The Shadowbound Prophecy

Chapter 12: The Echo of the Fallen

The river had always carried with it a certain tranquility, but tonight, that tranquility was shattered. Harry sat on the riverbank, his eyes unfocused, staring into the water, its rippling surface reflecting the distant stars. The flickering light of their dying campfire cast faint shadows on the surrounding trees, but his mind wasn't in the present anymore—it was far away, somewhere lost in the dream.

The figure with glowing red eyes. The shadowed form that had spoken to him, that had reached into his very soul.

"You cannot hide from destiny, Harry Erebus."

The words clung to him like a sickness, repeating in his mind, threatening to unravel him. Harry tried to shake the feeling, telling himself it had just been a dream, nothing more. But deep down, he knew it was more than that. It had felt real, more real than anything he had experienced since leaving the village. That cold, menacing presence still lingered, pressing on him like a weight he couldn't lift.

Seraphina stirred beside him, still half-asleep. She muttered something inaudible, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword even in her slumber. For all her strength, all her loyalty, there was something she couldn't protect him from. Something that was coming for him.

Harry turned his gaze back to the river. The seal—the animal, not the magical kind—had appeared out of nowhere, its innocent curiosity unsettling him more than it should have. A seal, so far inland, so far from where it should be. And the way it had looked at him, with those deep, intelligent eyes, like it knew something he didn't.

Was it a sign? Could it really be connected to the Fallen God, the being they sought but could not name?

He scoffed at the thought, though it did little to ease his tension. A seal? As a sign from an ancient, godlike being? It seemed absurd. And yet, the unease in his chest wouldn't leave him.

The wind picked up slightly, a cool breeze brushing over his face, carrying with it the scent of the water and the earth. Harry stood, his muscles stiff from sitting for too long. He wandered toward the river's edge, watching the way the moonlight danced on the surface, the soft rush of the current soothing in its constancy. He knelt down, running his fingers through the cool water, trying to ground himself, to focus.

Find me.

The whisper echoed in his mind again, chilling him to the core. He shut his eyes tight, trying to block it out. But it was as if the presence had followed him from the dream into the waking world. It was here with him, lingering just at the edges of his consciousness, waiting.

Suddenly, a soft splash broke the silence. Harry's eyes snapped open, his heart racing as he looked to the source of the sound. At first, he saw nothing. But then, slowly, a dark head emerged from the water, its round eyes glistening in the moonlight. The seal. It had returned.

Harry watched it warily, his breath catching in his throat. The creature was silent, floating just at the surface, its gaze locked on his. For a moment, neither of them moved, as if the world itself had stopped. Then, without warning, the seal dipped below the water's surface again, disappearing into the depths.

Harry stood frozen, his heart pounding in his chest. Something about the animal's presence had felt... wrong. It wasn't just a seal. It couldn't be. There was something more to it. He took a step back from the water, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

And then, the water began to ripple violently.

Harry's pulse quickened. He stepped back farther, instinctively reaching for the dagger at his belt. The river, once calm, was now thrashing, as if something enormous was moving beneath the surface. He scanned the water, his mind racing with possibilities—was it an attack? A creature from the depths?