ECHOES

CHAPTER FOUR:A VISITOR IN THE NIGHT.

The night had fallen quietly over the village, the storm’s fury now just a distant rumble. Kael sat in the corner of the forge, the shard resting on the workbench before him. He couldn’t shake the weight of the figure’s words—the Veil, the storm, the strange space he’d been pulled into. The world seemed both familiar and utterly foreign all at once.

He ran his fingers over the shard again, as if hoping to unlock some deeper understanding. But as he did, the temperature in the room dropped suddenly. A chill ran down his spine, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. The door to the forge creaked open, though there was no wind to push it.

“Kael,” a voice whispered from the shadows.

Kael’s heart skipped a beat, and he spun around, his hand instinctively reaching for the dagger at his side. A figure stood in the doorway, cloaked in darkness, the edges of their form barely visible in the dim light. The air seemed to pulse with an unnatural energy, and Kael felt the shard in his hand hum in response, as if recognizing the presence of the stranger.

“Who are you?” Kael demanded, his voice shaky but firm.

The figure stepped forward, revealing a woman with striking features—sharp eyes, dark hair, and an air of quiet power. She was unlike anyone Kael had ever seen. There was something otherworldly about her, as though she didn’t quite belong in this world.

“My name is Erynn,” the woman said, her voice soft but filled with urgency. “I’ve been searching for you.”

Kael narrowed his eyes. “Searching for me? Why?”

Erynn glanced down at the shard in his hand, her gaze intense. “Because you’re in danger. That shard you hold is more than just an artifact—it’s a key, and the forces that seek it will stop at nothing to take it from you.”

Kael felt a surge of unease. “I don’t understand. What is happening?”

Erynn stepped closer, her eyes never leaving his. “The Veil is weakening, Kael. The shards are being hunted. And the storm you felt earlier was no coincidence. It’s just the beginning of something much darker. You’ve been chosen to stop it, but you can’t do it alone.”

Kael’s mind raced. “Chosen? But I’m just a blacksmith. What could I possibly do?”

Erynn’s expression softened, a hint of sympathy in her eyes. “More than you know. And that’s why I’m here. To help you understand what’s at stake—and to keep you safe.”

Before Kael could respond, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from outside the forge. Erynn’s eyes darted to the door. “They’re coming.”

The air grew thick with tension, and Kael could feel it—the weight of something approaching, something dark and powerful. The night was no longer just a time of rest. It had become the harbinger of a war he hadn’t asked for, and one he wasn’t sure he could survive.

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