The air grew thick with tension as Seraphina stepped further into the forest. Her boots, light but sturdy, crunched beneath the fallen leaves, the sound unnervingly loud in the oppressive silence. Kael walked ahead of her, his silhouette cutting a sharp contrast against the darkening forest, the faint glow of his silver runes casting ghostly shadows on the twisted trees. The deeper they moved into the Blackthorn Forest, the more oppressive the atmosphere became.
As the light faded from the sky, the trees around them seemed to close in, their branches gnarled and clawing at the sky, casting long, menacing shadows on the ground. There was a palpable sense of something ancient and forgotten lingering in the air, the kind of presence that made every instinct in Seraphina's body scream to run. But she couldn't. She wasn't sure why, but something—someone—was forcing her forward.
Kael moved like a shadow, his movements calculated and precise. He didn't glance at her, didn't seem to acknowledge her presence. His focus was entirely on the path ahead, his hand never straying far from the sword at his side. It was an unsettling reminder that she was walking alongside a man who had seen things she couldn't even begin to comprehend.
She forced herself to keep up with him, even though every step felt heavier than the last. A thousand questions bubbled in her mind, but none of them seemed safe to ask. Not when she had no idea where they were going or why he'd brought her. The silence between them stretched on, suffocating.
"You don't need to protect me," Seraphina blurted out, breaking the silence. The words felt like a weight lifted from her chest, though her heart still pounded in her throat.
Kael didn't answer right away, but she saw his jaw clench. "I'm not here to protect you," he said coldly, his voice low but carrying an edge of finality. "I don't waste my time on such things." His words stung, but Seraphina didn't flinch.
Her frustration boiled over, but she swallowed it down. This wasn't the time for a fight, not when she didn't even know what they were walking into. Still, she couldn't stop the unease that gnawed at her insides.
The trees grew taller, their trunks twisted and contorted in unnatural ways. It wasn't just their size—it was their presence. The forest seemed to be alive, watching them. Every step she took felt like a step into something dark and untamable, as though the trees themselves were breathing, waiting for something to happen.
Seraphina glanced at Kael, her curiosity burning even more. "What exactly are we tracking?" she asked, her voice quieter now, wary of the increasing tension in the air.
He slowed for a moment, enough for her to catch up to his side. His eyes were fixed straight ahead, but she could sense the conflict in him. "Something old," he said, his voice rough. "Something dangerous." His gaze flickered to her for just a moment, a look that sent an involuntary shiver through her. "And you're not entirely innocent, Seraphina. This forest knows you're here. I've seen it before."
She froze, her breath catching in her throat. "What do you mean?"
Kael's lips twisted into a brief, knowing smile, but it held no humor. "You'll understand soon enough."
She wanted to press him further, to demand answers, but something stopped her. The ground beneath her feet seemed to pulse with an energy she couldn't explain, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She wasn't sure if it was Kael's cryptic words or the forest itself, but something was undeniably wrong.
They pressed forward in silence, the darkness around them thickening. The path ahead was nearly invisible now, only faint moonlight breaking through the canopy overhead, casting pale silver streaks across the uneven ground. Seraphina felt the growing sense of being watched intensify, the oppressive silence of the forest pressing against her chest.
Then, she saw it.
At first, it was a mere flicker of movement—a shadow darting between the trees. Her breath hitched, her eyes narrowing as she tried to make sense of what she'd seen. But when she looked again, there was nothing there.
"Did you see that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her heart racing in her chest.
Kael's eyes narrowed. He didn't respond, but she saw the shift in his posture, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword. They were no longer alone.
The shadows around them deepened, swirling in a way that felt almost deliberate. The trees creaked and groaned, as though they, too, were preparing for something. Seraphina felt a tightening in her chest, a sense of impending danger that she couldn't shake.
Without warning, Kael drew his sword, his movements swift and precise. The steel gleamed in the dim light, reflecting the faint glow of the runes on his arms. Seraphina instinctively stepped back, her pulse quickening. She had never seen him draw his weapon before, and the sight sent a chill down her spine.
"They're here," Kael said, his voice low and urgent. "Stay close to me."
Before she could react, a figure stepped from the shadows.
It was tall—too tall—and cloaked in darkness. The figure's face was obscured by a deep, hooded cloak, but Seraphina could feel its eyes on her, even though she couldn't see them. Its presence was oppressive, like an iron weight pressing down on her chest. The runes on its hands glowed a dark, pulsating red, casting an eerie light across its figure.
Kael's expression hardened. "You again," he muttered under his breath, and Seraphina noticed the faint tension in his jaw. This wasn't the first time he had encountered this figure.
The figure tilted its head, the movement almost serpentine. "You're too late," it whispered, its voice carrying an unnatural echo. "She is already ours."
Kael stepped forward, sword raised. "I won't let you take her."
The figure smirked. It was an unsettling smile, too wide, too full of malice. "You think you can stop us?"
Without warning, it lunged toward Kael, moving with a speed that defied logic. The air hummed with magic, and Seraphina instinctively raised her hands, as though she could ward off whatever was coming.
But Kael was faster. His sword flashed through the air, a blur of silver and steel. The figure recoiled with unnatural agility, its body twisting in the air like a snake. It landed with a soft thud, unscathed, but there was a visible crack in the air around it—a ripple of magic, faint but undeniable.
"This is just the beginning," the figure said, its voice dripping with malice. "You cannot stop what has already begun."
Before Seraphina could even process the situation, the figure vanished, melting back into the shadows like smoke dissipating in the wind.
Kael stood motionless, his sword still drawn, his eyes scanning the area around them. The forest was silent once again, but the tension hung thick in the air. Seraphina's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Kael's voice was low, almost a growl. "They're not the only ones waiting for you. The forest isn't just watching you, Seraphina. It's calling to you."
Her stomach twisted. She had never felt so small, so exposed. "Why me? What do they want?"
Kael didn't answer immediately. He turned, motioning for her to follow. "This isn't over. Stay close, Seraphina. We need to keep moving."
Seraphina swallowed hard, her mind racing. Nothing made sense. The forest. The figure. Her place in all of this. It was too much to comprehend.
But one thing was clear. Her life was never going to be the same again.