Eloise**
The forest hums with a quiet, otherworldly energy. The deeper we travel, the more I recognize the beauty of what I've created—the towering ancient trees wrapped in silver vines, the air laced with the scent of blooming dusk-lilies. Fireflies dance in hypnotic swirls, their glow casting faint golden trails in the air.
It's breathtaking. It's surreal. It's *mine*.
Yet, despite the wonder, an unsettling feeling lingers in the back of my mind. Something about this part of the world feels *off*, like a melody played just slightly out of tune.
Caius notices my hesitance and steps closer, his hand instinctively resting near his sword hilt. "We're being watched," he murmurs.
Before I can respond, the branches ahead rustle, parting like stage curtains to reveal a figure stepping forward with unnatural grace.
She is stunning. Ethereal.
A woman wrapped in deep sapphire silks, her skin the color of moonlight, her long raven-black hair cascading down her back in glossy waves. Her eyes—sharp and gleaming like polished obsidian—lock onto me with an intensity that makes my breath hitch.
And then—she kneels.
A ripple of magic thrums through the air as she bows her head low, her hands pressed together in a reverent gesture.
"*Creator.*"
The word is spoken with such devotion that it sends a shiver down my spine.
I glance at Caius, but his expression is unreadable. His grip on his sword tightens ever so slightly.
The woman lifts her head, smiling in a way that feels both welcoming and... wrong. There's something about her that makes my stomach twist, like a predator hiding behind silk and perfume.
"I have waited for this moment," she purrs, rising to her feet with a dancer's elegance. "To stand before the one who *birthed* this world."
She steps closer, her dark eyes scanning my face as if memorizing every detail. "You are more beautiful than I imagined, *Creator*."
I swallow hard, trying to suppress the growing unease curling in my gut.
"You know who I am?" My voice is steadier than I feel.
The woman tilts her head, her lips curving in amusement. "Of course."
A soft breeze tugs at her robes, making them ripple like water. "You *made* me, after all."
I stiffen.
Caius moves slightly in front of me, his presence grounding. "And who *are* you?" His voice is sharp, cautious.
The woman doesn't even blink at his protective stance. Instead, she offers a slow, knowing smile.
"I am Lirienne." Her voice is a song, smooth and honeyed. "A humble servant of the *Creator*. I am one of the *Encantes*—a keeper of secrets, a whisperer of fate." She places a delicate hand over her chest. "And I am here to welcome you home."
"*Home?*" I echo.
Lirienne's smile widens, something glittering in her gaze.
"You have no need to wander, my dear," she coos, stepping closer. "Come with me. Stay in my sanctuary, where you will be safe. Where you will be *worshiped* as you deserve."
Her voice drips with sugar and silk, wrapping around me like a slow-moving tide.
Caius shifts, his body coiled like a wolf ready to strike. "She is *not* staying with you."
Lirienne's gaze flickers to him, her amusement deepening. "Ah, the *fallen hero*." Her tone is almost teasing. "So devoted. So *guarded*." She hums thoughtfully. "Is it protection you offer... or possession?"
Caius doesn't flinch, but I see his jaw tighten.
Lirienne turns back to me, as if he is nothing more than a passing inconvenience. "You *belong* with me, Eloise." She takes another step, and I swear the ground shifts beneath us, the air thick with something unseen. "In my care, you will never know loneliness again."
There is something terrifyingly *inviting* about her words, like a lullaby meant to pull me into sleep.
But I am not that naive.
Lirienne is *dangerous*.
I can feel it in my bones.
I square my shoulders, forcing my voice to remain steady. "I appreciate the offer," I say carefully, "but I still have much to see in this world."
Lirienne watches me for a long moment. Then she sighs, as if *disappointed*.
"What a shame." Her fingers trail along the fabric of her sleeve. "I only wish to cherish you." Her dark eyes gleam. "After all, I *love* my creator."
My blood runs cold at the way she says it.
Something tells me her love is the kind that *devours*.
The air thickens—charged with an energy I don't recognize. It's as if the very forest is holding its breath, waiting.
Then, without warning, the earth trembles beneath us. A crackling sound splits through the silence, followed by an explosion of shadow.
A wall of thorned vines erupts from the ground, circling around us like a trap. My breath catches as the world twists in a way it shouldn't, the trees bending impossibly, their branches weaving together to seal any escape.
I whirl back to Lirienne, whose amused expression never wavers.
"*What are you doing?*" I demand, my voice shaking.
Lirienne exhales, tilting her head. "Oh, my sweet *Creator*, why do you resist?" She lifts a hand, and the shadows coil around her fingers like living serpents. "You belong to me."
Something shifts behind me—Caius. His hand grips my wrist, pulling me back just as a whip of darkness lashes toward us. He deflects it with his sword, the force of impact sending a sharp *crack* through the air.
His body tenses. "*Run.*"
My heart pounds. "Caius, no—"
He doesn't give me a choice.
The ground beneath us quakes again, and suddenly, shadows burst from the soil, forming twisted figures—monstrous beings with elongated limbs and hollow eyes.
Nightborn.
Creatures of ancient magic. I had *written* them, but only as myths—things meant to scare children into staying close to their villages.
And yet, here they stand. Real. Moving. Hunting *us*.
"You *dare* interfere?" Lirienne's voice sharpens as she turns her gaze to Caius, dark energy swirling around her hands. "You are nothing more than a relic of suffering, a tragedy meant to fade. Do not think you can stand against *me*."
Caius says nothing—only tightens his grip on his sword.
Then she moves.
Faster than I can comprehend, Lirienne flicks her wrist, and the Nightborn launch themselves at us.
Caius meets them head-on.
The clash of steel and magic erupts in chaos. He fights like a man possessed, his blade a silver blur as he cuts through the creatures, each swing filled with raw, desperate power. But they keep coming.
And then—
Pain.
A sharp, sickening sound fills the air, followed by Caius staggering backward.
A blade of dark energy has pierced his side.
"*Caius!*" My scream rips from my throat as I lunge toward him, but another Nightborn blocks my way.
Blood spills down his armor, staining the earth beneath him. But even as he falters, he *does not fall*.
With a ragged breath, Caius *breaks* the dark blade lodged in his flesh, the shards dissipating into mist. His movements slow, but his resolve does not waver.
He turns to me, eyes burning with determination. "We *have* to go."
I shake my head, panic rising in my chest. "You're hurt—"
"Eloise." His voice is raw, edged with urgency. "*Run.*"
Tears blur my vision. I don't *want* to leave him.
But I *have* to.
With one final slash, Caius clears a path through the chaos. Then, without hesitation, he grabs my hand and pulls me forward, his body shielding mine as we break through the tangle of vines and into the depths of the forest.
Lirienne's enraged voice echoes behind us, but we don't stop.
We *can't*.
Caius is bleeding.
And I know, deep in my bones—this is far from over.