The forest was alive with whispers. Shadows danced between the towering oaks, and the air carried a heavy, almost oppressive energy. Alysia trudged behind Aragos, her hands clenched into fists. Every step took them further from the safety of the clan, and she felt the weight of her decision pressing down on her.
"Slow down!" she called, her voice tight with frustration.
Aragos turned, his golden eyes gleaming in the twilight. "If you can't keep up, little witch, perhaps you should reconsider this keeper nonsense."
She shot him a glare. "I'm not the one who's enjoying a leisurely stroll after centuries of slumber."
His lips curled into a faint smile. "Enjoying? Hardly. This is… tolerable."
Alysia let out a sharp breath and caught up to him. "Where are we even going?"
"Wherever the winds take us," he said with a shrug, brushing aside a low-hanging branch with ease. "Izea is not what it used to be. I intend to see just how much has changed."
Alysia's curiosity momentarily overtook her irritation. "You remember Izea?"
He stopped abruptly, turning to face her. "Izea was mine," he said, his voice laced with bitterness. "Every stone, every blade of grass, every breath taken by its people—mine. And yet…" He trailed off, his expression hardening. "It slipped away."
"You mean you lost it," Alysia said, her tone sharper than she intended.
His eyes narrowed, and she instinctively stepped back. "Careful, witch," he warned softly. "You're bound to me, but that doesn't make you untouchable."
She swallowed hard but refused to break his gaze. "You said it yourself—I'm your keeper. You can't hurt me without hurting yourself."
He studied her for a long moment before laughing quietly. "Perhaps you're not as weak as you seem."
They emerged from the forest at dusk, the sight of a crumbling village stopping Alysia in her tracks. The houses were skeletal, their thatched roofs caved in, and the fields lay fallow and overgrown.
"What happened here?" she whispered.
Aragos walked ahead, his expression unreadable. "War," he said simply.
"War?" she repeated, her voice rising. "With who?"
He gestured to the broken remains of a watchtower. "The oglins, most likely. Or perhaps something worse. Humans have a habit of making enemies they can't defeat."
Alysia frowned, her fingers tracing the charred wood of a collapsed doorframe. "But this is so close to Ari. How could they let this happen?"
Aragos chuckled darkly. "The mighty Cera Clan isn't as invincible as they like to pretend."
She turned to him, her jaw tight. "You don't know that."
"Oh, but I do." His gaze swept over the ruins. "This wasn't the work of monsters alone. There's a scent of betrayal here."
Before she could respond, a low growl echoed through the air. Alysia froze, her eyes darting to the shadows between the buildings.
"What was that?" she whispered.
Aragos smirked. "Something hungry."
The growling grew louder, and the air seemed to thicken with menace. Alysia's heart raced as a pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the darkness.
"Stay behind me," she said instinctively, raising her hands to summon a protective spell.
Aragos laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. "Adorable. Do you really think you can protect me?"
Before she could respond, the creature lunged—a massive, wolf-like beast with matted fur and jagged teeth. Alysia barely had time to throw up a shield, the force of the impact knocking her to the ground.
Aragos stepped forward, his movements almost lazy. With a flick of his wrist, the beast froze mid-snarl, its body suspended in the air as if caught in an invisible net.
"Pathetic," he muttered, his voice dripping with disdain.
The creature let out a strangled whimper before crumpling to the ground, lifeless. Aragos turned to Alysia, his golden eyes gleaming. "You're welcome."
She scrambled to her feet, glaring at him. "I had it under control!"
He arched an eyebrow. "Did you? Because from where I stood, it looked like you were about to become its dinner."
Alysia clenched her fists, her cheeks flushing with anger. "I don't need your help."
He stepped closer, his smirk fading. "Then stop acting like a child and start behaving like the witch you claim to be. Otherwise, this bond of ours won't last a day."
As the night deepened, they made camp in the ruins of the village. Alysia sat by a small fire, her mind racing. Aragos leaned against a crumbling wall, his expression unreadable.
"Why did you let them put the bond on you?" she asked suddenly.
He looked at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Curiosity."
"Curiosity?"
"Yes," he said, his voice calm. "You woke me. You intrigued me. And now I want to see how far you'll go before you break."
Alysia shivered, but not from the cold. "You're playing a game."
"Life is a game," he said with a faint smile. "And I'm very, very good at it."
She stared into the fire, her fists clenched. "You won't break me."
"We'll see."
Above them, the stars glittered coldly, as if mocking the fragile peace between them. Somewhere in the distance, a howl pierced the night, and Alysia felt a chill run down her spine.
This was only the beginning.