Ascension of the Eternal Game-Chapter 52: The Guide’s Secret

Lyra Vex led her companions through the Whispering Woods, the boy's small silhouette darting ahead like a wisp of smoke. Finn, he'd called himself—a survivor of a village torched by the Shadowveil. His dark hair hung in tangled strands over eyes that seemed too old for his slight frame, and Lyra couldn't shake the unease that coiled in her gut. The Heart of Eryndor lay somewhere ahead, within the temple Finn promised to find, but every rustle of leaves felt like a warning.

Thorne trudged beside her, his broad shoulders tense beneath his leather armor. "I don't like this, Lyra," he muttered, his voice a low growl. "The kid's twitchy. Could be leading us straight into a trap."

"I know," she replied, her gaze locked on Finn's back. "But he's our best chance at the temple. We can't turn back now."

From behind, Kael's sharp voice sliced through the damp air. "Assuming he even knows where he's going. These woods are a cursed labyrinth."

Elara's calm tone followed, steady as ever. "The runes are guiding us. Trust in that, if not in him."

Mikey's small hand brushed Lyra's, his voice bright despite the gloom. "He seems scared, like us. Maybe he's telling the truth."

Lyra squeezed his hand, forcing a smile. "Maybe, kid. But we stay sharp." Her words felt hollow, drowned by the faint hiss slithering through her mind—the Devourer's whisper, always lurking since they'd entered these woods.

The trees grew denser as they pressed on, their gnarled branches weaving a canopy that swallowed the sky. The air thickened with the scent of moss and a faint, metallic tang of mana. Shadows danced in the corners of Lyra's vision, and the soft chorus of unseen creatures echoed through the undergrowth. Finn moved with purpose, his steps light but erratic, as if he feared the ground might betray him.

Suddenly, he froze, his small frame rigid. "Wait. Something's wrong."

Lyra's hand flew to her sword hilt. "What is it?"

He pointed ahead, where the narrow path split into three identical trails, each vanishing into a shroud of mist. "The way is... shifting," he said, his voice trembling. "The woods are testing us."

Kael stepped forward, his lean form taut with focus. "An illusion. The true path's hidden."

Elara raised her staff, its tip glowing faintly as she murmured an incantation. "I can try to dispel it."

Before she finished, a cold whisper curled through Lyra's skull. "Lost... you're all lost..." She flinched, her grip tightening until her knuckles whitened. The Devourer's voice struck like a blade, sharper now, feeding on her doubt.

Thorne noticed, his dark eyes narrowing. "Lyra?"

"It's nothing," she lied, shoving the whisper down. "Focus."

Elara's spell flared, a pulse of light cutting through the mist. Two paths dissolved like smoke, leaving a single trail winding deeper into the woods. "There," she said, her voice steady. "That should be the way."

Finn nodded, though his hands shook. "Yes... that feels right."

They moved forward, but the forest rebelled. The trees groaned, their trunks twisting and bending, branches snapping together like jaws. The path behind them sealed shut, and ahead, a maze of shifting wood emerged, roots snaking across the ground to snare their feet.

"Keep going!" Lyra shouted, her heart hammering. "Don't let it trap us!"

They ran, dodging branches that lashed like whips. Thorne hacked at a root with his axe, grunting as it recoiled. Kael darted ahead, his dagger flashing to sever a tendril aiming for Mikey. Elara's staff pulsed, holding back the encroaching shadows, while Finn clung close, his breath ragged.

The whisper struck again, louder, venomous. "You'll never escape... you're mine..." Lyra stumbled, her vision blurring as the voice clawed at her mind. She saw flashes—dark tendrils, a gaping maw—but Thorne's hand caught her arm, yanking her forward.

"Stay with me, Lyra," he growled, his grip a lifeline.

She nodded, shaking off the haze, and they burst into a clearing. The trees stilled, their oppressive weight lifting. Finn doubled over, panting. "We're close. The temple's just ahead."

Lyra scanned the clearing, her chest tight. The air hummed with mana, heavier now, and the faint outline of stone peeked through the trees. But something felt off—too quiet, too still.

Thorne wiped sweat from his brow, his axe still in hand. "You'd better be right, kid."

Finn straightened, pointing. "There. See it?"

They crept forward, the temple emerging from the mist—a towering relic of weathered stone, its arches carved with runes long faded by time. Statues of cloaked figures flanked its entrance, their faces eroded but stern. Lyra's skin prickled; this was no sanctuary. It felt like a tomb.

Kael tilted his head, his voice dry. "Well, it's not subtle. You'd think the Gatekeepers would've hidden it better."

"It's not hidden," Elara murmured, her staff dimming. "It's waiting."

Mikey tugged at Lyra's sleeve. "Finn, how do you know this place?"

The boy hesitated, his eyes darting away. "I... I've been here before. When the Shadowveil came, some of us hid nearby. I saw them go in."

Thorne's jaw tightened. "And you didn't think to mention that?"

Before Finn could answer, a shadow moved ahead—a figure in tattered armor, its eyes glowing with a sickly yellow light. A Shadowveil scout. It raised a horn to its lips, but Kael's dagger flew, sinking into its throat. The scout crumpled, a faint bleat escaping as it fell.

"Damn it," Thorne muttered. "They know we're here."

Lyra whirled on Finn, her voice sharp. "Is there another way in?"

He nodded frantically. "Yes, a side entrance. Follow me."

They raced along the temple's edge, the sounds of rustling armor and distant shouts growing louder. Lyra's pulse thundered, the Devourer's whisper a dull hum beneath her fear. As they rounded a corner, the temple loomed closer, its side pocked with vines and cracked stone. Finn pointed to a narrow gap half-hidden by overgrowth. "There!"

But as they neared, the ground trembled, and a figure stepped from the shadows—a cloaked mage, its hands wreathed in crackling dark energy. Its hood obscured its face, but its voice slithered like oil. "Welcome, heroes. The Shadowveil has been expecting you."

Lyra drew her sword, the blade singing as it cleared its sheath. Thorne raised his axe, Kael palmed another dagger, and Elara's staff flared anew. Mikey shrank behind Lyra, his small gasp barely audible.

The mage laughed, a hollow sound. "You've walked into our grasp. The Heart will be ours."

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.

Finn's hand tugged at Lyra's sleeve, his whisper urgent. "The passage—it's real. I can show you. But we have to go now."

Lyra met Thorne's gaze, his doubt mirroring her own. The mage raised its hands, dark tendrils spiraling outward, and the woods behind them erupted with the clamor of approaching Shadowveil forces. They were surrounded—temple ahead, enemies closing in.

"Lyra," Thorne said, his voice low. "Your call."

She glanced at Finn, his wide eyes pleading, then at the mage, its power swelling. Fight or flee? Trust the boy or carve their own path? The air thickened, the tendrils inching closer.

"Make your choice," the mage hissed. "Your time is up."