Secrets of the Stormlight

Chapter 2: Beyond the Mirrors

When the world around her froze, Kris felt an icy chill, as if it cut straight through her to the bone. She stood on the ground, yet the disorientation lingered. It was as if everything surrounding her was both unfamiliar and vaguely known at the same time. The faint glimmer that had caught her attention before was gone, leaving only a dim light seeping through the fog.

She took a step forward, feeling the air grow denser with every movement. Tall trees surrounded her, their shadows stretching and blending together, as though the forest itself was alive. Her sense of unease deepened with each step, but there was something else—a strange feeling that this place was somehow tied to her past, though she couldn't recall when or how.

Kris glanced around. The light seemed cold and unnatural, like the pale glow of early morning in a place where time had slowed. Every sound was muffled, and the silence itself was thick, absorbing any attempt to make even the slightest noise. Her gaze fell on an object in the clearing—a stone, etched with thin lines that looked hand-carved, yet remained sharp and untouched by time.

She approached the stone, feeling a faint tingling sensation in her fingers. The surface was cold, but under her touch, it seemed to come alive, as though the object was connected to something far greater than its physical form. The lines on the stone began to glow softly, as if responding to her presence. Inside her, something stirred—a familiar, yet long-forgotten feeling.

Suddenly, a quiet sound came from behind her, like someone stepping on a branch. Kris froze and turned around. A figure emerged from the shadows of the trees, barely visible in the dim light. The stranger stood a few meters away, their cloak slightly billowing in the wind.

— You weren't supposed to be here, — the voice was quiet, almost a whisper, but it carried an undeniable force behind it.

Kris didn't know what to say. She tensed, ready for anything, but at the same time, she felt that this person was somehow connected to everything that was happening.

— Who are you? — she asked, her voice steady, though a hint of unease crept into it.

The stranger stepped forward, still cloaked in shadows, and spoke again:

— You are not yet ready to know all the answers. But the path to them has already begun.

Kris felt a growing desire within her to understand. But the answers remained elusive, just beyond her grasp, like shadows on the edge of her perception. She stared at the stranger, trying to catch a glimpse of something familiar in his figure, but the darkness wrapped around him like a cloak, concealing his face. The air around them seemed charged with a strange energy, as if nature itself was responding to their presence. The stone behind her continued to glow faintly, but now its light seemed to be drawn toward the stranger.

— What are you talking about? — Kris asked, trying to keep her voice steady. — What's happening here? 

The stranger slowly turned his head toward the stone, as if answering her question with a gesture rather than words. The light around the ancient symbols brightened slightly, and for a moment, she thought the lines on the stone were shifting, forming a pattern she couldn't quite comprehend.

— You're searching for answers, — he said at last. — But sometimes, they don't come right away. This place is just the beginning.

Kris took a step back, her hand instinctively reaching for the stone, as if she sought support in it. But as her fingers touched the cold surface again, the vibrations intensified, and the world around her began to shift. For a moment, she thought the trees around them were distorting, their outlines blurring before snapping back into focus.