ThE MISSING ORACLE

The Stranger in Black

lay brown and lifeless, while anxious villagers huddled around nearly dry wells.

The kingdom was in pain.

And with each passing day, hope seemed to slip further away.

By evening, Amara arrived at a small roadside inn on the edge of the northern forest. Worn out, she stepped inside to find a place to rest for the night.

The inn buzzed with travelers, merchants, and hunters. Lively conversations filled the air, most revolving around the missing Oracle and the bizarre disasters plaguing Amandi.

Amara settled into a quiet corner, keeping her hood pulled low.

As she enjoyed her meal, her gaze fell on a man sitting alone by the fireplace.

He was clad entirely in black.

His cloak obscured most of his face, but his piercing eyes seemed to scrutinize everyone in the room.

There was something about him that felt off.

Almost like she knew him.

Moments later, the stranger rose and made his way directly to her.

Amara's instincts kicked in, and she instinctively reached for the small knife tucked beneath her cloak.

The man halted at her table.

"You should be careful with that scroll," he said in a calm voice.

A chill ran down Amara's spine.

"How do you know about the scroll?" she shot back.

The stranger glanced around before lowering his voice.

"Because I've been searching for it for many years."

Amara sprang to her feet.

"Who are you?"

He pulled back his hood, revealing a face marked by old scars and streaks of silver in his dark hair.

"My name is Kael," he said. "And I once served the Oracle."

Amara stared at him, He settled into the chair across from her, tension crackling in the air.

"The Oracle knew this day would come. She spent years preparing for it."

Amara felt her heart race.

"Then tell me where she is."

A shadow flickered across Kael's face.

"If I knew that, I would have found her by now."

For a brief moment, silence enveloped them.

Then Kael leaned in closer.

"What did the hidden scroll say?"

Amara hesitated, uncertainty gnawing at her.

Could she really trust him?

Yet there was something in his gaze that felt sincere.

With caution, she began to share the prophecy.

As he absorbed her words, his expression darkened.

"I feared as much," he murmured.

"What does it mean?" Amara pressed.

Kael turned his gaze to the window, where shadows loomed over the forest.

"It means the ancient enemy might be making a comeback."

Amara's brow furrowed.

"Ancient enemy?"

"The same force that almost wiped out Amandi centuries ago. The First Oracle sealed it away, but that seal relied on secrets known only to the Oracle of Dawn."

A shiver ran down Amara's spine.

"Is that why she vanished?"

"Maybe," Kael replied. "Or perhaps she uncovered a truth that someone powerful wanted to keep hidden."

Before Amara could voice another question, the inn door burst open with a bang.

A terrified traveler stumbled in.

"The king's soldiers are coming!" he yelled.

Panic erupted in the room.

Kael sprang to his feet.

"They're looking for someone," he said, his eyes locking onto Amara.

"And I think that someone is you."

Outside, the sound of galloping horses thundered down the road.

The royal guards were closing in.

Fast.

Kael snatched his cloak.

"If you want to make it to the Hill of Echoes alive, you need to go now."

Amara hurriedly gathered her things.

As she followed Kael toward the back exit, one question blazed in her mind.

Who was really after her?

The king's soldiers?

Or something far more sinister lurking in the shadows?

The answer lay somewhere beyond the dark forest ahead.