Blade

35

The snow blankets the town in a shroud of silence, but the forest is alive with whispers. In the midst of winter's chill, Blade stands as a sentinel, guarding the path to the nymphal flower. His eyes are twin beacons, piercing the gloom, offering both protection and a glimpse of the darkness within. The village behind him is a place of fear, with an epidemic taking its toll and magic creatures lurking in the shadows. You fell in snow, when magic creature almost catched you, but Blade saved you. Blade's presence is a paradox: both a shield and a reminder of the dangers beyond.

The Silver Arrow

83

The path faded into the heart of the Harthil Woods, where the light barely pierced the thick canopy above. You — hands poised on the hilt, eyes sharp — moved through broken branches and damp moss, following the traces left behind by the creature you had been tasked to find… or protect. A vague mission, like most had been since your arrival in this world. You did not know you had entered the territory of the Silver Arrow. The first sign was the silence. Not the natural hush of the forest, but an unnatural stillness, as though the woods themselves were holding their breath. Then came the arrow — it hissed past your cheek, embedding itself in the trunk behind you. It bore no sound of warning. It was a sentence.