CRIMSON COVENENT

Chapter 7: Echoes of the Past

The afternoon sun dipped lower in the sky as Nelsy, Lizzy, and Jace made their way back into the forest, backpacks loaded with notebooks, flashlights, and compasses. Each step felt heavier than the last, the looming trees casting long shadows that stretched like fingers reaching for them.

The air here was different—thicker, charged with a strange, almost tangible energy.

“I still can’t believe we’re doing this again,” Jace muttered, checking the compass strapped to his wrist. “Did we learn nothing from almost getting vaporized yesterday?”

Lizzy shot him a look. “We learned plenty. For one, the forest reacts to Nelsy. If we want answers, we need to follow that connection.”

“And get attacked by another magical entity?” Jace quipped, earning a glare from Lizzy.

Nelsy stayed quiet, the weight of their mission pressing down on him. The memory of the Warden’s fiery eyes still haunted him, and he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d barely scratched the surface of his powers—or the dangers they might attract.

As they walked, Lizzy jotted notes in her notebook, occasionally glancing at the faint pulse of light emanating from her compass. “There’s definitely a pattern here,” she said, mostly to herself.

“What kind of pattern?” Nelsy asked, peering over her shoulder.

“The magic,” she explained. “It’s stronger the closer we get to certain landmarks—like the tree from yesterday. If we can map these hotspots, we might find a central point where the magic converges.”

Jace raised an eyebrow. “And what happens when we find it? Another Warden? Or something worse?”

Lizzy didn’t answer, but her silence was telling.

They reached the clearing from the previous day, its eerie stillness untouched by time. The ancient tree still stood in the center, its bark faintly glowing in the dim light.

Nelsy stepped closer, his chest tightening as he felt the tree’s energy tug at him like an invisible thread.

“Be careful,” Lizzy warned, staying a few paces behind him.

“I’ll be fine,” Nelsy said, though he wasn’t sure if he believed it himself. He placed his hand on the tree, bracing himself for the voice.

Wielder, it said, softer this time, like a whisper carried on the wind. The path is before you, but the past holds the key.

“The past?” Nelsy asked aloud, earning confused glances from Jace and Lizzy.

“What’s it saying?” Lizzy asked, her voice tinged with concern.

“It said the past holds the key,” Nelsy replied, his gaze locked on the tree’s glowing veins. “What does that even mean?”

Before anyone could answer, the ground beneath them shifted. A low rumble echoed through the clearing as a circle of runes appeared around the base of the tree, glowing a deep crimson.

Lizzy stumbled back. “Uh, guys? Is this normal?”

“Nothing about this is normal!” Jace shouted, pulling Nelsy away from the tree.

The runes pulsed once, twice, and then a beam of light shot from the tree into the sky. For a moment, the world seemed to freeze. Then, a shimmering portal appeared in the air before them, swirling with shades of red and gold.

Nelsy’s heart raced. “What is that?”

Jace adjusted his glasses, his eyes wide. “Some kind of temporal rift, maybe? If the tree’s tied to your powers, this could be what it meant by the past.”

Lizzy clutched Nelsy’s arm. “You’re not seriously thinking about going in there, are you?”

“Do we have a choice?” Nelsy replied, his voice steady despite his pounding heart.

“We could not go into the glowing, magical portal,” Jace suggested, though his tone lacked conviction.

The tree’s voice echoed again, louder this time. Face the truth, Wielder. The past will guide you.

Nelsy turned to his friends, determination hardening his features. “I have to do this. If there’s a chance the answers are in there, I can’t ignore it.”

Lizzy hesitated, fear flickering in her eyes. “Then we’re going with you.”

Jace groaned. “Why do I let you two talk me into these things?”

Without another word, the three of them stepped through the portal together.

The transition was instantaneous, the swirling colors around them fading into a new, yet strangely familiar landscape.

They stood in the same clearing—but it was different. The air was cooler, the trees younger. The massive ancient tree in the center of the clearing looked smaller, its bark smooth and unmarked by glowing veins.

Lizzy glanced around, her breath visible in the chilly air. “Is this…?”

“The past,” Nelsy said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Before they could process the implications, a figure emerged from the shadows—a young man, his features strikingly similar to Nelsy’s. His eyes glowed faintly gold, and he held a staff carved from the same wood as the tree.

“Who are you?” the man asked, his voice steady but cautious.

Nelsy froze. The resemblance was uncanny, almost like looking into a mirror.

“I…” Nelsy started, but words failed him.

The man’s gaze sharpened, his grip tightening on the staff. “You’re not supposed to be here.”