Heading to the Northern Mountains

The departure was silent. The sun had barely risen on the horizon as we passed through the castle gates, leaving behind the safety of its walls. The horses snorted, loaded with supplies and weapons. No one joked, no one spoke unnecessarily; each of us carried in our chest the weight of what we sought.
The northern wind was cold, and as we pressed on, the mountains rose like gray giants against the sky. They said that deep within them lay the sanctuary of the Heart of Aeterion, the relic capable of restoring the impossible. For me, it wasn’t just a hope for Aria, but also a way to redeem my mistakes.
Aria traveled in the center of the group, cloaked in blue that hid her bandage. Despite her loss, she held her head high, as if to show she could still move forward with us. Every time our eyes met, I saw something that shook me: trust.
“Do you really think that relic exists?” Rei asked, breaking the silence.
Lysbeth, riding at the front, answered without turning her head. “I’ve heard many stories of soldiers who tried to reach the sanctuary and never returned. But I don’t think all of them are made up. There must be something there.”
Nara snorted, hugging herself. “Great. So we’re heading straight to a place where no one comes back. Isn’t that exciting?”
“Sounds like your kind of fun,” Rei replied with a tired smile.
For a moment, we all laughed softly. It was the first time in days that a spark of lightness brightened the mood. But the laughter faded quickly, replaced by the roar of distant thunder.
The clouds began to darken the sky, and the wind blew stronger. The path became rocky, skirting cliffs where the fall seemed endless. My senses were on high alert. Something in those mountains was watching us.
Suddenly, Lysbeth raised her fist, signaling us to stop. “Silence.”
The sound came first: a metallic creak, like bones clashing together. And then they appeared, crawling from the cracks in the rocks: skeletal creatures, their blue eyes burning with unholy fire.
“Undead,” Aria whispered tensely.
I drew my sword, the steel glinting under the gray sky. “Get ready!”
The skeletons lunged at us. Lysbeth struck first, her sword tracing an arc that destroyed two in a single motion. Rei unleashed a burst of dark magic that pulverized another, while Nara summoned a rain of fire that lit up the path.
I charged directly at the largest one, a skeleton clad in the rusty armor of an ancient knight. Our blades collided, and the impact ran through my arm. Its movements were clumsy but relentless, as if death itself guided it.
“Kaoru, watch out!” Aria shouted.
I rolled to the side just as a spear grazed my side. The pain burned, but I rose immediately. With a roar, I focused my energy and drove my sword through the knight’s chest. A dark flash ran along the blade, and the skeleton crumbled into fragments.
When the last enemy fell, silence reigned once more, broken only by our ragged breathing.
“It wasn’t a coincidence,” Lysbeth said, cleaning her sword. “Someone doesn’t want us to reach the sanctuary.”
“Or perhaps the sanctuary itself is testing us,” Rei added, her expression grim.
Aria approached me, placing her hand on my arm. “Are you okay?”
I nodded, though the wound in my side burned. “I’m fine. Just a scratch.”
Nara clicked her tongue. “That was a ‘scratch’ that nearly pierced your lung, Kaoru. Don’t make me waste time treating something you could have avoided.”
I laughed softly, grateful for her sarcasm. It was her way of showing she cared.
We pressed on until we found a clearing to camp. The fire crackled in the center as night fell around us. Exhaustion wrapped around us, but no one dared to sleep deeply.
While keeping watch by the fire, Aria sat beside me. The glow illuminated her profile, and for a moment, she seemed like a fallen goddess among mortals.
“Kaoru…” she said softly. “I don’t want you to punish yourself anymore. Losing my arm hurts, but losing you would hurt even more.”
Her words left me speechless. I stared at her, feeling the weight on my chest lighten, even if just a little.
“I promise,” I whispered, “I won’t leave you alone again.”
She smiled, and in that smile I found the strength to keep moving forward, even though the path was full of shadows.