The Mask of Eternal Dawn

sphere, a heaviness that weighed on her chest as though the world itself were holding its breath. She had neve

sured, his eyes sharp despite the mask that still concealed his face. His presence was a consta

rts of even the bravest warriors. Legends told of those who entered its depths, never to return, their souls lost

the moonlit fields that bordered the forest's edge. "But none of them ever spoke o

of pure magic-wild, untamed, and unpredictable. Those who seek the key are tested. The forest senses your

nown this path would be treacherous, but hearing it spoken alo

an turn your deepest fears against you. But if we're stron

t and clear, began to fade as the canopy of twisted branches blocked out the sky. The air grew colder, damp with the sc

very air was alive, alive with whispers that she couldn't quite hear, just beyond the edge of her unders

mask, were alert, scanning the surroundings with the preci

rotect you from? I've seen you wear it before,

" he said quietly. "It hides my true face from the world. But it does more than that. It keep

ch. "And if we find the key, and you

ncient and unpredictable. The key may release me, but it may a

ack now. The journey had already begun, and with it, Lyra's resolve had soli

. The trees grew gnarled and twisted, their roots snaking across the path like dark veins, while the branches above formed a tangled web t

s a sound so deep, so primal, that Lyra's blood ran c

and tense. He took a step forward, but hi

r eyes glowed faintly, red like embers in the night. They were creatures, twisted by the forest's dark magic, their b

ere wa

lculating their next move. Lyra could feel their eyes on her, and in that moment, she realized that they were not just

e warned, his voice a quiet command. He took a step forward, his

ng figure with jagged limbs and an elongated face, its eyes fixed on Lyr

ere to kill us... yet. The forest tests those who seek the key. It tests your coura

in her chest. "How

"By proving that we're strong enough to

yra's pulse quickened, but she stood firm, feeling Caelan's pres

he drew his sword and swung it with a precision that sent the creature recoil

s voice sharp with urgency. "The forest w

, they would face whatever horrors lay ahead-b