Chapter 16: Whispers Beneath the Roots
The map burned in Elric's mind all night. He sat hunched over the scroll by candlelight, tracing the faded lines again and again, looking for something he had missed.
Lira leaned against the doorframe. "You're planning to go, aren't you?"
"I have to," he said, not looking up. "The sigil wasn't just a warning. It was a message... and an invitation."
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By morning, they were already deep within the forest. The air was damp, thick with moss and memories. Birds didn't sing there. Even the wind held its breath.
The marked spot on the map led to a sunken patch of earth. Trees curved unnaturally away from it, as if unwilling to grow near.
Elric stepped forward and knelt, brushing away the leaves.
Beneath them was stone—not natural. A slab, marked with faded carvings in a language he barely recognized.
The language from his dreams had started whispering.