It was Elder Rowan, his lips curled in disapproval as if scolding a child. Seren recognized the sternness in his voice, and it made her heart skip a beat. Fear quickly surged within her, making her blood run cold.

  "I'm sorry, Elder," Seren mumbled, her voice small.

  "You knew better than to go poking around where you shouldn't," Elder Rowan chided gently. "If you kept this up, you'd get us all into trouble."

  He released her ear, and Seren stood there, her gaze fixed on the ground, fighting to hide her frustration and disappointment. Rowan sighed, his tone softening. "Why don't you take a quick tour around the mountain? It won’t take long, but you should see the views before the dark sets in."

  Seren paused, thinking for a moment, before a smile slowly spread across her face. She lifted her chin and said, "Thank you, Elder Rowan."

  Rowan studied her silently for a moment before finally returning her smile. "Don't forget the torches!" His voice echoed as he faded into the shadows.

  "Sure, Elder," Seren replied, her mouth stretching into a wide grin. She glanced into the distance, her mind already racing. Without wasting a second, she turned and sprinted toward the stream. Once the water was no longer in sight, she stopped, her nerves tingling as she heard voices in the distance. Cautiously, she glanced around before stepping forward, staying as quiet as possible.

  She knelt down, pressing her ear to the ground, listening intently. The footsteps were clearer now, and they were coming from the opposite direction of where she wanted to go. They were definitely getting closer. Her heart raced—she didn’t want to risk getting caught after making it so far from the village.

  Seren’s eyes flicked nervously between the approaching footsteps. As they got closer, she slowly began to inch backward, preparing to dash for cover. The sound of shoes clicking on the wet stone echoed louder with each passing second, until one set of feet splashed into the stream. Her heart leapt in her chest.

  In a quick, quiet motion, Seren dropped behind a nearby rock, pressing herself against the cool, smooth stone wall. She held her breath, eyes wide, watching as the person paused for a moment, glancing over his shoulder before continuing on his path toward the cave. Seren stayed as still as possible, praying he wouldn’t notice her.

  The footsteps grew quieter and quieter, then eventually stopped altogether. She waited for a moment, listening intently to the silence, just to be sure. When she was certain she couldn’t hear anything more, she peeked over the boulder to confirm the coast was clear.

  Taking a deep breath, she stood up and started walking cautiously toward the cave. But just as she took a step forward, a hand shot out from the shadows, pulling her back.

  "Seren?" A voice called out sharply. Seren turned to find a young girl with piercing green eyes, her brown hair braided tightly into two ponytails, staring at her.

  Before she could react, Seren felt herself yanked backward, stumbling and falling to the ground. Panic surged through her as she scrambled to get away, her eyes darting desperately for an escape.

  When she glanced behind her, she gasped. Standing at the edge of the clearing was another girl, older, with brown hair tightly braided into a single ponytail. Seren attempted to push past her, but the younger girl grabbed her hand tightly. “Hey! Where do you think you’re going?”

  “Nowhere,” Seren managed to choke out, struggling against the firm grip on her wrist.

  The older girl frowned deeply, crossing her arms over her chest. “Well, come on. You can’t just wander off by yourself without anyone noticing.”

  Seren looked at them both warily, wondering if they were about to drag her back to the village—or worse. But when neither of them moved, she hesitated, unsure of what to do next. "Look, I really don’t know who you are," she said, her voice shaking. “But you can’t just leave town alone like this. Why don’t you take us with you?”

  Seren shook her head violently, her heart racing. "I'm not going anywhere! I was just... just..." The words caught in her throat, and she couldn’t bring herself to say the truth. If she did, it would make everything worse.

  "Looking for something?" the other girl asked, her tone surprisingly gentle.

  Seren nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah."

  "Maybe Kielia, I know......," the younger girl said, glancing at the older one. "She was going to see Garrick Lucan."

  "Or maybe not," Kielia responded quietly, her voice tense. "Come on, Lira. We don’t need to talk about it here."

  "It’s not like that! I don’t know Garrick," Seren protested, her voice rising slightly in panic. "Elder Rowan asked me to go out, so I came here to see the mountains..."

  "Girl, you’re literally standing near the border and still trying to lie to us," Kielia snapped, her patience clearly running thin. "You’ve been acting strange ever since we found you outside of town. What’s really going on?"

  Seren bit her lip, trying to steady her breathing. "Nothing is."

  "Come on, Seren Dorian! The whole village knows the story about how you always cross the borders into the Golem Realm. What is it this time? Looking for shiny rocks, if not Garrick?" Lira leaned against the rock, arms crossed with a knowing smirk.

  "Yeah, or maybe you’re trying to befriend a boulder. What do you think? ‘Hey, Mr. Golem, want to grab a drink?’" Kielia snickered, clearly enjoying herself.

  Seren opened her mouth, closed it, and then sighed. She wasn't sure why she was about to tell these strangers anything. Her thoughts swirled in confusion, but for some reason, she felt a strange pull to be honest. A mischievous glint sparked in her eyes as she looked at the two girls, her fingers curling into tight fists. "If you insist," she said finally. They were relentless, and their teasing made it harder for her to focus on her mission.

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  She took a step back, pretending to think seriously about their words. "You know, maybe I should just tell you my plan."

  Kielia raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smirk. "That’s exactly what we want."

  Lira grinned, her arms still crossed. "Yeah, we’re all ears."

  Seren’s mind raced. If she could distract them long enough, maybe she could slip away unnoticed. "Well," she began slowly, drawing out her words, "I was thinking about finding a rare flower—the Malice Bloom—that only grows at the edge of the Golem Realm. You two wouldn’t want to miss that, right? It’s supposed to be absolutely breathtaking!"

  Lira leaned in, her curiosity piqued. "Really? A flower? What’s so special about it?"

  Seren shrugged, trying to seem casual. "They say it has magical properties. You know, the usual—grants wishes, brings good luck. The kind of thing you'd want to show off to the whole village."

  Kielia's eyes sparkled with excitement. "That does sound interesting! When do we go?"

  Seren pretended to hesitate, her voice dropping into a thoughtful tone. "Oh, I don’t know... it might be a bit dangerous. Maybe I should just go alone."

  Lira's face shifted into a more serious expression. "But what if you get into trouble? You know we’d never let you live that down!"

  Seren leaned in closer, lowering her voice with an exaggerated air of secrecy. "Honestly, you two would only slow me down. It’s a treacherous place, and I’d feel terrible if something happened to you."

  Kielia frowned, crossing her arms as she mulled over Seren’s words. "Yeah, but we want to keep you safe! What if you run into a golem?"

  Seren’s heart raced at the mention of golems, but she forced herself to stay calm. "If I run into one of those, I’ll just give them a friendly wave and keep moving. You know how I am with things that are... bigger than me." She smiled with a hint of bravado. "But really, it’s better if I handle it on my own."

  Lira glanced at Kielia, then back at Seren. "Fine," she said reluctantly. "But if you get in over your head, don’t expect us to rescue you."

  Kielia laughed lightly, her smile returning. "Yeah, we might just let the golem take you, if it means we get to see that flower."

  Seren chuckled, feeling a strange sense of victory. "Deal. But if I find it, I’m the one who gets to show it off first."

  With that, Seren turned and began walking toward the cave entrance, her heart still pounding in her chest, but a new confidence in her step. She had bought herself some time.

  Seren’s heart raced, her breath catching in her throat. The orange glow pulsed like a heartbeat, casting eerie shadows against the stone walls. Her instincts screamed at her to move, to get away, but her feet felt frozen to the ground. She slowly turned her head, scanning the shadows around her for any sign of movement.

  The glow grew brighter still, revealing the faint outline of a figure at the edge of her vision. She squinted, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. It wasn’t a golem—it didn’t have the heavy, stone-like appearance of the creatures she had heard about in tales. Instead, it seemed... ethereal. A flicker of light danced at the edges of what appeared to be a humanoid shape, its features obscured by the shifting glow.

  Her heart pounded in her chest. Is it one of them? One of the shadowy beings Mara warned about?

  Before she could decide whether to stay hidden or confront the figure, the orange light flared brighter, and the figure stepped into full view. It was taller than any human, with flowing robes that shimmered like liquid fire, and a hood that obscured its face. The glow emanated from the being itself, like a fire that could never be put out. Seren’s breath caught in her throat as the figure’s gaze turned in her direction. She couldn’t see its eyes, but she could feel its presence—like heat against her skin, a burning intensity that left no room for escape.

  A cold shiver ran down her spine. What is this? What do they want?

  The figure didn’t speak, but the heat radiating from it seemed to wrap around Seren, almost as if it were drawing her closer against her will. She fought the urge to step forward, her body unwilling to move.

  "Who... Who are you?" she whispered, her voice shaky, barely breaking through the silence.

  The figure tilted its head, the glowing light flickering as if in response. It didn’t speak, but the air around it thickened, pressing in on Seren from all sides. She felt as though the very walls of the cave were closing in on her, and she could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears. A voice, soft but firm, echoed in her mind.

  The flame... flickers... the balance is at risk...

  Seren gasped, stepping backward, her hands trembling. The flame... the balance... Could this being be connected to the flickering flame? To the danger Elder Mara warned about?

  The figure raised a hand, and the glow brightened, casting long shadows across the cavern walls. It took a slow, deliberate step toward her, and despite every fiber of her being screaming for her to run, Seren couldn’t tear her eyes away. She was drawn to the light, as if it held the answers she had been searching for.

  Suddenly, the figure spoke, its voice a low, resonant hum that seemed to vibrate deep in Seren’s chest.

  “You seek the guardians. But do you understand the cost of what you are about to awaken?”

  The words sent a chill through her. She stood frozen in place, her mind racing to comprehend the warning. The figure’s presence was overwhelming, and it felt like time itself had stopped in the cave.

  "Cost?" Seren whispered, her voice barely audible against the figure’s deep hum. "What cost? What... what do I have to do?"

  The figure’s form shifted, the light around it twisting like fire in the wind. “The cost is more than you know. And your actions will determine whether the flame lives or dies.”

  The figure’s voice faded into the darkness, and as it did, the orange glow dimmed, leaving the cave in silence once more.

  Seren stood there for a long moment, trying to steady her racing heart, her thoughts a whirlwind. The figure had vanished, but its words lingered in her mind like a ghost. The cost... the flame...

  She slowly turned away, her mind made up. If the flame was in danger, then she had to do whatever it took to protect it. She couldn’t turn back now. The journey had just begun, and whatever lay ahead, Seren knew one thing for sure: the choices she made from here on would shape Eldenwood's fate.

  "Shit..." Seren whispered to herself as she saw the flame rushing toward her quickly. This was definitely not good. Without thinking twice, she started running deeper into the passage, looking for a safe place. As she ran, she suddenly heard a loud rumbling noise and realized the stone walls were moving. She didn’t know what was happening but figured it was best to get away from whatever was causing the noise. After running for a few minutes, she came to a split in the path. One path went left, toward the front of the mountain, and the other went straight ahead. She quickly looked around and noticed a narrow gap between the walls, so she decided to go that way.

  Seren kept running deeper into the tunnels. Every now and then, she stopped to listen and look around for any sign that others had been there before her, but there was nothing. It was just her and her thoughts. She started to feel very alone. A few times, she thought she saw shapes moving in the darkness ahead, but when she looked again, they were gone.

  Suddenly, she reached a point where she had to climb. She had to scale the steep walls of the cave, and the only way to get to the surface was through a small opening at the end of the tunnel. She didn’t like climbing cliffs because they were slippery and dangerous, especially with sharp rocks scattered on them. But she knew she had to find a way out eventually. Suddenly, she started to slip, sliding over loose rocks and dirt.

  She grabbed at the wall, trying to pull herself up, but she lost her grip and fell. Her body hit the hard floor of the cave, and she groaned, the impact knocking the breath out of her. Once the shock wore off, Seren tried to collect herself, but it didn’t really help. The passage was empty, except for the echo of her heavy breathing and footsteps that seemed to come from every direction. Slowly, she crawled across the dusty floor, trying not to let her fear take over. It sounded like the footsteps were getting closer, and she couldn’t afford to lose focus.

  She heard something move above her, almost too quietly to notice. She froze for a moment, unsure whether to keep crawling or stop. But then, she pushed herself to crawl faster, silently praying it wasn’t someone following her. She knew she wasn’t alone, and that thought scared her more than she wanted to admit.