The Hollow Woods and the Clockwork Wolves

Chapter 4: The Echo of the Forgotten Names

The metallic tang of the cavern lingered in Lila's throat as she walked cautiously along the new path. The stone beneath her boots felt unnervingly alive, vibrating faintly with each step. The molten river below was a distant memory now, replaced by a deep, endless void over which the path hovered. Above her, the gears and cogs churned with relentless precision, their golden light casting moving shadows on the walls.

Her hand tightened around the shard in her pocket. It felt heavier than before, its surface pulsing faintly in rhythm with the hum that filled the air. She paused to pull it out, holding it up to the light. The glowing symbol within its fractured depths had grown brighter, its lines intricate and shifting as though alive.

What are you trying to tell me? - she whispered, her voice swallowed by the cavern's vastness.

The shard gave no answer, but its glow dimmed as she returned it to her pocket.

The path widened ahead, revealing a circular platform suspended by chains that stretched into the darkness above. In the center of the platform stood a pedestal, its surface etched with the same symbols she had seen on the archway.

A figure stood by the pedestal, its form draped in tattered robes that seemed to blend with the shadows. Its face was obscured by a hood, but Lila could feel its gaze piercing through her.

Another wanderer - the figure said, its voice echoing unnaturally. - How long has it been since one of your kind ventured this far?

I didn't come here by choice - Lila said, taking a cautious step closer. - The forest brought me here. The Engine...

The figure raised a hand, silencing her.

The Engine knows who it calls. And it does not call lightly.

What is it? - Lila demanded, her frustration boiling over. - Why does it keep pulling me back? What does it want from me?

The figure tilted its head, as though considering her words.

The Engine is memory, child. It is history and truth, locked away in mechanisms too complex for mortal minds to comprehend. But even the greatest machines are flawed.

Lila frowned.

Flawed how?

The figure stepped closer, its movements slow and deliberate.

The Engine was not meant to stop. Its gears were forged to turn eternally, recording the passage of time and safeguarding the past. But something changed. It faltered, and in its stillness, the shadows crept in.

Lila's pulse quickened.

Shadows? Do you mean the creature I saw? The one on the bridge?

The figure's silence was answer enough.

Lila approached the pedestal, her eyes drawn to its surface. The symbols etched into the stone glowed faintly, their patterns forming a map she couldn't decipher. She reached out to touch them, but the figure's hand shot out, stopping her.

Careful - it warned. - These are echoes of forgotten names. Touching them carelessly can awaken things better left asleep.

Then why bring me here? - Lila asked, pulling her hand back.

The figure's hood shifted, revealing a glimpse of something that wasn't entirely human—a pale, angular face with eyes that glimmered like polished steel.

Because you are part of this - it said simply.

The words hit her like a blow.

What do you mean? Part of what?