The light from the pedestal pulsed gently, illuminating the stone walls of the chamber like a heartbeat. Symbols, long dormant, glowed gold and silver, shifting and rearranging themselves as if reading her presence. The unicorn stood silently before it, its horn humming softly, in perfect sync with the rhythm of the room.
Victor stood still, scanning every corner with quiet awe. "This place... it's not just ancient. It's alive."
She nodded, eyes fixed on the symbols dancing across the stone. "It's responding to the unicorn and me."
The voice returned. Not spoken aloud, but inside her head again. Calm. Timeless.
*"You have been chosen as witness. As protector. The last guardian has found you."*
"I didn't ask to be chosen," she whispered.
Victor glanced at her. "You don't believe in coincidence anymore, do you?"
She didn't answer. She was staring at her hand the one the unicorn had touched. A faint mark now shimmered beneath her skin, almost like a brand or sigil. It wasn't painful, but it radiated with strange energy something ancient, something *not human*.
Suddenly, a loud metallic thud echoed from the tunnel they'd come through. She spun around.
"They've entered the lower corridor," Victor said. "We have minutes at most."
The unicorn stepped away from the pedestal. The glowing symbols dimmed slightly, as if recognizing the urgency. Then the creature turned, eyes on her, calm but clear: it was ready to follow her lead.
She took a breath. "We can't run forever. There's something here we're meant to find something that could help us fight back."
Victor hesitated. "Then we take a stand. But we need more than magic we need a plan."
As if in response, the pedestal cracked open at the top, revealing a crystal orb surrounded by etched rings. The unicorn nudged it gently, and a projection flared to life an ancient map, symbols, and a tree glowing at its center.
"The Tree of Echoes," she whispered, without knowing how she knew the name.
Victor stared at the map. "That's not just a key. That's the *origin*."
And just like that, their journey shifted.
They weren't just running anymore.
They were going *back* to where it all began.
The unicorn moved forward, its steps sure now, its horn shining like a beacon. The walls of the sanctuary dimmed behind them as if the ancient place had given them what they needed and was now retreating back into silence.
Victor tapped her arm. "There's another tunnel here," he said, brushing moss away from a low archway. "Leads to the edge of the forest, far from the estate. We go now, we lose them."
She nodded, her grip tightening around the orb. "What if they know about this place?"
"They don't," Victor said. "If they did, they would've destroyed it by now."
The unicorn followed closely, its body fully restored, but its eyes were wary. It knew more than either of them she could feel it. With every step, their connection deepened. Emotions passed through them: fear, strength, the weight of being the last… and now, hope.
They moved swiftly through the narrow path until they reached the exit an old wooden door camouflaged beneath ivy and roots. Victor pushed it open, revealing a stretch of dark forest, the moon casting shadows across the ground.
"From here, we disappear," he said. "But we need a plan."
She looked out at the forest, then back at the unicorn. "We don't just disappear. We find the rest of whatever's left. Places like the sanctuary. Clues. And we stay ahead of whoever's hunting this power."
Victor gave a small nod. "Agreed. But we need allies."
She hesitated. "Can we trust anyone?"
"Maybe one or two. I know someone from the old research team. If they haven't been bought."
They started moving again, deeper into the woods. Behind them, faint sounds of aircraft buzzed overhead search parties. The hunt hadn't stopped.
But something inside her had changed.
She wasn't just a girl who stumbled onto a dying creature. She was *part of something ancient*, something sacred. And now that bond had marked her.
The unicorn moved beside her, tall and strong again. Their destinies now ran together.
The night was dark. The road ahead unknown.
But the awakening had begun.
And the world would never be the same.
The forest air was cool and heavy with dew as they stepped through the old wooden door. The moment they crossed into the open, the sanctuary's glow faded behind them, sealed once again by time and silence.
She glanced at the unicorn, now moving with quiet confidence beside her. Its coat shimmered under the moonlight, and though the glow of its horn had dimmed, a soft warmth still radiated from it. That warmth settled in her chest, steady and grounding proof that their bond remained.
Victor walked ahead, scanning the path. "We'll head west, stay off the roads. I know an old cabin we can use for the night."
She nodded, her eyes not leaving the treetops where distant lights flickered. Drones were still out there, searching, listening.
"We can't run forever," she said quietly.
"No," Victor replied. "But now we're not just running. We have something they'll never understand."
She looked down at the orb still clutched in her hand. It pulsed gently, like a heartbeat. The unicorn nuzzled her shoulder, and again, she felt it not words, but trust.
They walked into the darkness, away from everything familiar. Hunters, secrets, betrayal all still chased them. But for the first time, she didn't feel like prey.
She felt chosen.
As they moved deeper into the forest, the sounds of the modern world faded no engines, no buzzing drones, just the whisper of leaves and the distant cry of night birds. The unicorn stayed close, ever watchful, its ears twitching at every subtle shift in the air.
Victor led them through a narrow trail, barely visible, overgrown with roots and low-hanging branches. She stumbled once, but the unicorn steadied her with a gentle nudge. It wasn't just a creature anymore it was her guide, her guardian.
"Do you think they'll stop?" she asked after a long silence.
Victor didn't turn. "Not until they either capture the unicorn, or you."
She swallowed hard. "Then we have to be faster than their greed."
He gave a dry chuckle. "Or smarter."
After another mile, they reached a small, forgotten cabin tucked between two ridges. The door creaked open with effort. Dust danced in the moonlight. Inside were old furniture, cracked windows, and silence. But it was safe for now.
Victor checked the perimeter while she helped the unicorn settle in the corner, laying down gently. It exhaled slowly, and for a moment, peace settled over the room.