I barely had time to catch my breath as Kael's hand, unrelenting, pulled me deeper into the woods. The night air was thick with tension, each step we took, a reminder that we were not just running, but escaping—escaping from something far worse than I had anticipated.
"Faster," Kael's voice cut through the silence, low and commanding. He didn't even look at me as he dragged me along, his pace unyielding.
I struggled to keep up, my legs already protesting. "Where are we going?" My breath came in ragged gasps, and I could barely manage the words.
"To safety," Kael replied without slowing, his gaze never leaving the path ahead. "You need to trust me."
Trust him. It was easier said than done, especially considering the situation I found myself in. None of this was supposed to happen. The world I'd been transported to—the one I had only known from the safety of my screen—wasn't supposed to be this real.
The sound of distant horns echoed through the trees, growing louder. The soldiers were closing in. My heart skipped a beat.
"I—" I began, but my voice faltered.
Kael suddenly stopped, yanking me to a halt with him. His body stiffened as he scanned the area. The calm in his posture only made my anxiety worse.
"Stay here," he ordered, his voice firm, yet something about it made me want to argue.
"I'm not hiding," I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them. I wasn't the type to wait behind. I wasn't that character.
Kael gave me a brief, almost pitying glance before his lips curled into a faint, wry smile. It was the kind of smile that suggested I had no idea what I was up against.
"I'll handle this. Stay put," he repeated, the command final.
Before I could protest further, he was gone—vanishing into the shadows with the swift, silent grace of a predator on the hunt.
I hesitated. Every instinct screamed at me to follow, to do something. What was I supposed to do? I wasn't some helpless heroine waiting for her knight in shining armor. I wasn't even a character in some game anymore. I was real, and this was real.
The sound of metal clashing broke me from my thoughts, and I crept closer, finding cover behind a large boulder. Peering through the trees, I could see Kael—his movements fluid, too fast for my eyes to follow, as he fought off several riders cloaked in dark armor.
They circled him, swords flashing in the dim light, but Kael's focus was unshakable. Each swing of his blade was calculated, precise, the force behind them telling me this wasn't just some fantasy battle—it was a life-and-death struggle.
I should've stayed hidden, like Kael told me. But I couldn't. I couldn't just stand there. This wasn't the time to be weak.
Think, Celestine, think!
Suddenly, a sharp cry cut through the air as one of the riders lunged at Kael. In that moment, everything within me seemed to snap into place. I didn't know how, but I felt the energy stir within me. The magic. It had to be.
Without thinking, I reached out, and to my shock, the ground beneath me trembled. A force shot out from my hands, a rush of power that I could barely comprehend. The rider faltered, his body seemingly frozen in mid-air.
The others paused, confusion and fear flashing across their faces.
Kael looked back, his gaze locking onto mine. There was no time to process what had just happened.
"Move!" Kael shouted.
I didn't need to be told twice. I rushed forward, my hands still tingling with the strange, unfamiliar magic that surged through me. Together, we fought. My mind was a blur, my body moving on instinct as I assisted Kael, dodging and weaving, my magic flickering unpredictably.
And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. The riders lay defeated, scattered across the forest floor. I stood panting, my heart racing, my legs trembling from the adrenaline.
Kael stood beside me, his expression unreadable as he surveyed the aftermath.
"Well," he said after a beat, his voice oddly approving, "you weren't entirely useless."
I couldn't help the small, incredulous laugh that escaped me. "What was that?!"
His gaze softened, though his smile was faint. "Magic. Looks like you've got a bit of it in you after all."
I stared at him, still struggling to understand what had just happened. "Magic?" I repeated.
"Don't think about it too much." Kael's voice dropped to a quiet murmur. "We need to keep moving."
With no more words between us, we set off again, the night air thick with the weight of our victory—and whatever had just begun.
This wasn't the world I had known. And I had no idea where it was leading. But one thing was for sure: there was no going back.