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The figure's shadow loomed closer, but Nelson didn't flinch. His fingers tightened around the grip of his gun, his stance firm and unyielding.
Beside him, Felicia stood frozen, her breath shallow, every instinct screaming at her that something was wrong—terribly wrong.
But then, without warning, the figure halted. Its hand, which had been poised as if to unleash some dark force, slowly lowered.
For a moment, the night was deathly still, the only sound the soft rustling of the wind through the trees.
The whispering that had swirled around them abruptly ceased, as if cut off by some unseen hand. The figure remained motionless, standing at the edge of the moonlight.
Felicia's heart pounded in her chest, her pulse echoing in her ears as she watched the figure intently. It stood there, as if reconsidering something, its hooded face impossible to read in the shadows. But the tension in the air had shifted—something had changed.
Nelson stepped forward cautiously, his gun still trained on the figure. "Who are you?" he demanded again, his voice low and dangerous. "What do you want?"
The figure didn't respond, but its head tilted slightly as if it were studying them. Then, slowly, it began to retreat, fading back into the darkness between the trees.
The shadows seemed to fold around it, swallowing it whole until there was nothing left but the silence of the forest.
Felicia let out a shaky breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, her body trembling with a mix of fear and adrenaline. She exchanged a glance with Nelson, her eyes wide, but he gave a slight shake of his head, his expression hard and unreadable.
"Let's go," Nelson muttered, his voice tense but calm. He holstered his gun and turned back toward the carriage. "We need to get home."
Felicia didn't argue. Without another word, they climbed back inside, the driver snapping the reins to urge the horses onward.
The wheels creaked as they resumed their journey through the darkened woods, and Felicia leaned back against the seat, her mind spinning.
What had just happened? Who—or what—had that figure been? The eerie familiarity of it still clung to her, reminding her too much of the dream she'd had. But this wasn't a dream. It was real. And whatever that figure had been, it had left an imprint on her soul, a chill that wouldn't fade.
Nelson was silent beside her, his jaw clenched as he stared out the window, deep in thought. He didn't say anything, but Felicia could feel the tension radiating off him. He was on edge, just as she was.
The rest of the journey passed in relative silence. The rhythmic clatter of the carriage wheels over the uneven road became a kind of lullaby, and despite the lingering fear from the encounter, exhaustion began to settle over Felicia.
She closed her eyes, leaning her head against Nelson's shoulder. His arm shifted, wrapping protectively around her, and for a brief moment, the warmth of his body chased away the lingering chill.
When they finally arrived at their palace, dawn was just beginning to break over the horizon. The towering spires of the Bianchi estate loomed ahead, their familiar stone walls offering a strange kind of comfort after the unnerving events of the night.
The gates swung open as the guards spotted the returning carriage, and they were quickly ushered inside.
Felicia exhaled a sigh of relief as they stepped out of the carriage, her legs slightly unsteady. The palace's grand doors were flung open, and the familiar faces of their staff greeted them, concern etched on their features as they took in the sight of their battered, weary rulers.
"Your Majesty, my lady," a guard bowed, his voice thick with worry. "We've been on high alert since you left, with Ryker's men scattered but still unaccounted for. Are you both—?"
"We're fine," Nelson interrupted, his voice sharp as he waved the guard off. "We'll debrief later. For now, I need you to double the patrols around the estate and send word to our contacts in Timma. If Ryker tries to retaliate, we need to be ready."
The guard nodded and hurried away, leaving Nelson and Felicia alone for a moment in the entryway.
Felicia looked up at her husband, her brow furrowed. "What do you think that was back in the woods?" she asked softly. "Do you think it was something Ryker sent after us?"
Nelson's jaw clenched, his gaze darkening. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice low. "But we'll find out. Whatever that thing was, it wasn't human. And I don't believe in coincidences. Not when it comes to Ryker."
Felicia shivered at his words, the memory of the hooded figure flashing in her mind again. She didn't know if it was Ryker's doing, but one thing was certain: it had known her. It had spoken to her. And it had wanted Nelson.
They made their way upstairs to their private quarters, where the palace's healer was already waiting to tend to Nelson's injuries.
Felicia sat by his side as the healer worked, her mind still racing with thoughts of the figure in the woods, the dream, and the strange connection between them.
Nelson winced as the healer cleaned a deep gash along his arm, but he didn't complain. His eyes remained fixed on the window, lost in thought.
After what felt like hours, the healer finished and left them alone, the room bathed in the soft glow of dawn's first light.
Felicia reached for Nelson's hand, her fingers brushing against his. "Do you think… that thing will come back?" she asked quietly, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Nelson's grip tightened around her hand, and for a moment, he didn't respond. Then, his gaze shifted to hers, his eyes intense and unwavering. "If it does," he said slowly, "we'll be ready."
Felicia nodded, though her heart still felt heavy with dread. They had faced countless enemies in the past—rival families, traitors, assassins. But this felt different. This felt like something far beyond what they had ever dealt with.
As they prepared to rest, trying to shake off the horrors of the night, a loud knock echoed through the chamber door, startling them both.
Nelson sat up, his face immediately hardening. "Enter."
The door creaked open, and one of Nelson's trusted guards stepped inside, his face pale and his expression grim.
"Your Majesty," the guard said, his voice tight with unease. "There's something… something you need to see. We found it in the forest, near the spot where the carriage stopped."
Nelson's eyes narrowed. "What is it?"
The guard hesitated, glancing at Felicia before continuing. "It's a body, sir. One of Ryker's men… but he's been… drained. As if something sucked the life right out of him."
Felicia's blood turned to ice as the guard's words hung in the air.
"And that's not all," the guard continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "There was a symbol carved into his chest. A symbol we've never seen before. But it looks… old. Ancient."
Felicia's heart pounded as she exchanged a glance with Nelson. The nightmare wasn't over.
It was just beginning….