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Jake stumbled forward, his limbs aching as if he had run a marathon. His breathing was shallow, and his heart still pounded from the attack. Cody moved quickly ahead, his blade now sheathed, the air between them tense but quieter after the chaos.
Jake's mind swirled with fragments of what had just happened. He couldn't shake the strange sensation of waking up in the cavern—then the sudden knowledge of how to control his powers and the gain of some memories, at least the name of the darkness, Frost. The water had responded to him instinctively, like an old friend, but the darkness inside, the presence of Frost, still loomed at the edges of his mind.
The moments before he blacked out replayed in his head. He could remember the shadows creeping in, swallowing him whole, and then… nothing but Frost's faint voice lingering.
"Frost," Jake muttered, more to himself than to Cody, who turned back to give him a questioning glance.
"You say something?"
Jake shook his head, pushing the thought away. "No… just tired."
Cody didn't press further, but his eyes narrowed with concern. He had sensed something when Jake had unleashed his power, something that didn't align with the simple water manipulation Jake claimed to have. But now wasn't the time for questions.
"You need to keep moving," Cody said, his tone firm but not unkind. "We're still a long way from the meeting point."
Jake nodded and forced himself to keep up, though every step felt heavier than the last. His mana reserves were running dangerously low, and he could feel the cold emptiness inside him, as though something vital had been drained. His mind flickered back to the cavern, to the unsettling realization that after his blackout, his energy had vanished—but something else had awakened.
Cody glanced back at him again, his voice more serious this time. "You look like you're about to collapse."
"I'm fine," Jake lied, though he could tell Cody wasn't buying it.
"Listen, if you're drained, I know a guy," Cody said after a moment. "A healer. He's not far from here, and he could patch you up. Maybe even restore some of your mana."
Jake hesitated, feeling the weight of the darkness inside him. He didn't know how much longer he could last without help. But could the healer fix whatever was going on with him? Could he even fix what Frost had taken?
"I don't know if that will help," Jake admitted, frustration creeping into his voice. "Something's wrong… my energy, it's like it's disappearing into a pit."
Cody's brow furrowed, his expression shifting from mild annoyance to genuine concern. "What do you mean? What's draining you?"
Jake opened his mouth to answer, but then hesitated. Could he really explain it? Could he tell Cody about Frost without sounding insane? The darkness inside him, the blackouts, the presence he could barely comprehend—it was all too much to put into words.
"Let's just say there's more to it than being tired," Jake finally muttered, deflecting the question.
Cody didn't press further, but the tension between them grew as they continued walking. The shadows of the forest thickened as they moved deeper into the Verdant Wilds, the once-familiar surroundings now feeling foreign and unsettling. The air was heavier here, colder, and Jake's exhaustion was growing by the minute.
After another grueling half-hour of walking, they finally reached a small clearing. The faint light of a campfire flickered in the distance, and Jake could make out the shape of a figure sitting near the flames. Cody gave a low whistle as they approached, and the figure stood, his silhouette growing clearer.
Leif, the druid and the healer, stood tall and calm as they approached. His eyes, sharp and observant, flickered to Jake, then to Cody.
"Cody," Leif greeted, his voice smooth and composed. "What brings you here?"
"We've got trouble," Cody said, nodding toward Jake. "He's running low on mana and looks like he's about to pass out. Think you can help him out?"
Leif studied Jake for a moment, then motioned for him to sit by the fire. "Sit down. Let me see what I can do."
Jake sank to the ground, too exhausted to argue. Leif knelt beside him, his hands hovering over Jake's chest as a soft glow began to form around his palms. A gentle warmth spread through Jake's body as the healer began to transfer energy, attempting to restore his depleted mana.
At first, the sensation was soothing, and Jake felt some of the weariness lift from his limbs. But then, just as suddenly, the warmth faded. Leif's brow furrowed, his hands trembling slightly as he tried to channel more energy.
Something was wrong.
Leif pulled back, his face pale and confused. "There's… something else," he murmured, his eyes narrowing. "Your energy… it's not stabilizing."
Jake's heart raced as panic gripped him. He could feel it—Frost's presence stirring beneath the surface, siphoning away the energy before he could absorb it. Every drop of mana Leif tried to transfer seemed to vanish into a void.
"What do you mean?" Cody asked, his voice tense.
Leif shook his head, stepping back from Jake. "It's like there's a hole inside him, a never-ending pit. The energy I'm giving him isn't reaching him—it's being pulled away."
Jake clenched his fists, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps. He could feel Frost lurking, consuming the energy meant to heal him. The darkness inside was growing stronger, hungrier.
"Stop," Jake said through gritted teeth, pushing Leif's hands away. "It's not going to work."
Cody stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "Jake, what the hell is going on?"
Jake struggled to find the words, his mind racing. He didn't know how to explain the feeling of being drained, the sensation of losing control, and the knowledge that Frost was taking what should have been his.
"There's… something inside me," Jake admitted finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "Something dark. It's been there for as long as I can remember. Every time I black out, it takes over. I don't know how to stop it."
Cody's gaze sharpened, and for a moment, there was a flicker of recognition in his eyes. "You're talking about Frost, aren't you?"
Jake froze. The name hung in the air like a lead weight, the reality of his situation crashing down around him.
"How do you—"
"I've heard stories," Cody interrupted, his voice cold. "About people with darkness inside them. People who lose control, whose powers get taken by something else. Is that what you're dealing with?"
Jake swallowed hard, nodding slowly. "It's not just stories, Cody. It's real. And it's getting worse."
For a long moment, Cody said nothing. His expression was unreadable, his gaze fixed on Jake as if he were trying to decide whether to believe him.
Finally, Cody sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Alright. We'll deal with it. But you need to stay close. If you lose control, I'm not letting you drag us both down."
Jake nodded, grateful for Cody's pragmatic approach but still feeling the weight of the secret he had been carrying. The bond between them was fragile, but there was something there—an unspoken understanding that they were in this together, for better or worse.
"We'll meet up with the others soon," Cody added, his voice more composed now. "But keep this between us. The last thing we need is panic."
Jake agreed silently, though inside, he wasn't sure how long he could keep Frost at bay. Every step they took, every moment that passed, brought him closer to the darkness, and he didn't know how much longer he could resist.
😁😁😁, still trying my best
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