"The Path is refusing to hold," Kaelen murmured, his voice strained. He pressed his palms into the dirt, and the silver ink tattooed across his forearms began to glow a soft, rhythmic blue. "It’s like the earth is trying to swallow the history we’ve built on top of it."
"Kaelen, don't stop!" Elara stepped over him, her sword erupting in white flame as she met the shadow's bite. "Weave the path, or we'll both be buried in it!" The Paths We Lay by Auryn Hadley
The ground buckled. A roar, more felt than heard, vibrated through his bones. From the fissure, a shadow lunged—a creature made of static and ancient spite. "The Path is refusing to hold," Kaelen murmured,
Kaelen closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness into the rock. In his mind’s eye, the road wasn't stone and mortar; it was a golden ribbon of light stretching toward the horizon. But here, at the crossroads, the ribbon was frayed, turning into a muddy, oily blackness. "Weave the path, or we'll both be buried in it