The echoes of battle still reverberated in Raven Redstone’s mind as she stood at the edge of the ravaged Hollow Woods. The cold October wind carried the scent of scorched earth and damp leaves, a stark reminder of the clash that had left her world fractured. The Eternal Curse had been lifted, but at a cost no one could fully understand yet.

Ashen Bloodstone, his curls disheveled and his dark eyes shadowed with fatigue, stepped beside her. His presence was grounding, a constant in the maelstrom of her thoughts. "Raven," he said, his voice steady despite the tremor in his hands. "It’s over. We did it."

Raven didn’t answer. Her light blue eyes, still faintly glowing from the curse’s remnants, scanned the horizon. The moon hung low, its glow muted as though mourning the losses they had suffered. She adjusted her glasses and tightened her grip on the leather-bound journal in her hands—the one that had held the key to ending the curse.

“It doesn’t feel over,” she murmured. “Not really.”

Behind them, Ember Cross and Willow Greenstone approached. Ember’s steps were measured, her thoughtful expression betraying her inner conflict. Willow’s vibrant green streaks seemed dulled under the pale moonlight, her usual energy subdued.

“What’s the plan now?” Willow asked, breaking the silence. Her voice wavered, and she clenched her fists as if to steady herself. “Do we just… go back to normal?”

“There’s no normal to go back to,” Ember replied. Her tone was calm but edged with a sorrow that mirrored Raven’s own. “Not after what we’ve seen. Not after what we’ve done.”

Ashen shifted uncomfortably. “The curse is gone. Solstice said it herself. The spirits are at rest now.”

“But what about the shadows?” Raven asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Everyone froze. The shadows. They had emerged during the final moments of their fight with Morgana Vex, tendrils of darkness seeping from the cracks of reality itself. Solstice Wraithe, the spirit of Halloween, had warned them—those shadows were not bound by the curse. They were something else entirely.

“You think they’re still out there?” Ember asked, her blue eyes meeting Raven’s.

“I know they are,” Raven replied. “I can feel them.”

The journal in her hands seemed to pulse with energy, its pages whispering in a language she couldn’t decipher. It had been silent since the curse’s defeat, but now its presence felt heavier, darker.

Suddenly, the wind shifted. A chilling howl echoed through the trees, not unlike a wolf’s cry, but layered with something more sinister. Everyone turned, instinctively forming a defensive circle.

From the shadows of the woods, a figure emerged. Dressed in tattered black robes that seemed to melt into the darkness, the figure carried an aura of dread. Its face was hidden beneath a hood, but its voice was unmistakable—a deep, resonant tone that seemed to vibrate through the earth.

“Did you think it would be so easy?” the figure asked.

“Nightshade Grimshadow,” Ashen growled, stepping forward. “What do you want?”

The Dark Shadow chuckled, a sound devoid of humor. “What I’ve always wanted,” he said. “To finish what the curse started. You think you’ve won, little mortals? The curse was only the beginning. The shadows are eternal, and they will consume you.”

Raven stepped forward, her voice steady despite the fear coiling in her chest. “We defeated Morgana. We ended the curse. We’ll stop you too.”

Nightshade tilted his head, the darkness around him rippling as though alive. “You misunderstand, child. This isn’t about curses or revenge. This is about power. The shadows are bound to no one, not even me. They will rise, and when they do, your world will fall.”

Before anyone could respond, Nightshade raised a hand. The shadows surged forward, swallowing the moonlight and plunging the woods into utter darkness. Raven barely had time to react before a wave of cold, suffocating energy crashed over them.

“Raven!” Ashen’s voice cut through the chaos, his hand finding hers in the dark.

She clutched the journal tightly, its whispers now a roar in her ears. Images flashed in her mind—a forgotten temple, a key forged from light and shadow, and a name she didn’t recognize: Eclipse Nexus.

As quickly as it began, the darkness receded. Nightshade was gone, but his words lingered in the air like a curse.

Raven turned to her friends, their faces pale and determined. “This isn’t over,” she said, her voice firm. “Not even close.”

Ember nodded. “Then we find out what’s next. Together.”

With the journal as their guide and the shadows as their enemy, they stepped into the unknown. The battle against the Eternal Shadows had only just begun.