The forest thickened as night fell, casting eerie shadows that danced across the path. The group moved cautiously, their trust in Lyrith hanging by a thread. Kalmaran’s instincts screamed at him to keep his guard up, but the possibility of answers kept him pressing forward.
Lysara walked silently beside Velora, her mind racing with questions she was too afraid to voice. If the Oracle had truly been killed, did that mean they had lost their only hope of understanding the power inside her? Every step forward felt like they were drifting deeper into the unknown.
“We should make camp soon,” Valen suggested, his eyes scanning the darkening trees. “We’ll need to be alert tonight. I don’t trust this place.”
Lyrith, leading the way, paused for a moment, glancing over her shoulder. “You’re right not to trust it. This forest has its secrets, just like everything else. But we’re close. There’s a clearing up ahead where we’ll be safe.”
Kalmaran shot her a cold look. “Safe? You said that about the Oracle too.”
Lyrith’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Fair point. But the Oracle didn’t see what was coming. You will.”
The clearing appeared before them, bathed in the faint glow of the moon peeking through the dense canopy above. The group quickly set up camp, but the air was thick with tension. Lysara sat apart from the others, staring at the sky, her thoughts troubled.
Kalmaran approached her, sitting down beside her without a word. For a few moments, they sat in silence, the crackle of the campfire the only sound between them.
“I don’t know if I can keep going like this,” Lysara finally admitted, her voice barely audible. “Every step we take, I feel like we’re walking deeper into a trap. What if… what if I’m the reason all of this is happening?”
Kalmaran watched her carefully. “You’re not the cause of this, Lysara. We don’t know enough yet to say that.”
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“But what if I am?” she pressed, turning to face him, her eyes wide with fear. “What if everything that’s happening—the Oracle’s death, the crystal waking—it’s all because of me?”
Kalmaran frowned, unsure of how to reassure her. There was too much they didn’t understand, but he couldn’t let her lose hope. “Even if that’s true,” he said quietly, “we’ll figure it out. Together.”
Before Lysara could respond, a sharp rustling in the trees broke the silence. Everyone jumped to their feet, weapons drawn, as dark shapes began to emerge from the shadows.
Lyrith stood calmly at the edge of the camp, her eyes glinting in the firelight. “Looks like they’ve found us,” she said softly.
Kalmaran’s heart raced as a group of cloaked figures stepped into the clearing, their faces obscured by deep hoods. They moved silently, surrounding the camp in a perfect circle.
“Who are they?” Velora demanded, her bow drawn and ready.
Lyrith’s smile widened. “Let’s just say they’re not friends of the Oracle.”
The tension snapped as one of the figures lunged forward, and chaos erupted. Swords clashed in the moonlight, and the air was filled with the sounds of battle. Kalmaran found himself locked in combat with one of the cloaked figures, their strength surprising him.
Lysara stood frozen, watching the battle unfold, her hands trembling as the strange energy inside her began to stir once more. She could feel it building, rising within her like a tidal wave, threatening to break free.
“Lysara!” Velora’s voice cut through the noise, snapping her back to reality. “We need you!”
But Lysara was already lost in the surge of power. She felt it spilling out of her, uncontrolled, as her vision blurred. The world around her seemed to slow, and for a moment, she saw something else—darkness, vast and endless, filled with whispering voices that she couldn’t quite understand.
And then, with a flash of light, it was over.
The cloaked figures collapsed to the ground, motionless. The camp was eerily silent, save for the crackling of the fire. Kalmaran and the others stared at Lysara, their faces pale with shock.
“What… what just happened?” Valen asked, his voice hoarse.
Lysara looked down at her hands, trembling uncontrollably. She didn’t have an answer.
Lyrith stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with something that looked disturbingly like satisfaction. “Now you’re starting to understand,” she said softly. “The power inside you—it’s stronger than you realize. And it’s only just beginning.”
Kalmaran’s hand tightened on the hilt of his sword as he turned to Lyrith. “What do you know about this?”
Lyrith’s smile was unsettling. “More than you’d like to believe.”
patreon.com/BlueChair002