[Samael Ashwood's POV]
"Thanks, Merlin," I murmured again, the name of the First Mage now holding a deeper significance. His legacy had saved me, but it had also unleashed a force I barely understood.
I needed to move. Staying here, exposed and vulnerable, was not an option. With a determined effort, I forced my legs to carry me forward. The forest felt both familiar and alien, shadows dancing in the corners of my vision as I made my way through the undergrowth.
Every step was a reminder of the battle's toll. My body ached, and my mind was a fog of fatigue and lingering pain. Yet, there was a strange clarity that came with the exhaustion—a realization that I had tapped into something profound, something that could change everything.
