The Dark Awakening of Sahie: A Journey into the Shadows of Alvand

Part 2: The Awakening of Shadows
The silence of the night was broken by a faint sound—soft, almost inaudible, but undeniably present. Sahi’s body tensed as she turned, her sword raised. The wind carried a voice, low and cruel. “Who’s there?” she demanded, her voice betraying no fear but a quiet determination.

Out of the mist emerged an old man, his robes tattered by years of wandering. His face was as weathered as the mountains themselves, but his eyes—eyes that burned with an unnatural light—held something more. He stepped forward, his movements slow but deliberate, as though the shadows themselves bent around him.

“You came,” the old man rasped, his voice like the creak of ancient wood. “I knew you would. The darkness is your birthright, just as it was your ancestors’. And now, it is your curse.”

Sahi’s heart clenched at his words. Her instincts screamed for her to strike, but something held her back—something about the old man’s presence. She lowered her sword slightly, still wary but curious. He was no mere traveler. He carried with him the weight of something much older, something darker.

“You’re not a fool, child,” the man continued, his voice softening with a strange pity. “The shadows will claim you, just as they claimed your family. You cannot escape it.”

Sahi swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat. “Then I’ll fight,” she replied firmly, her voice steady despite the storm inside her. “I’ll fight the darkness. I’ll fight for my family.”