The air in Greywood was thick with unease in the days following Kel's battle with Kaelith. The villagers, once wary but welcoming, now regarded Kel with a mixture of awe and fear. Word of the battle had spread quickly, and while some saw him as a hero, others whispered about the dangers of his newfound power.
Kel could feel the weight of their gazes as he walked through the village, his senses sharper than ever. The beast within him, now subdued but not silenced, heightened his awareness, making every whisper and side glance feel like an accusation. He tried to ignore it, focusing instead on the tasks at hand, but the tension gnawed at him.
Elara remained his constant companion, her presence a soothing balm against the growing unease. Together, they worked to fortify Greywood, preparing for the inevitable retaliation from the Dominion. Kaelith had been a powerful adversary, but Kel knew he was only the beginning. The Dominion would not take his defiance lightly, and the next attack could come at any moment.
Despite their efforts, a shadow of doubt crept into Kel's mind. The ease with which Kaelith had tracked him down haunted him. Someone had to have betrayed them, someone close enough to know their plans and whereabouts. But who? The villagers were loyal, and Elara… Kel pushed the thought away, unwilling to even entertain the idea.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the village, Kel and Elara sat by the fire in her cottage. The flickering flames cast a warm glow over the room, but the tension between them was palpable. Kel stared into the fire, his thoughts racing.
"Elara," he began, his voice heavy with concern, "we need to be more cautious. Kaelith found us too easily. There might be someone in the village… someone who's working with the Dominion."
Elara looked up from the herbs she was grinding, her expression calm but serious. "I've thought about that too," she admitted. "It's possible. But we can't start accusing people without proof. It would only sow more distrust."
Kel nodded, knowing she was right. But the suspicion still lingered, an itch he couldn't scratch. "We need to find out who it is," he said, his voice firm. "If there's a traitor among us, they could bring the Dominion down on us before we're ready."
Elara reached out, placing a hand on his arm. "We will, Kel. But we have to be smart about it. We can't let fear drive us apart."
Her touch was reassuring, but it couldn't dispel the unease in his heart. They talked long into the night, making plans to quietly investigate the villagers, hoping to root out the betrayer without causing a panic.
The following days were a delicate balancing act. Kel and Elara went about their usual duties, but they kept a close eye on everyone they interacted with, looking for any sign of deception. It was exhausting, both mentally and emotionally. Kel found himself questioning everyone's motives, even those he had known his entire life.
It wasn't long before their efforts bore fruit, though not in the way Kel had hoped. One evening, as Kel returned to Elara's cottage after a long day of preparations, he found the door slightly ajar. His senses went on high alert, and he entered cautiously, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Inside, he found Elara standing by the table, her face pale and her hands trembling. Before her lay a parchment, its edges singed as if it had been hastily thrown into the fire and then pulled out at the last moment.
"Kel," she whispered, her voice shaking. "We were right. There's a traitor."
Kel crossed the room in an instant, his eyes scanning the parchment. It was a letter, half-burned, but the words that remained were enough to chill his blood.
"They're planning to attack tonight," Elara continued, her voice growing steadier as she spoke. "Someone in the village has been feeding them information. They know about the ritual, about your victory over Kaelith… they know everything."
Kel's mind raced as he read the letter. The Dominion was coming, and they were coming fast. There was no time to rally the village or prepare a defense. They were outnumbered and outmatched, and the only thing they could count on was the element of surprise.
"We need to leave," Elara said, her voice urgent. "If we stay, we're putting everyone in Greywood at risk. We can lead them away, buy the villagers time to escape."
Kel looked at her, his heart heavy. He knew she was right, but the thought of abandoning the people he had sworn to protect tore at him. But there was no other choice. If they stayed, the village would be destroyed.
"Let's go," he said, his voice resolute. "We'll draw them away. But when this is over, we'll come back. We'll rebuild."
Elara nodded, and together they gathered what few supplies they could carry. As they slipped out of the cottage and into the night, Kel couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, that the shadows themselves were closing in on them.
The betrayal, the looming attack, the weight of the curse—all of it pressed down on Kel as they made their way into the forest. But even as they ran, he felt a strange sense of clarity. This wasn't the end. It was only the beginning.
The Dominion might be powerful, but they had underestimated him before, and they were about to do so again. With Elara by his side and the beast within him now under control, Kel was ready to face whatever came next.
As they disappeared into the darkness, the first sounds of battle echoed from the village behind them, a stark reminder of the price of betrayal. But Kel knew that this fight was far from over. The Dominion had taken much from him, but they hadn't taken everything. And he would make sure they paid for that mistake.