Lyra and Kael exchanged a nervous glance. They had heard the whispers of the ancient ones' dark past, of the atrocities they had committed in their quest for power. The stories spoke of entire cities burned to ashes, of rivers turned to blood, and of skies that wept tears of fire.

The ancient ones began to move, their steps slow and deliberate, as if they were savoring the fear that radiated from Lyra and Kael. The forest around them grew darker, the shadows deepening and twisting into that seemed to reach out to ensnare them.