Eclipsed

Chapter 6

The Woods at Dusk

The sun was low, casting long, flickering shadows through the dense forest. Ren glanced up at the sky, watching the last rays of light dissipate behind the towering trees.

"Ah, shit," he muttered, realizing he’d lost track of time. “I’m gonna get back home late tonight.” His stomach growled as if in agreement, reminding him why he’d ventured so deep into the woods in the first place. He adjusted the makeshift satchel slung over his shoulder, stuffed with what little food he’d managed to scavenge. The faint glow of his baby fire dragon flickered beside him, casting a small, warm light in the growing dusk.

Ren began heading back toward the village, but the weight of the forest seemed to press in on him. The usual stillness of the woods felt different today—heavy, almost oppressive. It wasn’t just the lengthening shadows; something else was out of place.

Then, he heard it—soft, muffled cries carried on the breeze. The sound of someone, or something, in distress. Ren stopped in his tracks, his body tense, listening closely.

"Who's there?" he called, his voice breaking the eerie silence of the woods.

For a long moment, nothing responded, and the sound of the wind through the trees filled the gap. Then, the cry came again—closer, sharper this time, unmistakably the sound of a girl weeping. Ren’s eyes narrowed. This wasn’t a normal cry. It was a call for help, one that could pull him deeper into the woods.

Cautiously, he pushed forward, every instinct telling him to be alert. The fire dragon trotted beside him, its small body barely visible in the dimming light. Ren’s hand hovered near his staff, ready for anything.

“Who's there?” Ren called again, louder this time, more insistent.

The cries echoed once more, but then they stopped abruptly. The air became thick with tension, and Ren felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

Before he could take another step, the air seemed to shift, and something gleamed in his peripheral vision. A blade—sharp, deadly—flew straight toward him from the darkness. Reacting instinctively, Ren spun, his body flowing with practiced fluidity. He sidestepped the attack just in time, the blade swishing past him with a deadly whoosh.

With a grunt, Ren leapt back, clearing the distance between him and whatever—or whoever—had thrown the blade.

A figure stepped out of the shadows, its silhouette flickering in the dim light. It was tall, unnaturally so, with a twisted, grotesque skull for a face. Black, lacquered armor covered its entire body, its edges jagged and marked with strange symbols. The figure held a long, black blade, the gleaming edge reflecting the faint light like a serpent’s fang.

Ren’s heart skipped a beat, but his focus never wavered. The fire dragon growled lowly beside him, its glowing eyes narrowing, its tiny flame flickering in warning. Ren’s mind raced—this wasn’t just some ordinary bandit.

"Who the hell are you?" Ren demanded, his voice steady despite the adrenaline racing through him.

The figure’s hollow voice echoed out, unnaturally deep. “You shall die for entering the Majesty’s woods.”

Ren’s brows furrowed. Majesty’s woods? Who the hell is this guy talking about? Ren didn’t care about the figure’s cryptic warning. His grip tightened on his staff, the Hiraigen, and he prepared himself.

“What do you mean, ‘Majesty’? Who’s your ‘Majesty’?” Ren asked, stepping forward cautiously, trying to gauge his opponent’s intent.

The figure didn’t answer. Instead, it lunged at him, its blade cutting through the air with speed and precision. Ren barely had time to react, twisting his body just in time to meet the blade with his staff. The clash rang through the forest, and Ren slid backward under the impact, his feet scraping against the earth.