Page 24

I can’t stop thinking about Elara. The memory of our kiss lingers in my mind, a haunting melody I cannot shake.

Her lips, soft yet urgent, left an indelible mark on my soul.

But it was not just the kiss that consumed my thoughts.

It was the sight of her taking her first drink of blood.

The transformation in her eyes, the raw power that surged through her; it was both mesmerising and terrifying.

I had seen her strength before, but this was different, primal, untamed.

It served as a reminder of the dangerous path we were on, and yet, I could not help but feel drawn to her even more.

The kiss, the blood, the unspoken bond between us; it was all a whirlwind that left me breathless and yearning for more.

She is to be mine. My Queen.

The nights grow cold and quiet without her; that night was surely amazing. It is mad to think she will soon be my wife. I’m not sure when, but I shall leave that to the Council to decide. Should I go and see her? It’s been a few days; gods, what has she done to me?

I paced the room, my thoughts a tangled mess.

The Council’s decision loomed over us, a shadow that dictated our every move.

Yet my heart yearned for her, a pull I couldn’t resist. I needed to see her, to feel her presence, to reassure myself that this bond between us was real and not merely a figment of my imagination.

With a deep breath, I resolved. I would go to her, conse- quences be damned.

The Council could wait. Elara was my future, my queen, and I wouldn’t allow anything to stand in our way.

As I stepped out into the night, the cold air biting at my skin, I felt a renewed sense of purpose.

Whatever challenges lay ahead, we would face them together. So, I chose to go to Lunairis.

I couldn’t waste another moment. My heart guided me through the labyrinthine forest of her enchanting realm, each step resonating with my determination. The cold night air nipped at my skin as I stepped outside, but the thought of Elara’s warmth urged me on.

The path to her was filled with memories of our journey together, the annual meetings, the secrets shared, and the undeniable bond that had formed between us.

She had awakened something in me, something that transcended the blood we shared and the power we sought.

She was my queen, and I was bound to her in ways that words could scarcely describe.

The clearing hummed with tension, the faint glow of the moon above casting jagged shadows on the forest floor.

I gripped my sword tightly, the worn leather of the hilt digging into my palm as I stood face to face with Withers.

His pale face, framed by the high collar of his dark robes, radiated an unsettling mix of calm and malice.

Behind him, the enforcers fanned out in a semicircle, their black armour merging with the night.

Each one held weapons inscribed with softly glowing runes, their edges crafted to cut through more than flesh, through magic, through will.

“Ahh, Lord Kaelen,” Withers said, his voice cold and deliber- ate. “Is Queen Elara with you? We’ve been looking all over for her.”

I stepped forward, my boots crunching on the frost-laden ground. “Funny, I was just about to say the same to you. What’s this about, Withers?”

Withers releases a slow sigh, as if the weight of my ignorance personally burdened him. “What we’ve always desired, to protect this realm from itself. And you, Kaelen... you’ve become a liability. A wild card we can no longer leave unchecked.”

The words struck like a hammer against stone, resonating with ominous intent. My muscles tensed, instinct screaming that this wasn’t merely a warning. “Unchecked? I’ve fought your battles, shed blood for the Council. What is it you desire: control, leverage, peace?”

Withers tilted his head, his lips curling into a patronising smile. “Well, all three actually. The Council sees potential in you. But that potential comes with... complications.”

“What complications?” I demand, my voice firm. The enforcers surrounding him shifted, their stances tightening like wolves ready to pounce.

Withers’ expression darkened, the mockery slipping away. “You carry something within you, Kaelen. Something ancient, primal, and infinitely destructive. Do you think we didn’t

notice? Do you believe the Council’s interest in you was merely a coincidence?

Your power isn’t solely yours. It’s linked to something far greater, something the Council has been safeguarding for centuries.

We’ve just left it dormant, and well, the Council was going to wed you to dear Elara, but. .. It seems like she has gone AWOL.”

A chill coursed through me that had nothing to do with the night air. The words lodged deep, unearthing long-buried suspicions I’d never dared to explore. “Safeguarding,” I said bitterly. “What lies dormant, Withers?”

His smile returned, but this time, it was as sharp as a razor. “Does it matter? We can use you, Kaelen.”

I drew my sword in a flash, the blade gleaming under the moonlight. “You can’t use me. We need to find my wife!”

Withers raised a hand, the runes on his gauntlet flaring to life in brilliant crimson.

He pauses for a brief moment, as one of his enforcers whispers in his ear.

The air around me thickened, pressing against my chest like invisible hands.

“She is most definitely not your wife, and seems like she will never be,” he hissed.

“She is running around with that Demon Prince, Azrael. Now, where were we?”

As he snaps his fingers, the enforcers lunge, their blades slashing toward me in unison.

My reflexes kick in, and I spin to parry the first strike, the clang of steel-on-steel echoing in the clearing, driving my blade into the gap between an enforcer’s armour plates.

He collapses with a gurgled cry, but there is no time to savour the victory.

Another was upon me, their weapon carving an arc through the air that I barely dodged.

The fight was a blur of motion and instinct, yet something deeper stirred within me, something raw and volatile.

Every swing of my sword felt heavier, more decisive.

My vision sharpened, narrowing the world to the immediacy of battle.

It wasn’t merely adrenaline; it was power, coiling like a serpent beneath my skin, ready to strike.

Withers watched from the periphery of the chaos, his expres- sion shifting from smug confidence to cautious calculation. “You can feel it, can’t you?” he calls out over the commotion.

“The power awakening within you. It’s yours, Kaelen. It will consume you. And you will be better for it.”

I cut down another enforcer, their weapon clattering to the ground. “You’re a liar, Withers! I now know who you truly are.” I snarled. “Evil.”

Withers sneered, raising his gauntlet high.

The runes erupted in a surge of light, and the ground beneath me trembled violently.

The earth cracked open in jagged lines, and from its depths came a sound, a low, guttural growl that seemed to vibrate through my very bones.

The shadows surrounding us thickened, twisting and writhing like living creatures.

I staggered back, my heart pounding as something immense began to emerge. At first, it was merely a shape, a hulking, indistinct figure crafted from darkness itself. It was me, but not me. I can recognise its features, but something wasn’t quite right about it.

The beast’s gaze locked onto me, and I felt a pull, as though an invisible chain connected us. My pulse quickened, dread clawing at the edges of my mind. I was bound to this other me. I couldn’t run, I was frozen in time.

Withers’ voice sliced through the beast’s roars. “Meet your true self, Kaelen,” he stated, his tone rich with triumph. “The power within you, unshackled and raw. This is why you cannot be left unchecked. This is what you will unleash upon the world. Pure darkness and ruin.”

The beast let out an earth-shattering screech, and a surge of energy rippled through me, mirroring its fury.

My knees buckled, my sword slipping from my grip as the pull between us intensified.

Memories, visions, flashed through my mind, too swift to process.

A battlefield drenched in blood. A city consumed by flames. This was doom. My doom. Elara’s doom.

“No!” I shouted, rising to my feet. “This isn’t who I am. Whatever this is, it doesn’t have control over me!”

The dark figure’s eyes narrowed, its dead gaze searing into my soul. In that moment, I realised the truth: the Council had not been trying to protect me. They had been trying to use me, to use this. And now, they intended to awaken it fully, regardless of the cost.

Withers stepped forward, his gauntlet glowing ever more brightly. “It’s not about control, Kaelen. It’s about inevitability. You can’t fight what you are.”

I clenched my fists, the power within me surging in response to the beast’s presence. My voice was low, steady, and filled with defiance. “Watch me.”