He lowered his hands, and the water resumed its flow, but it stayed within its banks. The danger had passed. Aric turned to his mother, confused and scared. "What's happening to me?"Elara knelt beside him, brushing wet hair from his face. "You're the chosen one, Aric.
The prophecy is real. You're destined to bring balance to Isikor."But Aric didn't feel destined. He felt terrified.As they made their way back home, the wolf padded silently behind them, its glowing blue eyes watching the boy with an intensity that made it clear: the celestial wolf had chosen him for a reason.
Elara lay awake that night, staring at the stars through the small window of their cottage. Aric slept peacefully beside her, unaware of the weight that now hung over both of them. The prophecy was coming to pass, and she knew it wouldn't be long before Zodd's men found them. They had been safe for years, hidden deep in the forest, but Aric's power had grown. The more he used it, the more attention it would attract.She couldn't let him fall into Zodd's hands.
The king had made it clear: he would stop at nothing to destroy the prophecy. That meant killing her son.Elara's mind raced as she thought about what to do. They couldn't stay here any longer. She had to take Aric far from Isikor, beyond the king's reach. But where? The kingdom was vast, and Zodd's influence extended far and wide.
Every corner of Isikor would soon be crawling with his soldiers.Her only hope lay in the ancient ways.
The old gods. The same gods Zodd had forsaken. She would need to find someone who still believed, someone who could help protect her son until he was strong enough to face Zodd himself.
But time was running out.The wolf, sensing her turmoil, lifted its head from where it lay by the fire. Its glowing eyes met hers, and in that moment, Elara knew they were not alone. The celestial wolf had been sent to protect them, and it would guide her to the right path.She just had to trust the ancient ways.
Back in the capital of Isikor, Neel stared into the flickering flames of his hearth, lost in thought. Zodd's words echoed in his mind, the king's obsession with destroying the prophecy looming over him.
For years, Neel had warned Zodd about straying from the path of the ancients, about the dangers of defying fate. But Zodd's hunger for power had clouded his judgment.