Whispers Beyond The Shore

The night was heavy and silent, as if the entire forest had held its breath. Darkness draped like a thick curtain between the trees, embracing the small cabin with solemn dread, while faint moonlight barely brushed the roof. Inside, the silence was suffocating—deep and absolute—like the hush before a storm.

Eirelyn sat on the straw bed, her arms wrapped tightly around the pendant hanging from her chest—now a burden too heavy to ignore. Her eyes were fixed on the carved symbols, sinking into their curves as if they might reveal what words could not. The phantom that had appeared, the voice that rose from nothingness—it left a mark that could never be erased. It wasn't just a message. It was a door to a truth she wasn't ready to face: the name Nemora, the shop, Kailon... and the warning that still echoed in her mind—"Do not let the pendant fall into the wrong hands."

Since that moment, staying here had ceased to be an option. Leaving wasn't a risk anymore—it was a necessity.

In the days that followed, Eirelyn began preparing in silence. Bits of stale bread and dried fruit were wrapped carefully in cloth, as though she were packing for a journey with no return. At night, she would sneak outside, her bare feet memorizing the soil, tracing the shape of the land, counting trees, searching for the shortest path. She had no map—but something within her pulsed with direction. A quiet pull… toward Nimora.

But she wasn't the only one preparing.

There was another kind of silence—unsettling and slow—wrapping itself around Sarenya. Something in her had shifted. She watched more, spoke less, and smiled even less. But every time her gaze caught the pendant… it gleamed.

And then came that night.

Eirelyn stood before the door, cloak wrapped tightly around her, heart pounding like a warning drum. Her hand reached for the handle—on the brink of slipping away—

"Where do you think you're going?"

The voice cut through the dark like an arrow. She froze.

Slowly, she turned. There—among the shadows—stood Sarenya. She held no lamp. Made no sound as she approached. But her eyes gleamed with a sharpness that said she already knew.

"You thought you were clever?"

She stepped forward, her shadow swallowing the ground.

"Did you go down to the cellar? Did you read my book?"

She paused, then spoke slowly, like casting a net.

"Did you find what you were looking for? Do you understand the value of the pendant you carry?"

Eirelyn didn't answer. Her heart beat too loud for speech, her breath shallow with fear.

Sarenya sighed—almost tired—and her voice shifted. The mask slipped.

"I thought you were weaker than this. You've disappointed me."

Then, she raised her hand—and the magic revealed itself.

It wasn't a gentle light… It was a deep, violet glow, as if drawn from nightmares. Thin threads unraveled from her palm—transparent like smoke—dancing like serpents in the air, hissing with silent malice. The air dropped in temperature, and the damp turned to shivers.

"Give me the pendant. NOW."

Eirelyn stepped back. One pace… then another.

Sarenya moved closer.

"I SAID, GIVE IT TO ME!"

Finally, her voice broke free—weak, confused, but defiant:

"Why? You said you didn't know who I was... Why does the pendant matter so much to you?"

Sarenya smiled—a smile sharp as broken glass.

"Because it's not just a pendant. It's an enchantment… a relic of a forgotten age. It belongs to the bloodline of the White Witches. And you—may be the last."

A quiet gasp escaped Eirelyn's lips.

"When I found you, I wasn't sure. Maybe you'd lost your memory. Maybe you were a ghost in her body. But you kept it. You opened the book. You revealed yourself. I couldn't take the risk. So I waited… until now."

Her tone darkened, sharpened.

"Give it to me… or DIE."

She raised her hand—and cast the first spell.

A mass of violet-black energy, coiled like a living thing, shot toward Eirelyn like a spear.

And in that heartbeat—between terror and instinct—something surged within her.

"No… I won't die again. Not after being given another chance… I REFUSE!"

Without thought, Eirelyn's hand rose.

And the light erupted.

A transparent shield—crystal-like—bloomed into the air, deflecting the blast. The energy ricocheted around the room like a thunderclap, shaking the hearth, scattering embers.

Sarenya gasped—but did not hesitate. She cast again.

This one came faster. Stronger.

Eirelyn tried to dodge—but not fast enough.

A piercing pain sliced through her arm. She fell to the floor, blood running down her shoulder.

Her body trembled. Her breath came in ragged bursts. Fear crawled through her like ice.

She clutched the pendant.

There was nothing left but hope.

A whisper left her lips—barely a breath.

"Help me… anything…"

The pendant trembled in her hands.

The air shifted.

The entire cabin shook.

Then—an explosion of blue light.

A magical surge burst from her chest, shattering the table, toppling shelves, and hurling Sarenya against the far wall, where she crashed beneath the rubble.

The cabin groaned.

It was falling apart.

Eirelyn knelt on the floor, breath shallow, eyes fixed on Sarenya's broken form.

Under the debris… she moved.

Her face was smeared with blood, her shoulder dripping—but she laughed.

"You think that was enough? The pendant doesn't obey you... and your end is near."

Then her eyes rolled back.

And she collapsed.

Eirelyn stood—barely. One last look at her… and then she ran.

Out of the collapsing cabin, smoke curling behind her, the stench of fire swallowing the forest.

She ran—bleeding, gasping—until she reached the riverbank.

The water was cold. But not as cold as what she had just escaped.

She knelt, letting it wash her wounds. Let it cool her breath.

And then she remembered.

Her hand reached up. Fingers brushed the pendant.

She whispered:

"Show me the way…to Nemora."

In the air, strands of glowing magic began to weave before her eyes.

A map… written in starlight.

A beginning point—and a path pulsing forward.

Around her neck… a pendant.

In her chest… a spark.

And in her eyes… the first step toward destiny.

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