Three days had passed since the ritual. The weather remained strange—cloudy even at noon, and with an unusual cold creeping through the academy's corridors. The beasts were still restless, and some instructors had begun to suspect that something greater had been unleashed.
On the morning of the fourth day, a message arrived.
Not through official channels. Not signed. Just a black parchment envelope, resting on Ethan's bed. Upon it, a symbol: a silver eye entwined with tendrils of shadow.
The note read:
> "You saw. And were seen.
The time of ignorance is over.
Meet us at midnight, in the northern clearing.
Bring the four."
Ethan didn't need to ask who "the four" were. He felt it—just as the others did—that this was the inevitable continuation of what they had begun.
The Forgotten Clearing
Midnight came, cloaked in absolute silence.
The clearing north of the academy, long forbidden for reasons long forgotten, looked different under the silver light of the moon. The trees around it formed a natural circle, and in the center stood a moss-covered cornerstone—clearly part of a buried ruin.
That's where they saw them.
Five hooded figures, clad in dark cloaks embroidered with silver. None showed their faces, but each radiated an aura of restraint and purpose.
The one in the center stepped forward.
— We are the Watchers of the Void, and you have touched what should never have been touched.
Veiled Truths
The conversation that followed was a shock.
The Watchers revealed that what they called "the Void" was not merely a destructive force, but a forgotten consciousness—something that existed before the beasts, before the natural order itself. Whenever the world's balance was disturbed, this consciousness would draw near.
— You did not merely reinforce the seal, said the tallest Watcher. You drew the Void's attention. It has marked you. Wherever you go, it will be watching.
Kael crossed his arms, clearly skeptical.
— And what exactly do you want from us?
— To choose. Help preserve the balance… or allow the Void to consume it. There is no middle ground. The visions were only the beginning.
Lira stepped forward.
— And why should we trust you?
The Watcher pulled back her hood. She was a dark-skinned woman with silver eyes like the Guardian of the Chamber. Her presence was imposing, but not hostile.
— Because there are others… who have already chosen the Void's side. And they are coming, too.
The Unknown Beast
At the end of the meeting, before they parted ways, the Watchers revealed something more: a creature had been seen emerging in the remote eastern regions, near a ruined sanctuary. The description chilled Ethan's blood.
— Four burning eyes. Horns like blades. Skin made of shadow.
It was hunting tamers. Not out of hunger. But instinct.
It was the same creature Lira had seen in her vision.
The Void had already begun to send its harbingers.
Internal Rift
Back at the academy, the four were divided. Neyra believed they should alert the instructors immediately. Lira thought trusting the Watchers might be a mistake. Kael, meanwhile, suggested they investigate on their own before choosing sides.
And Ethan?
He remained silent, staring at the Forestborn Stag, which now seemed restless even outside of battle. There was something in the creature… something new. A strange glow in its eyes. As if it, too, was changing—along with the bond they shared.