THE SHATTERED REALM: FORGOTTEN ECHOES

They slid, jumped, twisted, and flipped as they continued their march forward, drawing closer and closer to Gebreth. The closer they got, the more ferocious the bears' attacks were. Gebreth was in sight and they just had to touch him. Aramith couldn't hold back a grin as they got closer and closer to Gebreth. Without realizing it, he was leaving Mozrael behind. The bears were drawn more to her, attacking her with such unpredictability her movements In dodging them would scare anyone watching.

Her breath came in short, sharp bursts as she twisted and ducked. For every bear she dodged, another loomed closer. Her arms ached, but she forced herself to keep moving. She had to—Aramith was counting on her. But could she truly keep up?

With a few steps separating him from Gebreth, Aramith was getting more and more excited.

A bear appeared behind Gebreth, letting out a deafening roar that shook the land. Aramith paused, watching the bear take slow steps, each step shaking the ground. It roared again and Aramith smiled. A bear that big and so close would blow warm air from its mouth if it roared that loudly in front of him.

"You're not real," He said as he shot forward again, reaching out to grab Gebreth. The moment he did so, the bear disappeared. But then, Gebreth also disappeared, replaced by a sword that fell in Aramith's hand. A short dagger also appeared in front of Mozrael as the bears she was surrounded by disappeared. She picked it up, confused.

"Where's Gebreth," She asked.

Aramith shrugged, clearly confused as she was. The bears appeared once again, charging at them this time from all directions.

"I think we have to fight this time," Aramith studied the bears fast approaching. They could fight well, but because of their number and the fact that they weren't allowed to use their powers, at least two would be able to land a hit or more. Mozrael's blade was too short to work well in the situation they were in.

Lia had watched long enough. Timing was everything, and she released the first arrow with a precision born of countless hours of practice. The whistling sound as it sliced through the air brought a smirk to her lips—it was a sound she knew well.

Just when they got close enough, Aramith pulled Mozrael back and raised his sword. He was going to carve a path to escape with her but he felt a shudder inside as a whistling sound from above made him step back.

Thunk

Thunk

Thunk

Thunk.

He heard four, but all eight bears collapsed on the ground with arrows in their skulls. looking up, he saw the sky faintly shimmer as Lia appeared and disappeared. He smiled and waved at her.

"Was that Lia?" Mozrael asked.

"Yeah. No one else uses a life-threatening arrow to warn you to move aside," He chuckled.

"But where's Gebreth," Mozrael asked the most important question of the moment.

The environment around them warped almost imperceptibly at first—a faint shimmer in the air that grew into a distorted wave, sending ripples through the ground. Mozrael stumbled slightly as the hard stone beneath her feet softened into damp soil. The icy chill in the air was replaced by an oppressive humidity, and the faint scent of pine shifted to the musky odor of wet fur.

Aramith's brow furrowed as he steadied himself. He glanced at Mozrael, who was already scanning their surroundings with unease. "It's changing," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the growing hum that resonated through the air, low and steady, vibrating in their chests.

The forest around them thickened. Shadows danced wildly as towering trees twisted into grotesque shapes, their branches clawing at the dim, grayish light that filtered through the canopy. The sound of leaves rustling grew ominously loud, though no wind was present.

Then came the bears., three times larger and more frightening.

They appeared almost instantaneously, their massive forms stepping out of the unnatural fog that clung to the ground. Their eyes glowed faintly, an eerie green as if lit from within. Each step they took seemed to echo louder than it should have, the sound reverberating unnaturally in the air.

Aramith crouched low, motioning for Mozrael to stay behind him. "Don't make any sudden moves," he murmured, though the tension in his voice betrayed his uncertainty.

Mozrael didn't reply immediately. Her eyes were locked on the nearest bear, its muscles rippling under its shaggy fur as it sniffed the air. "They're not attacking," she observed, her voice tight. "Why aren't they attacking?"

"Good question," Aramith muttered, his grip tightening on his sword. He hesitated, then took a deliberate step forward. The nearest bear's head snapped toward him, its gaze unblinking. A low growl rumbled from deep within its chest, and the sound seemed to vibrate through the ground.

"Aramith," Mozrael hissed, "don't—"

Before she could finish, the bear lunged. Aramith moved instinctively, sidestepping the massive paw that swiped at him. The bear's momentum carried it forward, and Aramith struck out with his blade. The sword connected, and the bear let out an ear-splitting roar before collapsing into a heap.

For a moment, there was silence, save for the faint hum that never quite faded. Mozrael started to step toward him, but then the humming grew louder, and sharper. Aramith froze, his eyes darting around the clearing.

The bear's body shimmered, the edges of its form blurring as if it were being viewed through rippling water. Then, with a nauseating twist of space, it disappeared entirely. Mozrael's breath hitched. "It's restarting," she realized aloud.

"Yeah," Aramith said grimly. "I noticed."

The hum softened as the bears reappeared, their positions slightly altered but their number unchanged. Aramith cursed under his breath. "So much for just fighting our way out."

Mozrael looked at him, a mix of fear and frustration in her eyes. "If we can't kill them, what are we supposed to do?"

Aramith didn't answer immediately. He glanced at the bears, then at the clearing itself, his gaze lingering on the unnatural fog that seemed to pulse with each hum. "It's not about killing them," he said slowly, more to himself than to her. "It's about something else."

Mozrael frowned, her fingers nervously gripping the hilt of her dagger. "What else could it be?"

He shook his head, his eyes narrowing in concentration. "I don't think it's about the bears. It's about us—or maybe what we're doing."

Mozrael opened her mouth to reply, but Aramith was already moving, stepping deliberately to the side. The bears shifted slightly, their glowing eyes tracking his movements. The hum grew faintly louder as he moved closer to the edge of the clearing, and the fog seemed to thicken around him.

"Aramith!" Mozrael called after him, her voice edged with panic. "What are you doing?"

"Testing a theory," he replied, his tone deceptively calm. He glanced over his shoulder at her. "Stay there."

She hesitated but obeyed, her gaze flicking nervously between him and the bears. The hum grew louder as Aramith reached the edge of the clearing, and the fog swirled around him in a way that seemed almost purposeful. He took another step, and the humming reached a crescendo, the vibration so intense it felt as if the air itself were shaking.

The bears suddenly roared in unison, a deafening sound that sent a shiver down Mozrael's spine. She gripped her dagger tighter, her knuckles white. "Aramith, whatever you're doing, do it fast!"

"Working on it!" he shouted back. He took another step, and the bears lunged—not at him, but at Mozrael. She barely had time to react, throwing herself to the ground as one of the massive creatures swiped at the space where her head had been a moment earlier.

Aramith turned sharply, his eyes widening. "Mozrael!"

"I'm fine!" she yelled, scrambling to her feet. Her heart pounded in her chest as she dodged another attack, her movements growing increasingly frantic. "But I could use a little help!"

Aramith cursed again, abandoning his position at the edge of the clearing to charge back toward her. The bears shifted their attention to him as he approached, their roars echoing through the clearing. He met their charge head-on, his sword flashing as he struck at the nearest one.

The bear's body shimmered and disappeared just as before, but Aramith didn't pause. He turned to Mozrael, grabbing her arm and pulling her with him as he sprinted toward the edge of the clearing. "Come on!"

She didn't argue, her legs moving instinctively as she followed him. The hum grew louder with each step, the fog closing in around them. The bears roared again, but their voices seemed distant as if muffled by the dense mist.

Finally, they burst through the edge of the clearing, the oppressive fog giving way to open air. The humming stopped abruptly, leaving a ringing silence in its wake. Mozrael stumbled to a halt, gasping for breath, and Aramith turned to look back at the clearing. The bears were gone, the twisted trees and fog replaced by the familiar forest they had entered earlier.

Mozrael looked at him, her expression a mix of exhaustion and relief. "What just happened?"

Aramith shook his head, his brow furrowing. "I'm not sure. But I think we passed."

The faint sound of footsteps drew their attention, and they turned to see Gebreth approaching, his expression unreadable. Aramith exchanged a wary glance with Mozrael, then squared his shoulders. Whatever came next, they would face it together.

The vibrant chaos of the illusion abruptly dissolved, leaving only the plain, unassuming training room. The shimmering field and roaring bears faded into nothingness as if they had never existed. A low hum echoed briefly, dissipating into silence as the air stilled. Aramith and Mozrael stood motionless, their breath ragged, the tension from their ordeal still lingering in their taut muscles. The floor beneath them felt solid and reassuring, a stark contrast to the unpredictable terrain they had just traversed. The training room's faintly glowing walls pulsed gently, their light steady and unchanging—unlike the shifting nightmare they had just escaped.

Gebreth appeared before them, his expression unreadable.

"Did we pass?" Aramith asked, his voice steady but laced with curiosity.

Gebreth frowned and flicked a finger at Aramith's forehead. The action seemed casual—playful, even—but the force sent Aramith sprawling to the ground. Mozrael darted forward to help him up, but a single disapproving shake of Gebreth's head froze her in place.

"You passed, yes," Gebreth said after a pause, his gaze flickering briefly to Mozrael before settling back on Aramith. His frown deepened. "But I've warned you before about the most important principle when fighting alongside a comrade. Now, tell me—what did you do wrong?"

Aramith hesitated, sitting up. "I didn't do anything wrong."

Gebreth's expression darkened, his tone sharpening. "Then why, on two occasions, did you leave Mozrael alone while she was in danger?"

"I was—"

"You're still not accepting that you did something wrong?" Gebreth's voice cut through, stern and unyielding.

Aramith sighed, bowing his head toward Mozrael. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Mozrael shook her head quickly, her voice soft. "No, you don't need to apologize. It was nothing—"

Aramith gave her a subtle look, his eyes flicking toward Gebreth. She blinked in realization and reluctantly nodded, finally accepting his apology.

Gebreth's attention shifted to Mozrael. "And you," he said firmly, "there's no shame in asking for help. The next time I see you hesitate to call for assistance, I'll have you counting the hairs on your cat."

"Huh?" Mozrael blinked.

"What's 'huh?'" Gebreth snapped.

"I mean—it won't happen again!" she quickly corrected, her voice an octave higher.

With a satisfied nod, Gebreth turned and strode out of the room, leaving behind an awkward silence.

As soon as the door shut, Aramith groaned and flopped onto the floor. Mozrael sank down beside him.

"Maybe the shopping trip wouldn't have been so bad," he murmured.

Aramith cracked open an eye and turned his head toward her. "Huh?"

He sprang to his feet like a startled cat just as Lia strolled in, her arms crossed and a knowing smirk on her face.

"So you would've preferred shopping, huh?" she teased, her voice dripping with mockery.

"No," Aramith retorted quickly, "I was talking about you. You would've preferred shopping. Wait—when did you get here?"

"At least thank me for saving you back there," Lia said with a dramatic sigh, clearly enjoying herself.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Aramith deadpanned, giving an exaggerated bow. "Thank you so much, Your Highness."

Lia laughed heartily, doubling over. "You should say that while looking in a mirror—ha-ha-ha!"

A maid entered the room, her steps precise and graceful, the hem of her uniform barely brushing the floor. She paused briefly to bow to the trio. Her eyes flicked toward Aramith, taking in his disheveled appearance in a dress . Her lips twitched, betraying a suppressed laugh. But with a composed breath, she mastered herself and turned her attention to Mozrael.

Mozrael's breath hitched when the maid mentioned her name. "Master Gebreth asked me to call you," the maid said, bowing slightly.

Her stomach twisted, the weight of unspoken fears pressing harder than ever. She nodded slowly, the confidence she tried to maintain cracking ever so slightly. Aramith, oblivious to her turmoil, was too busy signaling to the maid, his gestures practically begging to be included in the summons.

"The queen also summons you, Princess Lia," the maid continued without sparing Aramith a glance.

Lia sighed, brushing off the invisible dust from her sleeves. "Of course she does. Don't go anywhere, Aramith. I'll be back." She smirked at him before strolling out, leaving him mock-bowing dramatically in her wake.

The moment she disappeared, he sighed in relief

"I'm heading out," Aramith called suddenly, darting for the opposite door like a shadow fleeing the light. She hardly noticed.

The maid lingered, her sharp gaze momentarily meeting Mozrael's. "Master Aiden will be expecting you shortly. He asks that you prepare yourself"

Mozrael froze. Aiden? The name struck her harder than the bears' claws ever could. Her fingers twitched at her sides, curling into fists as if bracing against a cold gust. She nodded again, this time barely perceptible.

"Thank you," she managed, her voice quieter than she intended.

Mozrael's heart pounded as she stood there, rooted to the floor. She could already hear the healer's probing voice, feel the weight of his knowing gaze. The illness she had fought so hard to hide—the one she pretended didn't exist—was now a looming specter she could no longer evade.

A part of her wanted to run, to flee the palace altogether and disappear into the endless forest. But another part—a smaller, braver part—knew she couldn't. The truth was like a blade hanging over her head, and no amount of dodging would keep it from falling.

"Is Geb- Master Gebreth really calling me?" Mozrael asked.

"The maid looked around, making sure her siblings weren't around. "Its Aiden. He said I should use Gebreth's name if there are others around. He didn't want to alert them.

She exhaled shakily, forcing herself to take a step forward. One step, then another. Her path was set, and no amount of fear would change that. But as she left the training room, the oppressive weight in her chest remained, growing heavier with every step.