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Chapter 8 - Aftershocks

Chapter 8: Aftershocks

The silence that followed Elysia's eruption of power felt heavier than the storm itself. Dust settled slowly through the shattered remains of the temple, moonlight filtering in through the gaping holes in the stone walls. The air hung thick with smoke, the acrid smell of scorched earth and magic clinging to everything.

Alaric was the first to move, his sword dragging as he stumbled toward Elysia. She knelt at the center of the destruction, her body shaking, her hands pressed to the broken ground as if trying to anchor herself.

"Elysia," Alaric's voice was hoarse, his expression torn between awe and fear. "What… what did you do?"

She looked up at him, her silver-blue eyes still faintly glowing, tears streaking her face. "I don't know."

Her voice was small, raw, as though the surge of magic had drained not just her body but her soul.

Kael appeared silently from the shadows, his crimson eyes glinting as he surveyed the devastation. "You're awake now," he murmured, more to himself than to her. "No more hiding."

"Shut your mouth," Alaric snapped, his voice sharp as a blade. He rounded on Kael, his fury barely leashed. "What did you do to her? You pushed her into this!"

Kael tilted his head slightly, his expression infuriatingly calm. "I did nothing but tell her the truth. Your precious restraint would have gotten us killed."

Alaric's fists clenched, his knuckles white. "You think this was the answer? Look around you!" He gestured to the bodies of the Fae strewn across the ruined temple, some groaning, others lying still in twisted silence. "This wasn't victory. This was annihilation!"

"I didn't want this!" Elysia's voice broke, louder this time, echoing off the shattered walls. The two men fell silent as she struggled to her feet, her body trembling with the effort. She swayed, and Alaric moved instinctively to steady her, but she recoiled. "Don't touch me."

Alaric froze, his face falling. "Elysia…"

Kael stepped closer, though he kept his distance, his voice soft but insistent. "You can't deny it now. It's inside you, Elysia. This power—it's what the Fae want. They'll come again. Stronger. Next time, they won't offer you a choice."

Elysia pressed her hands to her head, her breathing ragged. "Stop."

"They're right," Kael continued, undeterred. "You're not ordinary. You never were. You're something more—something they fear."

"Enough!" Alaric barked, moving between Elysia and Kael, his sword lifting slightly in warning. "Can't you see what this is doing to her? She's not your weapon, Kael."

Kael sneered, his calm cracking for the first time. "And hiding her behind your shield will save her, will it? How long before they cut you down and drag her away? You think you can stop what's coming?"

"I'll die before I let them take her."

"Then you will die," Kael shot back coldly.

"Stop it!" Elysia screamed, her voice cutting through their shouting like a blade. The faint light of her magic flickered around her again, warning them both to step back. The ground beneath her feet trembled, and the two men fell silent, turning to look at her.

Her chest heaved as she glared at them both, her hands curled into fists. "I don't need either of you fighting for me. I need answers. I need to understand what's happening to me—why the Fae want me. Why this magic is inside me."

The raw desperation in her voice silenced both men, their eyes fixed on her with equal parts concern and guilt.

Kael spoke first, his voice calm once more. "You're more than you think, Elysia. The Fae wouldn't hunt you if you weren't dangerous to them. Whatever magic you hold, it's ancient—older than they are. You're the last of something they fear."

"The last?" Alaric echoed, his brow furrowing.

Kael glanced at him with disdain before returning his attention to Elysia. "The Winterborn name isn't just a family. It's a lineage tied to power—power that was sealed away, forgotten. But now it's awakening again."

Elysia's breath hitched, her mind spinning. "Why me? Why now?"

Kael shrugged, though his gaze held a rare flicker of sympathy. "Magic doesn't choose. It awakens when it's needed. Whether you like it or not, you're part of something bigger."

Elysia turned to Alaric, searching his face for answers she knew he didn't have. His hazel eyes softened as he stepped closer. "We'll figure this out. Together. I promised I'd protect you, and I meant it. Whatever this is, we'll face it."

For a moment, she wanted to believe him. To believe that his shield and sword would be enough to ward off the nightmares chasing her. But deep down, she knew it wouldn't be that simple.

The temple shook suddenly, as though the earth itself had awoken. A deep rumbling echoed from the distance, and Elysia stumbled as a fresh wave of dread settled in her gut.

Kael's eyes narrowed. "They're coming back."

Elysia froze, her body stiffening. "Already?"

"Not Fae this time." Kael's voice was grim as he turned toward the temple entrance. "Something worse."

Alaric moved swiftly, positioning himself in front of her once more. "We can't stay here. We need to move."

"Agreed," Kael said, his tone unusually serious. "There's a village to the east—a day's ride if we hurry. We'll find shelter there."

Elysia swallowed hard, her hands still trembling as she nodded. "Let's go."

Alaric placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Stay close to me."

She didn't argue this time. As much as she wanted to stand on her own, the weight of the revelation Kael had dropped on her was too much to bear. She followed them both as they stepped out of the temple ruins, the cold wind cutting against her skin like shards of ice.

When she looked back over her shoulder, the temple stood like a grave—silent and broken. The bodies of the fallen Fae shimmered faintly before turning to dust, carried away on the wind.

Elysia shivered, her magic flickering faintly once more as though whispering to her.

Kael's words echoed in her mind like a curse: You're the last of something they fear.

But fear could be a weapon.

And for the first time, she wondered if that was who she was destined to become.