The sounds were coming from deeper in the forest, their volume rising and falling in waves. Whoever—or whatever—was making them wasn’t trying to be quiet.

  Huh the fuck i…s…happe….nin..g….

  A sudden desire to let go of my thoughts and just sleep… and I almost fell asleep when a chill from my earning brought me out of the drowsy state.

  Channelling Exira straight at level 1 peak.

  The chanting dimmed and seemed to fade in the background, the consistent low chants were enough for me to convince myself it wasn’t some kind of dream.

  I sat up, rubbing my eyes and scanning the darkened woods, A faint orange glow flickered on the horizon, low to the ground but vibrant enough to cast long, shifting shadows against the treetops.

  Huh? What's that….

  Flames, steady and deliberate, wove a path toward the distant mountains.

  My stomach sank.

  Something about the fire set every nerve on edge. It wasn’t just the light or its movement; it felt wrong…deeply wrong, I wouldn’t have realized it if not for Exira…something in the nature of those flames felt repulsive.

  The chanting started again, rising from somewhere near the flames. It was louder now, felt closer too, the guttural voices weaving together into an unholy melody that made my skin crawl. The sounds didn’t just echo through the air—they seemed to press into my skull, their dissonant rhythm scratching at the edges of my mind.

  “Shit!...whatever is going on can't be good…there was some sort of lure or hypnosis effect in the chants and now with those twisted flames, the effects have increased ” I muttered, pressing my palms against my temples to block out the sound. It didn’t help.

  Fuuuu…need to keep channeling Exira at peak level 1 for now…can’t have myself be compromised

  The chants built steadily, almost hypnotic, tempting me to let go, to sink into the rhythm and lose myself in its discordant melody. My thoughts started to fog, my grasp on reality slipping.

  Focus Lexi….focus

  The warmth surged through me, cutting through the fog like a blade. My muscles snapped back into focus, and my mind cleared, though the faint whisper of the chant still lingered.

  Better. Not good, but better.

  Whatever was out there, I wasn’t about to wait for it to come to me…but before that, I knew there may be a very high possibility of entering combat.

  And…ummmm I need to stretch my body to…I no longer have any means to heal…gotta play every move smart Lexi.

  Stretching briefly, I rolled my shoulders and loosened my muscles, feeling the tension drain from my body as I quickly warmed up my body. My swords hung comfortably at my hips, their weight familiar and reassuring as I crouched low and slipped into the shadows of the forest.

  “Guess I’m not sleeping tonight,” I muttered, pulling my swords free from their sheaths.

  The weight of the weapons grounded me as I melted into the shadows of the forest, moving toward the flames with careful, deliberate steps. Each rustle of leaves underfoot felt deafening against the quiet backdrop, but I kept moving, my breaths shallow and measured.

  The flames on the horizon grew brighter as I moved closer, their glow dancing through the trees and painting the forest floor in shifting hues of orange and red. The chanting swelled with every step, each note sending a faint tremor through the air that made my stomach twist uncomfortably.

  It wasn’t just the sound. The very air seemed heavier here, thick with a suffocating presence that clung to my skin like oil.

  I stepped carefully, keeping my footsteps light as I crept through the dense foliage. The forest here was quieter than it had any right to be—no birds, no insects, nothing but the crackling of distant fire and the haunting rhythm of the chants.

  Rustle.

  I froze, the sound sharp and sudden, coming from the bushes to my right.

  In an instant, I slipped into a combat trance, my body reacting faster than my thoughts as I crouched low and drew one of my swords in a fluid motion. The blade hummed faintly, its edge catching the faint glow of the distant flames as I turned toward the sound.

  The bushes rustled again, and I tensed, every muscle coiled like a spring.

  But when the figures emerged, I didn’t move.

  Three small, deer-like creatures stepped out from the underbrush, their slender legs carrying them with an unhurried grace that seemed almost out of place in the oppressive atmosphere. Their fur was a soft, silvery-white, shimmering faintly in the dim light as they moved silently past me.

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  They didn’t even glance in my direction.

  I frowned, watching them carefully as they disappeared into the shadows ahead. Their movements were smooth, almost mechanical, and their wide, glassy eyes seemed vacant—unfocused, as though they weren’t really seeing anything at all.

  “Hypnosis… they didn’t even notice me…the effect is strong” I muttered, my grip tightening on my sword.

  The deer hadn’t reacted to me at all, hadn’t shown even the faintest hint of awareness. Whatever they were—or whatever had been done to them—they weren’t normal.

  The unease from the deer hadn’t faded, and I wasn’t about to ignore my instincts.

  fuuu

  Keeping low, I closed my eyes for a brief moment and pushed Exira throughout my body not wanting to take any chance of being hypnotized.

  “Alright,” I whispered, gripping the hilt of my sword as I began to follow the deer’s trail.

  They moved in unison, their steps measured and unnervingly mechanical as they drifted deeper into the forest. I stayed a good distance behind, my steps light and silent as I trailed them through the underbrush. The flickering glow of the flames ahead cast shifting shadows across the forest floor, making the path ahead feel like it was constantly shifting and alive.

  The further I followed, the stranger it got.

  More animals joined the procession. A few rabbits, their small, twitching forms hopping listlessly along the path. A fox with matted fur and dull eyes. Even a massive stag, its antlers draped in moss, moved with the same vacant, unthinking gait.

  They all headed in the same direction, their movements eerily synchronized, like marionettes pulled by invisible strings.

  Damn… whatever is going on here is big and that’s bad

  I crouched lower, using the cover of a dense bush to mask my presence as the line of creatures continued past me. My eyes scanned the crowd, picking out each individual form, but the glazed-over expressions and sluggish movements were all the same.

  And then I saw them too.

  Three goblins, their malnourished frames swaying as they trudged forward at the end of the line. Their greenish skin looked almost gray in the firelight, and their limbs hung awkwardly as though their joints had been forced out of alignment.

  They didn’t speak or snarl. No sounds escaped them at all.

  My jaw tightened, and my hand instinctively brushed the hilt of my second sword. Goblins were usually frantic, loud, and unpredictable. Whatever had reduced these ones to shambling husks wasn’t natural, and I doubted it was anything good.

  Fuuu…deep breath calm down Lexi…

  I stayed hidden, my eyes fixed on the line of creatures as they continued their slow, mindless march. The chanting in the distance grew louder now, rising and falling like a tidal wave, the harsh, guttural tones digging into my skull even through the barrier of Exira.

  For a brief moment, I debated turning back. Whatever was ahead clearly wasn’t something I was ready for—not yet. But I clenched my fists, the familiar flare of anger bubbling up beneath my unease.

  No Lexi…Turning back wouldn’t give me answers. And whatever force was pulling these creatures together, it was dangerous enough, and besides I’m in a dungeon…what’s the point of running

  The closer I got, the more unsettling the atmosphere became. The flames flickered more erratically now, their light casting grotesque shapes that seemed to writhe and twist like living things. In the darkness of night the flames casted a creepy glow over the area.

  I stayed low, my senses on high alert. The trees ahead began to thin, revealing a small clearing bathed in the light of the flames. And then I saw them.

  A horde

  A shiver ran down my spine as my eyes adjusted to the scene. Dozens of creatures moved in unison, their forms shambling and lifeless as they trudged toward the distant mountains. At first, it was hard to make out details in the flickering light, but as they drew closer, my stomach churned.

  Animals. A mix of deer, foxes, and even a massive stag moved in eerie synchronization, their steps mechanical and unhurried. Their eyes were vacant, wide, and glassy, reflecting the firelight like mirrors.

  “Why this many creatures…what’s going on…” I muttered under my breath, crouching lower to stay hidden.

  The animals weren’t alone. At the tail end of the procession, many goblins shuffled forward, their green skin pale and sickly under the light. Their limbs hung limply, their movements jerky and unnatural as though their joints had been forced into unnatural positions. They carried no weapons, no snarls or yells—just mindless silence.

  This wasn’t a march. It was a puppet show. And something had control of the strings.

  Fuu

  Taking regular breaks as I focused my mind and channeled Exira… can’t have any slips.

  I pressed myself tighter against the ground, my fingers brushing the hilt of my sword. My gut screamed at me to turn back again, to leave this nightmare behind.

  But something darker burned in my chest. Curiosity? Anger? Both. My instincts told me to follow, but my body screamed at me to run. I ignored it.

  As the last goblin disappeared into the trees, I exhaled slowly and rose to my feet.

  “Another dumb idea Lexi…,” I muttered, slipping into the shadows to trail the procession.

  My senses sharpened as I pushed Exira a little higher, the energy coursing through my veins in short, controlled bursts. The oppressive heat of the flames grew stronger, almost unbearable, but I kept moving.

  The forest thinned further, opening into a second clearing. My breath caught.

  At the center of the clearing stood a massive stone altar, its surface slick with a dark, viscous liquid that gleamed in the firelight. Surrounding it was a lone figure cloaked in a ragged, blood-stained robe, its face hidden beneath the hood.

  And there, above the altar, floated a massive dark red sphere which seemed to be pulsing with every chant.

  “Holy shit,” I whispered, crouching lower.

  My heart pounded as I tried to piece together what I was seeing.

  A ritual? A summoning? What the fuck is going on in the night…ahhh! God dammit my luck.

  The sphere above the altar radiated power—raw, oppressive, and malevolent. Even from this distance, I could feel its energy pressing against me, a suffocating weight that made it hard to breathe.

  Fuck some nutjob is summoning some fucking monstrosity

  And I walked right into it.

  HOUSE OF END DISCORD

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