Chapter

283

Elyra and Dain ventured deeper into the strange realm, their footsteps muffled by the soft, glowing moss that blanketed the forest floor. The trees loomed overhead, their silver bark shimmering in the moonlight. Every leaf seemed to hum faintly, a melody just out of reach. Elyra brushed her fingers against one of the trees, the sensation sending a tingle up her arm. "This place..." she murmured, her golden eyes wide. "It feels like home. But... not."

Dain's orange eyes darted around, his body tense as if expecting an attack at any moment. "We're not alone," he muttered.

The wind rustled, carrying whispers in a language Elyra didn't understand but felt she should. Her pendant pulsed faintly in rhythm with the wind, its glow matching the silvery light around them.

From the treetops, creatures emerged, their forms flickering between shadow and animal. Their glowing eyes locked onto Elyra and Dain, unblinking and predatory.

One leaped from the branches, claws extended. Dain moved instinctively, intercepting the creature mid-air and slamming it to the ground with a strength that startled even him. The creature dissolved into dark mist, leaving behind only an echo of its growl.

Elyra's hands glowed faintly as she readied her powers, scanning the trees for more attackers. "You're faster here," she observed, her voice edged with awe. "Stronger."

Dain rolled his shoulders, his gaze distant. "It's like this place is waking something up in us," he said. He didn't add that the power felt wild and barely controlled, like a storm brewing inside him.

As the last shadow beast vanished, the air around them shimmered, and the ground beneath their feet rippled unnaturally. The fight with Jason had unleashed a surge of energy that fractured their passage through the portal, flinging them far from their intended destination. Instead of reuniting with their packs, they found themselves in an uncharted part of their world, the vast and alien landscape unfamiliar to both of them.noveldrama

Elyra's chest tightened as she scanned their surroundings, realizing the path they had hoped for was nowhere in sight. "We're far from home," she said, her voice trembling. "How are we going to find them now?"

Dain reached out, his hand brushing her shoulder reassuringly. "We'll find a way," he said, his voice steady. But as he turned his gaze toward the dark horizon, even he couldn't hide the weight of their new challenge. Elyra used her light to illuminate their path, her silver hair shimmering as she walked. "But is that a good thing or not?" she asked, her voice heavy with doubt.

Neither of them had an answer.