Shadow slave:The Forgotten Spawn

Chapter 15: Threads of Discord

The forest thickened as they traveled, the trees twisting into unnatural shapes that clawed at the sky. The ground beneath their feet had grown uneven, forcing them to tread carefully to avoid jagged roots that jutted from the earth like bones.

Umbra moved with ease, its shadowy form slipping through the terrain like water. The human followed, their blade drawn, every nerve on edge.

"Do you feel that?" the human asked, their voice hushed.

Umbra growled softly in response. The air around them felt charged, as if they had stepped into the eye of a brewing storm. It wasn't just the oppressive silence or the unnatural chill that made the hair on the back of their neck stand on end—it was the sense of something unseen watching, waiting.

The golden thread between them pulsed faintly, its glow dimmer than usual. The human frowned, glancing down at it. "Why does it feel weaker?"

Umbra stopped suddenly, its golden eyes narrowing. The thread flickered, and a low growl rumbled deep in its throat. Something was wrong.

Before the human could ask what, the ground beneath them gave way.

The human cried out as they fell, tumbling into darkness. Rocks and dirt scraped their skin as they slid down a steep incline, the world spinning around them. When they finally hit the bottom, the air was forced from their lungs, leaving them gasping.

"Umbra!" they called, coughing as they struggled to their feet.

A shadowy figure landed gracefully beside them, its golden eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. Umbra growled, its gaze sweeping the cavern they had fallen into. The walls were jagged and wet, glistening with a faint, sickly-green light that seemed to emanate from veins of some unknown mineral.

The human winced as they moved, checking for injuries. "What the hell is this place?"

Umbra didn't answer. It stepped forward cautiously, its shadows rippling around it like a living cloak. The golden thread between them flickered again, its light almost snuffed out entirely.

The human's unease grew. "Why is it doing that? Is it… because of this place?"

Umbra stopped, its growl deepening. The cavern wasn't just strange—it was hostile. The energy that radiated from the walls was suffocating, oppressive. It pressed down on them both, making every movement feel heavier, every breath more difficult.

Then the whispers returned.

They weren't like the ones from the pool. These voices were sharper, crueler, cutting through the air like shards of broken glass. They came from every direction, overlapping into a chaotic symphony of malice.

"You do not belong here," they hissed. "Turn back. Leave, or be undone."

The human gritted their teeth, gripping their blade tightly. "Yeah, not creepy at all," they muttered.

The whispers didn't stop. If anything, they grew louder, more insistent. The veins in the walls began to pulse with light, casting grotesque shadows that danced like living things.

Umbra snarled, its claws flexing as it crouched defensively. The thread between them flared briefly, as if reacting to the threat.

The human stepped closer to Umbra, their voice steady despite the fear in their chest. "We've dealt with worse, right? We can handle this."

But as the words left their mouth, the shadows on the walls began to move. Slowly, deliberately, they peeled away from the stone, forming into twisted, humanoid shapes. Their bodies were made of pure darkness, their eyes glowing with the same sickly-green light that pulsed in the walls.

One of the figures stepped forward, its voice a distorted echo. "You cannot save what is already broken."

The human's grip on their blade tightened. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm not leaving."

The shadow laughed, a chilling sound that reverberated through the cavern. "Stubborn. Foolish. You cling to threads of light, but even they can be severed."

The figure lunged.

Umbra moved faster.

With a snarl, it intercepted the attack, its claws tearing through the shadowy figure. The creature let out a screeching wail as it dissolved into smoke, but two more rose to take its place.

The human joined the fray, their blade cutting through the shadows with a faint flash of golden light. The figures were fast, relentless, but they weren't invincible. For every strike that landed, another shadow fell.

But they kept coming.

The cavern seemed to churn with darkness, the shadows multiplying faster than they could destroy them. The golden thread flickered wildly, its light barely holding against the oppressive energy of the cavern.

"This isn't working!" the human shouted, their breath ragged.

Umbra growled, its golden eyes blazing as it fought, but it was clear even it was struggling. The oppressive energy of the cavern was weakening it, dulling its shadows and slowing its movements.

The human's heart pounded as they looked around desperately. "There's gotta be a way out of here!"

Their gaze fell on a faint light at the far end of the cavern—a small opening, barely visible through the writhing shadows.

"There!" they shouted, pointing.

Umbra didn't hesitate. It lunged forward, carving a path through the shadows with sheer ferocity. The human followed, their blade slashing through anything that got too close.

The closer they got to the opening, the stronger the whispers became.

"You cannot escape," they hissed. "You cannot win."

The human gritted their teeth, their determination burning brighter than their fear. "Watch us."

With one final push, they reached the opening. Umbra leaped through first, turning back to help the human scramble out.

As they emerged, the whispers stopped abruptly. The oppressive energy vanished, leaving them gasping for air.

They were back in the forest, the golden thread between them glowing steadily once more.

The human collapsed to the ground, laughing breathlessly. "We're alive. Somehow, we're alive."

Umbra stood beside them, its golden eyes scanning the area. It growled softly, a sound that carried both relief and warning.

The human sat up, still catching their breath. "Whatever that was, it's not going to stop, is it?"

Umbra didn't respond, but the look in its eyes was enough.

This was just the beginning.