We're about half a day's walk from the ruins," he said, his voice low. "Stay alert. If there's one creature out here, there could be more."

Changra trailed near the back, the Crimson Dagger tucked safely into his belt. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over him since the fight. The way the dagger had reacted… it was like it had a mind of its own. He glanced down at it, half-expecting it to start glowing again, but it remained dormant.

Jane walked beside him, clutching her notebook tightly. She seemed quieter than usual, her usually bright demeanor dulled by the tension in the air. "Are you okay?" Changra asked, breaking the silence between them.

Jane nodded, but her grip on the notebook tightened. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… that thing back there. I've never seen anything like it."

"Neither have I," Changra admitted. "And I hope I never do again."

Berethia, walking just ahead of them, turned slightly. "Creatures like that are rare, but they're not unheard of," she said, her voice calm and reassuring. "They're usually remnants of old magic, leftovers from battles long forgotten."

Her words should have been comforting, but there was something in her tone that made Changra uneasy. He shook the thought away, focusing instead on the path ahead.

Liora, Callen, and Tessa walked in a loose formation, their weapons at the ready. Callen, ever the optimist, tried to lighten the mood. "You know, I heard a story once about ruins like these. Supposedly, they're full of treasure—gold, jewels, even magical artifacts."

"Or traps," Tessa said dryly, not looking up from her bowstring as she inspected it.

"Or traps," Callen agreed with a grin. "But come on, wouldn't it be worth it?"

Liora rolled her eyes. "Focus, Callen. We're not here to get rich. We're here to figure out what's happening and make it out alive."

As they continued, the forest began to thin, the dense trees giving way to crumbling stone pillars and overgrown pathways. The ruins loomed in the distance, partially hidden by a veil of mist. They were massive, ancient structures, their once-grand walls now covered in moss and vines. The air here was different—colder, heavier, and filled with a faint, metallic tang.

"This is it," Merrick said, stopping at the edge of the ruins. He turned to face the group, his expression serious. "Stay together. We don't know what we're walking into."

The group nodded, their unease palpable. Even Callen, who had been joking moments before, now looked tense.

They stepped into the ruins, the sound of their footsteps muffled by the soft ground. The pillars rose like skeletal fingers, reaching for the sky. Strange symbols adorned the walls, glowing faintly with an otherworldly light.

Jane couldn't resist pulling out her notebook, sketching the symbols as they walked. "These are… incredible," she whispered. "I've never seen anything like them."

Berethia glanced at the symbols, her expression unreadable. "They're old," she said simply. "Very old."

Changra's gaze lingered on the carvings. They felt familiar in a way he couldn't explain, as if he'd seen them before in a dream. He shook his head, trying to focus. "What do they mean?" he asked.

"Probably warnings," Merrick said, his tone grim. "Or maybe directions. Either way, don't touch anything."

Callen smirked. "You're saying that because someone already touched something once, aren't you?"

Merrick gave him a sharp look. "Yes. And it didn't end well."

The group moved deeper into the ruins, the air growing colder with each step. The faint hum of magic that had followed them through the forest was now a low, steady pulse, like a heartbeat. Changra couldn't tell if it was coming from the ruins or from within himself.

They came to a large courtyard, its center dominated by a massive stone altar. The altar was cracked and weathered, but its surface was clean, as if untouched by time. Surrounding it were more symbols, their glow brighter here, almost pulsing in time with the magical hum.

"This place gives me the creeps," Tessa said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You're not alone," Liora replied, her hand tightening around her sword.

Berethia stepped forward, her eyes fixed on the altar. "This is the heart of the ruins," she said. "Whatever we're looking for, it's here."

Merrick nodded, his expression unreadable. "Spread out and search the area, but stay within sight of each other. And remember—don't touch anything."

As the group began to explore, Changra stayed near the altar, his eyes scanning the symbols. They seemed to shift and move when he wasn't looking directly at them, like they were alive. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were watching him.

"What do you think it is?" Jane asked, coming up beside him.

"No idea," Changra said. "But I don't like it."

Jane nodded, her gaze lingering on the altar. "Me neither."

From across the courtyard, Callen called out, "Hey, I found something!"

The group gathered around him, their curiosity mingled with apprehension. Callen pointed to a small, glowing orb embedded in the wall. It pulsed with a soft, golden light, casting faint shadows across their faces.

"What is it?" Liora asked, her voice tense.

Berethia stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. "It's a containment orb," she said. "Used to trap magical energy or… something worse."

"Something worse?" Changra echoed, his stomach sinking.

Merrick stepped forward, his hand resting on his sword. "Leave it," he said firmly. "We're not here to mess with things we don't understand."

Callen raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. I wasn't gonna touch it."

As the group continued their search, Changra couldn't shake the feeling that the ruins were alive, watching their every move. The symbols seemed to glow brighter now, their light almost pulsing in time with his heartbeat.

The group moved cautiously away from the eerie altar, the weight of the encounter with the shadow still heavy on their shoulders. The flickering light of their torches illuminated the damp, moss-covered walls of the ancient ruin. Every step felt heavier, not just from the physical exertion but from the oppressive air that seemed to grow thicker the deeper they ventured.

Changra walked beside Jane, who clutched her sketchbook tightly against her chest. She was unusually quiet, her usual curious spark dulled by the events. "You alright?" Changra asked, keeping his voice low.

Jane nodded but didn't meet his eyes. "Just thinking… I've never seen anything like that shadow before. It felt... wrong."

"Welcome to missions," Merrick said from the front, his voice gruff but laced with an odd comfort. "You're going to see plenty of 'wrong' out here. You have to learn to push through it."

Berethia trailed just behind Merrick, her expression unreadable. Changra noticed how she moved almost effortlessly, her stride confident yet deliberate. She hadn't said much since the fight, and for some reason, that silence unnerved him more than her usual remarks.

Callen, always the optimistic one, tried to break the tension. "Well, at least we're not facing another one of those things right now. Maybe the ruins will just be some old rocks and treasure. You know, something fun for a change."

Tessa scoffed, her bow slung over her shoulder. "If you think this place has treasure, you're delusional. Places like these? They only hide death."

"Way to keep morale up," Callen muttered, but his grin remained.

Changra couldn't help but smile a little. Despite the heavy atmosphere, Callen's energy was infectious. It reminded him of something—or rather someone—from his past. He tried to shake the thought, focusing instead on the uneven path beneath his feet.

The ruins opened up into a vast corridor, the ceiling high above them and supported by massive, crumbling columns. The walls were etched with strange symbols, their meanings lost to time. Jane stopped to inspect one, running her fingers lightly over the grooves.

"What do you think it means?" Changra asked, stopping beside her.

Jane tilted her head. "It's old magic, that's for sure. But it doesn't look like any of the scripts I've studied before. Maybe it's a ward or a warning."

"Probably both," Berethia said, her voice startling them. She glanced at the symbols, her expression unreadable. "Places like this are usually sealed for a reason."

"Then why are we here?" Tessa asked, her tone sharp. "We're poking at things we don't understand."

"We're here because it's our job," Merrick interjected, his tone firm. "The ruins are tied to the disappearances. If we don't figure out what's going on, more people could die."

That silenced any further complaints, but Changra couldn't help but notice Tessa's hands clench tightly around the strap of her quiver. She wasn't wrong, though. Why were they here, really? And why did Berethia seem so at ease, even with everything that had happened?

The corridor led to a series of branching paths, each darker and more foreboding than the last. Merrick stopped, pulling out a worn map. "Alright," he said. "We need to split up."

The group collectively froze. "That's a terrible idea," Jane blurted out, her face pale.

"Normally, I'd agree," Merrick said. "But we need to cover more ground. There are seven of us. Two per group and one group of three. Keep your torches lit and stay within earshot. If anything happens, yell."

Changra's stomach churned at the thought of splitting up. Memories of the shadow flashed through his mind. "Are you sure about this?"

"We don't have a choice," Merrick said. "Berethia, take Changra. Callen, Liora, Tessa, you're together. Jane, you're with me."

Changra exchanged a glance with Jane, who looked just as uneasy as he felt. "We'll be fine," she said, though her voice lacked conviction.

Berethia placed a hand on Changra's shoulder, her grip firm. "Come on, let's get moving. The sooner we find something, the sooner we're out of here."

The pairs ventured into separate paths, their torchlights flickering as they disappeared into the darkness. Changra and Berethia's corridor was narrow, the walls pressing in on them like the jaws of some unseen beast. The silence was deafening, broken only by the soft crunch of their footsteps.

"So," Berethia said after a while, her tone almost casual. "You're pretty shaken up, huh?"

"I think that's a normal reaction," Changra replied, trying to keep his voice steady. "What about you? You don't seem scared at all."

Berethia chuckled, the sound echoing off the walls. "Fear is just a distraction. It's better to focus on the task at hand."

"That's... oddly comforting," Changra admitted. But something about her words didn't sit right with him. They felt rehearsed, like she'd said them a hundred times before.

They came across another set of carvings, these more intricate than the last. Berethia stopped to inspect them, her fingers tracing the patterns. Changra watched her, noticing how her expression darkened ever so slightly.

"What do you think they mean?" he asked.

Berethia didn't answer immediately. When she finally spoke, her voice was low. "They're seals. They're meant to keep something in."

"Something like the shadow?"

"Maybe," she said, her tone distant. "Or something worse."

Changra's blood ran cold. Worse than the shadow? What else could possibly be lurking in these ruins?

Before he could press further, Berethia straightened up and resumed walking. "Come on," she said. "We need to keep moving."

As they continued, Changra's mind raced. The ruins, the carvings, the shadow… none of it made sense. And why did Berethia seem to know so much about it? She said it was her first time in the ruins, but her confidence suggested otherwise.

The corridor opened into a small chamber, its floor littered with broken stone and debris. In the center stood an old pedestal, its surface cracked but still standing. Berethia approached it cautiously, her torchlight revealing faint etchings on its surface.

"Another seal?" Changra asked.

Berethia nodded, her eyes scanning the room. "But this one's broken. Whatever it was keeping in… it's already out."

Changra swallowed hard, the air in the room suddenly feeling colder. "So what do we do now?"

Berethia didn't answer. She simply turned back toward the corridor. "We keep going. There's more to find."

As they left the chamber, Changra couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking straight into a trap. But whether it was the ruins or Berethia herself, he couldn't tell.