Part 3: The Whispering Path

Armedus pressed forward, his boots crunching against the gravel as the forest seemed to draw closer with each step. The silver band felt cold in his palm, its intricate carvings now glowing faintly in the dim light. He slipped it into his pocket, its weight heavier than it should have been.

The trees whispered again, their rustling branches forming fragmented words. He couldn’t understand them, but their tone was urgent, almost pleading. Armedus stopped and turned in a slow circle, the forest spinning around him as if it were alive.

“Show yourself!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the oppressive silence.

The whispers fell silent, and a thick fog rolled in, swallowing the path ahead. Armedus’ heart pounded as he moved cautiously, the mist curling around him like ghostly fingers.

Then, the ground shifted beneath him. His boot landed on something soft, and he froze. Looking down, he saw the remains of a small animal, its bones twisted unnaturally, as if crushed by an unseen force. The sight sent a shiver up his spine.

“Turn back.”

The voice was sharp, cold, and unmistakably real. Armedus spun around, but no one was there. The fog grew thicker, and the path beneath him began to disappear, swallowed by the encroaching darkness.

“I can’t turn back,” he muttered to himself, gripping the flashlight he’d found earlier. The memory of the cabin—Ellie Ann, the shadows, the ominous figure—pressed heavily on his mind. Whatever this was, it wasn’t over.

He moved forward, each step feeling heavier as if the forest itself were resisting him. Then, the fog parted suddenly, revealing another structure ahead. It wasn’t the cabin but a stone archway, crumbling and ancient. Carved into its surface were symbols that matched the ones on the silver band.

The whispers returned, louder now, their fragmented words aligning into a single phrase:

“Beyond the gate lies truth.”

Armedus hesitated but stepped through the archway. As he did, the ground beneath him seemed to vanish, and he was plunged into a blinding white light.