The abandoned mill loomed like a specter against the dark horizon, its shattered windows glowing faintly in the moonlight. Elyra and Dain crouched in the underbrush, their breath misting in the chill night air. "Are you ready?" Dain whispered, his fiery orange eyes scanning the decrepit structure.noveldrama

"No," Elyra admitted, her grip tightening on the axe she'd taken from Matthew. Her silver hair caught the moonlight, an ethereal glow that reminded her of how much she had yet to understand about herself. "But we have to do this." They slipped inside through a broken window, their footsteps muffled by years of accumulated dust. The mill creaked and groaned with every step, the air thick with the smell of rust and decay.

The sound of labored breathing led them to the center of the mill, where Matthew was tied to a chair, his head slumped forward. A low growl rumbled from Dain's throat, his hands balling into fists.

Before they could reach him, the red-eyed woman appeared, her crimson gaze piercing the gloom. Jason stood beside her, his form unnervingly still.

"Ah, the brave children," the woman purred, her smile a cruel slash across her face. "Come to play hero, have we?"

"Let him go," Elyra demanded, stepping forward.

The woman laughed, her voice dripping with malice. "Oh, my dear, it's not that simple. But I must admit, your courage is... entertaining."

Dain didn't wait for her to finish. He lunged, but with a flick of her wrist, the woman sent him crashing into a pile of rusted machinery. Elyra barely had time to react before Jason moved toward her, his predatory gaze locking on hers.

"I didn't want it to come to this," Jason said, his voice low and cold. "But you left me no choice."

The words struck a nerve, but Elyra refused to let them distract her. As Jason advanced, a strange energy surged through her body, tingling beneath her skin like an electric current. Her vision sharpened, the world slowing to a crawl as her instincts took over. She moved faster than she thought possible, sidestepping Jason's attack and landing a solid blow with the axe. Jason staggered back, shock flashing across his face.

The red-eyed woman's expression darkened. "So, the power awakens," she said, her voice a mix of anger and intrigue. "Let's see how far you've come."

Elyra turned to face her, the glow of her silver hair illuminating the dim room. The woman attacked with a whip of dark energy, but Elyra countered, her movements impossibly swift. The two clashed in a flurry of light and shadow, their powers shaking the mill's fragile structure.

"You think you can defy him?" the woman sneered, her attacks growing more desperate. "The King will find you, and when he does, you'll wish you'd stayed hidden."

Elyra's final strike sent the woman hurtling into a crumbling wall. Dazed but still smirking, the red-eyed woman vanished into the shadows.

Elyra rushed to Dain's side, helping him to his feet before freeing Matthew from his bindings. He was barely conscious, his breathing shallow, but alive.

As they carried him out of the mill, Elyra couldn't shake the woman's parting words: "The King knows where you are, and he's coming for you."