Into the Shadows

Chapter 78: Into the Shadows

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Luna and Asher set out for the forest, their minds focused and their senses heightened. The air was thick with tension, the kind that precedes a storm. The villagers had shared their fears, and it was up to Luna and Asher to bring back a sense of safety and order.

Jarek joined them, his experience and strength a welcome addition. "We'll need to be on high alert," he said, scanning the darkening forest. "The symbols you've described... they point to an ancient and malevolent force."

The trio moved silently, their footsteps muffled by the thick carpet of leaves. As they ventured deeper, the familiar sounds of the forest were replaced by an eerie silence, broken only by the occasional rustle of unseen creatures.

They soon came across the first of the symbols. Etched deeply into the bark of an old oak tree, the markings seemed to pulse with a dark energy. Asher's childhood nightmares came flooding back, and he could almost