The night air was thick with tension as Aurora and the group hurried through the dense forest. The trees stood tall and silent, casting long shadows over the path. Their footsteps barely made a sound, but every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig, made Aurora's heart race. They were being hunted. She could feel it in her bones.
Dorian walked in front, leading the way with a purpose, his eyes scanning the darkness around them. Kael was at her side, his expression grim. The quiet between them felt heavy, filled with unspoken thoughts. Neither of them had said much since Dorian's urgent declaration to leave, but both knew the stakes had just risen.
Aurora couldn't stop thinking about Tarek's words. Compassion. A burden. What had he meant by that? The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a warning. A warning that trusting the wrong person could destroy them all.
As they moved deeper into the forest, Dorian suddenly stopped, his hand held up in a signal for the others to halt. He turned to face them, his expression dark.
"Something's not right," Dorian said, his voice low and tense. "We're being followed."
Kael's muscles tensed, his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his knife. Aurora's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively moved closer to him. She wasn't used to this kind of danger—being hunted by people who wanted her dead. She'd been a princess, sheltered and protected. Now, she was running through the woods like a fugitive.
"What do we do?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper, her nerves stretched thin.
Dorian's eyes flickered to her, then to Kael. "We keep moving. Fast. Ashar's forces are closer than I thought. If we stop now, we're finished."
Aurora's mind raced. She wanted to question him, to ask more about who these people were, and why they were after her. But she held her tongue. Now wasn't the time for questions. Survival was all that mattered.
The group started moving again, faster this time. They kept to the shadows, avoiding the open spaces where they might be seen. But despite their efforts, Aurora could feel the eyes on them, lurking just beyond her reach. They were being hunted, and there was nowhere to hide.
The forest seemed to close in around them, the air growing colder as they moved deeper into the heart of it. The sound of their feet crunching on the forest floor was the only noise, and it made Aurora's senses feel sharp, heightened, as if everything around her was watching.
Suddenly, a rustling noise came from the trees ahead. It was soft at first, like the whisper of a breeze. But then it grew louder, and before Aurora could react, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was a wolf—massive, with fur the color of midnight, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
Aurora froze, her breath catching in her throat. The creature stared at them, unmoving, its gaze fixed on Dorian. For a long moment, no one spoke. The wolf's presence was commanding, almost suffocating, as if it was waiting for something.
Then, in a voice that sent a chill down her spine, the wolf spoke.
"Dorian."
The name was spoken with such force that it felt like a command. Aurora's heart pounded in her chest, and she instinctively moved closer to Kael, her mind racing. Who was this wolf? And why did it know Dorian's name?
Dorian stepped forward, his body stiff. "What do you want, Garak?" he asked, his voice even but tight.
The wolf, Garak, tilted his head slightly, as if studying them. His eyes locked onto Aurora, and for a moment, she felt like he was seeing straight into her soul.
"The warning has been given," Garak said, his voice low and rumbling. "Ashar is not just after your life, Dorian. He's after all of you. He knows you're here."
Dorian's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond right away. Aurora felt a knot twist in her stomach. Ashar's name felt like a shadow hanging over them all, growing darker and more dangerous with each passing moment.
Garak's eyes moved from Dorian to Aurora, his expression unreadable. "The storm is coming. You're not safe. None of you are."
Aurora shivered. The weight of Garak's words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. She wanted to ask more, to demand answers, but she knew that time was running out. The warning had been clear: they were being hunted, and Ashar was closing in.
"What should we do?" Kael asked, his voice sharp with urgency. "How do we survive this?"
Garak's gaze softened, just a fraction, but his words were still full of warning. "You think you can escape him. You can't. The only way out is through the heart of the storm. But that path… it's treacherous. And not everyone will make it."
Aurora swallowed hard. The uncertainty in his voice, the warning that not everyone would survive—it all hit her like a blow. They were caught in something much bigger than they could understand. A war. A battle between life and death.
"Go," Garak continued, his voice now more urgent. "Don't stop until you reach the mountain pass. There, you might find a way to stop Ashar. But be warned—time is running out."
Without another word, Garak turned and disappeared into the trees, his massive form blending into the shadows as though he were never there.
Aurora stood frozen, her mind spinning with everything she had just heard. The mountain pass? What was it? What could they find there that would help them defeat Ashar?
Kael turned to Dorian. "Do we trust him?"
Dorian's face was grim, but there was no hesitation in his voice. "We have no choice."
Aurora felt a wave of fear crash over her. They were on the edge of something much darker than they had imagined. Garak's warning had made it clear—there was no safe place. No easy path. They would have to face the storm head-on, and there would be no turning back.
The only question now was whether they were ready for what lay ahead.
And would they survive it?