The forest loomed before them like a slumbering beast- silent, thick and unwelcoming. Mist drifted between the trees and soft wind carried the scent of rot. The heirs stood at the edge their expressions grim. For hours they had combed the nearby areas for any sign of general Lucian, but all paths lead to this forest.
"We can't move on without him," Ayden said firmly. Lucian is a soldier not a ghost, he must have left tracks.
One of the heirs nodded nervously. "But this forest... it's not on any map. Are we sure... he came this way?"
Ammon gaze lingered on the trees ahead. The forest didn't feel right- every branch seemed to bend inward, every rustle whispers warning. Still, he felt a something pulling him forward, a strange certainty that Lucian was inside.
Without further debate, the heirs entered.
The air grew colder almost immediately. The sunlight faded behind the thick canopy, the shadows stretched unnaturally long. The deeper they went- the more quiet it became, even their footsteps felt distant as though the forest was swallowing the noise.
Then the fog thickened.
Within moments, the others faded from sight.
"Ayden..., Ammon voice was tight. They are gone."
Ayden spun, calling out for the others, but got no reply. The mist had devoured every sound, every traces of life beyond them.
We need to move, Ayden said drawing out his sword. "Stay close."
They walked deeper into the white haze. The ground beneath their boots pulsed faintly, as though the forest had a heartbeat.
Ammon breath grew shallow. He could feel eyes on him- something unseen but impossibly near. The deeper, they went the more distorted the forest became. Trees twisted into unnatural shapes.
"This place is not real", Ayden muttered. "It's-".
A branch snapped behind them.
They froze. Slowly, they turned.
Through the fog, a figure appeared. Each step echoed hollowly on the forest floor, heavy and deliberate. Ammon's hand tightened on his sword.
The figure outline became clearer- tall, armoured and familiar.
When the mist finally broke, Ammon's voice caught.
"Lucian..." he whispered.
The general stood before them, his armour blackened as though scorched by fire. His eyes glimmered faintly, an unnatural light burning behind them. His face was calm- too calm- and his voice, when it came, was low and wrong, echoing slightly as though another spoke beneath it.
"You shouldn't have come," he said.
The forest went still.
Mist coiled around his feet like smoke and the faint hum of something dark pulsed in the air. Ammon felt the weight of those words sink into him- part warning, part threat.
Then, before either could respond, the fog thickened again, swallowing the general whole.
And the forest fell silent once more.