The forest was alive with whispers as Elara and Kael made their way back to the hidden camp. The shadows seemed darker, the air heavier with an unspoken tension. Though she kept her stride steady, Elara's mind raced with the revelations of her ancestor's pact. Alaric Drayton's desperation had led to the curse, but the spirits had made it clear: breaking it required forging a path no Drayton had ever walked.
"What now?" Kael asked as they reached the edge of the clearing, his tone neutral but his eyes sharp.
Elara paused, her gaze sweeping across the camp. The other outcasts were scattered about, sharpening weapons or tending to small fires. She could feel their unease. Their world had been turned upside down by her presence, and she knew her choices would either unite them or destroy what little stability they had left.
"We need answers," Elara said, her voice firm. "The figure spoke of forging a new path. That means finding something—anything—that Alaric didn't see. If I'm going to break this curse, I need to know what he missed."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "And where do you plan to start? The spirits won't hand you a map."
"No," Elara admitted, "but they gave me a clue. The pact was made on the moor, but they spoke of a place—the heart of the curse. I think they meant Bloodstone Keep."
At the mention of the keep, Kael stiffened. His usually calm expression darkened, and for the first time, Elara saw a flicker of genuine fear in his eyes.
"You can't mean that," he said, his voice low. "Bloodstone is a ruin. No one who goes there comes back."
Elara squared her shoulders, meeting his gaze. "That's exactly why I need to go. The answers are there—I can feel it."
Kael's jaw tightened. "The keep is cursed ground, Elara. It was Alaric's stronghold after the pact, but something happened there. Something that even the Draytons won't speak of."
"Then it's the perfect place to start," she replied. "If the key to breaking the curse is hidden anywhere, it's there."
Kael let out a sharp breath, shaking his head. "You don't understand. Bloodstone isn't just dangerous because of what happened there—it's dangerous because it calls to the wolf. The closer you get, the harder it will be to control the beast inside you. The keep has claimed more lives than you can count, and it doesn't care if you're a Drayton or not."
Elara hesitated, the weight of his words pressing down on her. She had struggled to control the wolf before. The idea of losing herself completely was terrifying. But she couldn't let fear stop her.
"If I don't go, the curse will keep spreading," she said. "The people here, the ones I care about—they'll suffer because of me. I can't let that happen."
Kael studied her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "If you're set on this, I won't stop you. But you're not going alone."
Elara blinked. "You're coming with me?"
Kael smirked, though there was little humor in it. "Someone has to make sure you don't get yourself killed. Besides, if the wolf takes over, I'll need to be there to bring you back."
She wanted to argue, to insist that she could handle it on her own, but deep down, she was grateful. Kael had been her anchor since she arrived in the forest. If anyone could help her navigate the dangers ahead, it was him.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"Don't thank me yet," he muttered. "You'll wish you hadn't dragged me into this before long."
---
The Journey to Bloodstone
The next morning, Elara and Kael set out before dawn. The forest stretched endlessly around them, its ancient trees whispering secrets to the wind. As they traveled, the terrain grew harsher, the air colder. It felt as though the land itself was warning them to turn back.
Elara couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Every rustle in the underbrush, every shadow that moved out of the corner of her eye, sent her pulse racing. She knew the spirits were still watching, still testing her resolve.
"What do you know about Bloodstone?" she asked Kael as they climbed a rocky incline.
"Not much," he admitted. "The keep was abandoned centuries ago, after Alaric's death. Some say his madness consumed him. Others say the spirits turned against him. Whatever the truth, the place has been left to rot ever since."
"Madness?" Elara pressed. "What kind of madness?"
Kael glanced at her, his expression grim. "The kind that comes when you lose yourself to the wolf. Alaric was the first to bear the curse, but it didn't end with him. The power he gained twisted him, made him see enemies where there were none. He became paranoid, violent. By the time he died, his people had scattered, and the Drayton name was a shadow of what it once was."
Elara's stomach churned. Was that her fate? To be consumed by the same darkness that had claimed Alaric?
"Bloodstone is more than just a ruin," Kael continued. "It's a reminder of what happens when power goes unchecked. The spirits gave Alaric what he wanted, but they didn't tell him the price."
They fell into silence, the weight of Kael's words hanging heavy between them. Elara couldn't afford to dwell on the past—not when the future demanded her focus. But the fear lingered, a dark whisper in the back of her mind.
---
The First Test
As night fell, they set up camp in a small clearing. The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the trees. Elara sat cross-legged, staring into the flames as Kael sharpened his blade nearby.
"We're close," he said, breaking the silence. "Another day's travel, and we'll reach the keep."
Elara nodded, but her thoughts were elsewhere. The forest felt different here—more alive, more dangerous. She could feel the wolf stirring inside her, restless and uneasy.
That night, her dreams were filled with shadows. She saw Alaric standing in the moor, his eyes glowing with the wolf's power. He reached out to her, his voice a haunting whisper.
"Do you think you're different?" he asked. "Do you think you can escape what I could not?"
Elara woke with a start, her heart pounding. The fire had burned low, and the forest was eerily silent. She glanced at Kael, who was still awake, his eyes scanning the darkness.
"Trouble sleeping?" he asked, his voice low.
"Something like that," she murmured.
He nodded, tossing another log onto the fire. "Get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow."
Elara lay back down, but sleep didn't come easily. The weight of the curse, the looming shadow of Bloodstone, pressed heavily on her mind. She didn't know what awaited her at the keep, but one thing was certain—she couldn't turn back now.