SWNOVELS Chapter 77
The last name caused an uproar, but Lyra stood firm. “His knowledge will be crucial if we’re to navigate the nexus point safely. And this will be his chance to prove his loyalty to our cause.”
As the council reluctantly agreed to the plan, Lyra couldn’t shake a feeling of unease. She caught Fenris’s eye, seeing her own concerns mirrored in his expression. They were taking a huge risk, but with the fate of their world hanging in the balance, what choice did they have?
The next few days were a whirlwind of preparation. Maps were studied, supplies gathered, and strategies debated late into the night. Through it all, Lyra found herself watching Veridian closely, searching for any sign of deception. But her former mentor seemed genuinely committed to their cause, working tirelessly to prepare them for what they might face in the Whispering Gorge.
On the eve of their departure, Lyra stood once more atop the watchtower, gazing out at the starlit sky. The constellations, once familiar friends, now seemed alien and distant in the aftermath of the shadow realm’s incursion.
“Trouble sleeping?” Aelindra’s soft voice broke through Lyra’s reverie. The elven archer moved to stand beside her, her keen eyes scanning the horizon out of habit.
“Just thinking,” Lyra replied, offering a small smile. “Tomorrow could change everything.”
Aelindra nodded, her expression thoughtful. “You’re taking a great risk, trusting Veridian. Not everyone agrees with your decision.”
Lyra sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I know. But if there’s even a chance his information is genuine, we have to pursue it. The alternative is spreading ourselves too thin, risking everything on multiple fronts.”
“And if it is a trap?” Aelindra asked, her voice gentle but probing.
“Then we’ll deal with it,” Lyra said firmly. “That’s why I’ve chosen this team. Each of us brings something unique to the table. Together, we stand the best chance of success, no matter what we encounter.”
Aelindra placed a comforting hand on Lyra’s shoulder. “Your faith in people is admirable, my friend. I just hope it doesn’t lead us to ruin.”
As dawn broke the next morning, the small expedition set out. Lyra led the way, her staff glowing faintly with protective magic. Fenris flanked her, his senses alert for any sign of danger. Aelindra brought up the rear, her bow at the ready. And in the middle, looking both excited and nervous, walked Veridian.
Their journey took them through lands twisted by the shadow realm’s influence. Once- verdant forests now stood as petrified husks, their branches reaching toward the sky like gnarled fingers. Strange, bioluminescent fungi carpeted the forest floor, casting an eerie glow over their path.
As they traveled, Veridian shared more of what he had learned about the nexus point. “The Whispering Gorge is said to be a place where the veil between worlds is at its thinnest,” he explained. “Ancient texts speak of it as a source of both great power and terrible danger.”
“What kind of danger?” Fenris growled, his hackles rising at the ominous description.
Veridian’s expression grew troubled. “The texts weren’t specific. But they warned of guardians, entities that protect the nexus point from those who would abuse its power.”
Lyra frowned, her grip tightening on her staff. “And how do we prove our intentions are pure?”
“I’m… not entirely sure,” Veridian admitted. “But I believe the key lies in the balance between light and shadow. We’ll need to work together, using both my knowledge of the shadow realm and your mastery of light magic.”
As they pressed on, Lyra couldn’t shake a growing sense of unease. The air seemed to thicken around them, charged with an energy that set her teeth on edge. Strange whispers echoed at the edge of hearing, just beyond comprehension.
On the third day of their journey, they crested a hill and found themselves looking down into a vast chasm. The Whispering Gorge stretched before them, a gash in the earth that seemed to devour the very light around it. Swirling mists obscured its depths, and the whispers that had haunted their journey grew louder, more insistent. “We’re here,” Veridian breathed, his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and fear.
As they began their descent into the gorge, the whispers coalesced into words, fragments of sentences that teased at the edge of understanding. Lyra found herself straining to make sense of them, even as another part of her warned against listening too closely.
“Everyone stay alert,” she cautioned, her voice tight with tension. “We don’t know what we’re dealing with here.”
They had nearly reached the bottom of the gorge when Fenris suddenly froze, his nostrils flaring. “Wait,” he growled, his eyes scanning the mist-shrouded rocks around them. “Something’s not right.”
Before Lyra could respond, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble. The whispers rose to a deafening crescendo, and the mists parted to reveal a sight that stole the breath from their lungs.
Rising from the depths of the gorge was a colossal entity, its form shifting and writhing like living shadow. Eyes like burning coals regarded them with ancient, alien intelligence.
“Who dares to seek the heart of the nexus?” The entity’s voice resonated through their very beings, each word laden with power.
Lyra stepped forward, her heart pounding but her voice steady. “We come seeking a way to save our world from the encroaching shadow realm.”
The entity’s gaze seemed to pierce through her, seeing past flesh and bone to the very core of her being. “Noble intentions,” it rumbled. “But the path you seek is not for the faint of heart. To access the nexus point, a sacrifice must be made.”
“What kind of sacrifice?” Aelindra asked, her bow half-raised in uncertain defense.
The entity’s form rippled, and suddenly Lyra found herself unable to move. A crushing pressure surrounded her, lifting her off her feet. “A life freely given,” the entity intoned. “A soul to bridge the gap between worlds.”
Panic seized Lyra as she struggled against the invisible force. She could hear Fenris snarling, Aelindra notching an arrow. But it was Veridian’s voice that cut through the chaos.
“Wait!” he cried out, stepping forward with his hands raised. “Take me instead.”
The pressure around Lyra eased, allowing her to drop back to the ground. She stared at Veridian in shock. “What are you doing?”
Veridian’s eyes met hers, filled with a mixture of regret and determination. “Atoning for my mistakes,” he said softly. Then, louder, to the entity: “I offer myself willingly. My life in exchange for access to the nexus point.”
The entity seemed to consider this for a long moment. Then, with a sound like thunder, it spoke again. “Very well. The sacrifice is accepted.”
Before anyone could react, tendrils of shadow shot out, enveloping Veridian. He let out a single, startled gasp before vanishing into the swirling darkness.
As quickly as it had appeared, the entity retreated, leaving behind an eerie silence.
Where it had stood, a shimmering portal now hung in the air, pulsing with otherworldly energy.
Lyra stared at the spot where Veridian had been, her mind reeling. “He… he saved me,” she whispered, unable to fully process what had just happened.