Chapter 42: The Hunt for Lirian
Gabriel was at the edge of the dense forest, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
The wind howled around him, carrying no sign of her—no whispers, no trace of her magic.
He felt the failure pressing against his chest, suffocating him.
"Lirian!" he bellowed into the cold night air, his throat felt raw from shouting her name for hours.
A screech overhead made him look up.
Pedro, circled frantically above the treetops, with his feathers almost dulled by the moonlight.
"Lirian!" Pedro squawked, his wings flapped in desperation. "Lirian, where are you?" He kept repeating Gabriel's words.
Gabriel's chest tightened at the sight.
Even the bird, who had once been her only friend, was falling apart without her.
One of his knights approached, his armor streaked with dirt and his face showed by exhaustion.
