The realization changed everything. Those ancient markers had never been guiding travelers; they had been marking a boundary.
Something was enclosed within them, or perhaps something was being prevented from entering.
Before experimenting further, they decided to map the entire area. Atheline placed small stones at regular intervals while reinforcing each with Earth. Unlike ordinary markers, these could not easily be moved by beasts or weather.
Lilith added her own touch. Each stone received a tiny fragment of Dark Aether hidden beneath its shadow. She would immediately know if one disappeared.
Hours passed as they walked. Together they walked every possible direction and every single one... Returned to the same circle; not once did their markers vanish. Instead, the forest itself quietly redirected them.
There was no moment where reality shifted. One moment they were walking toward a distant hill and the next, the stone circle stood before them once again.
Atheline frowned.
