Dr. Alex Nolan II's Arc

Chapter 10 of 13

The swamp path narrowed until water covered both sides of the trail. Nolan walked on exposed roots and packed earth, his boots squelching with each step. The artifact's warmth pressed against his ribs, steady and insistent. Behind him, the hunting lodge had vanished into the fog. The artifact's warmth began to fade. Nolan pressed his good hand against his chest, feeling the heat drain away like water through his fingers. The purple glow dimmed, then died completely. Darkness closed in from all sides. He couldn't see the path ahead, couldn't tell root from water. He stood still, waiting for his eyes to adjust, but the swamp gave him nothing. Without the artifact's light, he'd step wrong and sink. The robed figures would return—they always returned—and he'd be blind when they did. He pulled the artifact from his shirt and held it up, willing it to glow again. It stayed cold and dark in his palm. The brand on his arm didn't burn. No pull, no heat, no direction. The artifact had guided him this far and now it had gone silent. He was alone in the dark with no way forward and no way back.