“Come on, don’t be a chicken!” The sound of laughter broke through the unnatural silence of the darkened forest, belonging to a small group of boys egging one of their more timid members onward. They were fairly young and exactly the kind of personalities one would expect of a group that would willing enter into a forest known for its high death toll. Deeper and deeper they ventured into the forest in search of a chance at glory, all seemingly unaware that step by step they were being swallowed by the darkness.

For hours the group wandered about the forest, doing their best to march forward in a straight line, but ultimately resigning themselves to the fact that none could sense what direction was what any longer. The canopy had grown so thick and had woven together so intricately that very little sunlight could shine through, only the occasional beam forcing its way through the cracks gave any indication that it was indeed still day out. Completely lost, and beginning to tire, the group had just about given up their self-proclaimed quest when a low, rumbling sound filled the space around them.

Startled by the sudden noise all four of the boys froze in their tracks, panicked eyes glancing around in an attempt to find the source. The one burning torch they carried did little to shed light on their surroundings, making it difficult to make out anything beyond a small radius, however just beyond the light the shadows seemed to shift and swirl… Almost as if they themselves were alive. Loosing their nerves, the boys began running in the direction they thought the exit to be, but none would ever find their way home. One by one the boys disappeared, leaving behind nothing but their screams as unseen creatures tore into their flesh until only one boy remained.

Terrified, the boy stumbled blindly onward, having lost his source of light when his friend fell. He didn’t dare slow down, he didn’t dare look back out of fear of what he might see. The boy could hear whatever it was chasing him drawing ever closer, just about breathing down his neck. Hope seemed all but gone, yet the boy didn’t stop running, he couldn’t. As if to reward his persistence, the forest opened up before him in a wall of sunlight. Pushing the last of his energy into a final burst of speed, the boy broke from the darkness and collapsed onto the ground. From the moment he touched the sunlight a sense of safety washed over him, the invisible creature not daring to follow any closer than the lining of the trees.

Given a chance to catch his breath, the boy began to look at his surroundings as his eyes adjusted to the sudden exposure to light. He had hoped that he had made it back to the entrance, but what he was met with instead made his heart skip a few beats. Slowly he pushed himself back up onto his feet, turning his body to stare at a monstrous stone towering over all. Standing at the center of the clearing, the great black obelisk seemed to beckon the boy forward. Stepping up to the stone, he was surprised to find that the sides were smooth as glass, reflecting his exhausted features back at him as if it were a mirror. But there was something else, something underneath the surface that caught his eyes. Straining to see inside he placed his palm on the surface of the crystal, instantly regretting this decision.

A final screamed echoed about the forest until all fell back into silence, any trace of the invaders’ existence wiped from its depths. All that remained by the crystal was a green smoke like wisp, the byproduct of a consumed soul. The last necessary to awaken what slumbered within.

The ground trembled beneath the crystal as it sprung to life, a voice that seemed to have no form echoing far beyond the borders of the realm.

[i][color=82ca9d]The veil between worlds has weakened. Children of fate, rise and face your destiny.[/color][/i]

A greenish smoke wrapped around the crystal, several small tendrils breaking away to reach through the veil to beckon a chosen few through. For two centuries a single mind has watched over them, judged them, guided them from afar. These five individuals were who the very future was being entrusted to.

“Rise, and heed my call.” The female’s voice rang clear and true, the obelisk having returned to its rightful place around her neck.

“The war has just begun.”