Shadows closed in from all sides, as if the very air had thickened and grown heavy. Every step the strangers took echoed in their ears, mixing with the rustle of the wind and the crunch of branches beneath their feet.

— “Get ready,” Tarion whispered, tensing his shoulders.

Figures emerged from the darkness: tall, cloaked in scorched garments, their faces hidden behind cracked wooden masks. Their movements were subtly broken, as if their bodies were guided not by will, but by someone else’s memory.

One spirit stepped forward, lifting a hand that glowed faintly with pale blue light from within.

— “You... are not the ones... who have the right...” came a rasping voice, woven from wind and forgotten words.

Tarion stepped forward. His fingers lit with the gentle fire of resonance — warmth spread through his arms, and even the ground beneath his feet trembled.

— “We seek the path,” he said firmly. “I am the son of one who once swore to protect this land.”

The spirits shifted. Some froze. Others growled, grinding phantom teeth.

— “Prove it…” the voice came again. “Prove it with blood and light.”

Without warning, the first spirit lunged, moving with terrifying speed. Its shadow stretched out like a claw, aiming to snatch Tarion.

— “Look out!” Laina shouted, and with a wave of her hand, summoned a transparent wall of air before him.

The force of the impact cracked the barrier — but it held.

Maili was already casting: silvery spirals flared around her hands. She murmured ancient words, and from the ground, long vines erupted, entangling the legs of the advancing spirits.

— “They’re bound to this place!” she cried. “You can’t kill them with power alone — you have to break the connection!”

— “How?!” Tarion shouted, dodging a second blow.

Laina dashed to the obelisk. Her eyes shimmered with tension. She spotted it — a small orb glowing with misty light at the top of the stone.

— “Tarion! The orb! It controls them!”

Tarion understood instantly. Wasting no time, he sprang toward the obelisk. The spirits howled — long and mournful, as if sensing their end.

He reached for the orb — but in that instant, the most powerful of the spirits blocked his path. Its twisted face showed a mixture of despair and fury.

— “You mustn’t… you’ll destroy… us…” it whispered.

For a heartbeat, Tarion hesitated. But Laina and Maili were already beside him, their powers entwined in light and wind, holding the spirits at bay.

Tarion placed his hand on the orb. His magic responded — the flame of his soul met the forgotten energy of the ancient obelisk.

A flash.

The world around them shuddered.

The spirits froze. Their forms began to dissolve into the air, like ashes finally finding peace.

The clearing fell into sudden silence. The mist dispersed, and the sky above grew brighter than it had been at any point on their journey.

Tarion breathed heavily, bracing himself against the obelisk.

Laina came to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

— “You did it. They’re free.”

Maili stood a few steps away, watching golden light pour through the torn veil of clouds.

— “And we, too, have taken a step forward,” she said softly. “But deeper shadows await us still.”

Tarion lifted his head.

He knew the path to the truth about his father was only just beginning.