The cold night air bit at Kael's skin as he and his companions sprinted away from Calder Venric's estate. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, clouds of mist forming with each exhale. Behind them, the faint hum of arcane wards faded, swallowed by the howling wind.
Kael's legs burned with exhaustion, and his chest ached as the golden thread pulsed faintly within him. The crystals in his satchel seemed heavier than ever, their combined energy thrumming in harmony.
"We need to keep moving," Ember growled, her flames flickering weakly as she darted ahead. "Venric won't let this slide. He'll send something after us."
"Just when I thought we were done running," Lira muttered, wiping a thin line of blood from a cut on her cheek. Her voice was steady, but Kael didn't miss the tension in her steps.
Umbra padded close to Kael's side, his glowing blue eyes scanning the dark forest ahead. "The third artifact… I can feel its energy," he murmured. "It's different from the others. Stronger—and darker."
Kael nodded, though his mind was racing. The clash with Venric had left him shaken, and the images from the crystals—the tower, the shattered circle, the robed figure—still lingered in his thoughts.
"We need to find somewhere to stop and regroup," Kael said, his voice tight. "We can't keep running forever."
Ember glanced back at him, her fiery eyes narrowing. "Not until we're far enough from Venric's reach."
Hours later, the group stumbled into a small clearing surrounded by towering pines. The snow was thin here, and the wind had lessened, leaving the forest eerily silent.
Kael collapsed against the base of a tree, his breath coming in shallow gasps. The satchel rested heavily in his lap, and he clutched it tightly, as though letting go would invite disaster.
Lira dropped onto a nearby log, pulling a flask from her belt. She took a swig and then passed it to Ember, who sniffed it cautiously before handing it back.
"Lovely," Lira muttered, her voice dry. "A toast to surviving another death trap."
Kael didn't respond. His thoughts were consumed by the weight of the three artifacts now in their possession. The golden crystal pulsed faintly, its energy steady and warm, while the silver and dark crystals resonated with their own distinct rhythms.
"What happened back there?" Umbra asked, his voice soft. He curled up beside Kael, his small body trembling slightly. "When you touched the third artifact, it… reacted to you."
Kael frowned, his fingers brushing against the satchel's strap. "I don't know," he admitted. "It felt like the artifacts were… talking to each other. Like they're pieces of something bigger."
"They are," Ember said, her fiery eyes fixed on the satchel. "And the more of them we bring together, the stronger their connection becomes."
"And the stronger the danger," Lira added, leaning back against the log. "Venric wasn't messing around, Kael. He knew exactly what he was doing when he collected these things. Do we?"
Kael's chest tightened. "We don't have a choice," he said quietly. "If we don't gather the artifacts, we'll never break Umbra's curse. And… I think they're leading us to something important."
"Like what?" Lira pressed, her voice sharp.
Kael hesitated, his mind drifting to the vision he had seen when he touched the third artifact. "A tower," he said finally. "It keeps showing me a tower. And something… or someone waiting there."
Ember's flames flickered, her expression grim. "A tower tied to the artifacts," she murmured. "That doesn't sound like a coincidence."
"It's not," Umbra said, his voice quiet but firm. "The crystals are part of something ancient. Something powerful. And if we don't stop it…"
Kael didn't need him to finish the thought. The golden thread pulsed faintly, a steady rhythm that seemed to echo the urgency in Umbra's words.
As the fire crackled softly, the group sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The faint hum of the crystals filled the air, their energy a constant presence that none of them could ignore.
"We can't keep running blind," Ember said finally, breaking the silence. "We need answers."
Kael nodded, though his chest felt heavy. "But where do we find them?"
Umbra lifted his head, his glowing blue eyes meeting Kael's. "The tower," he said. "The artifacts are leading us there. If we follow their energy, we'll find the truth."
Lira raised an eyebrow. "And probably get ourselves killed in the process."
Ember smirked faintly. "When has that ever stopped us?"
Kael managed a weak smile, though his mind was still clouded with doubt. The vision of the shattered circle and the robed figure haunted him, a reminder of how much they still didn't know.
"We'll head for the tower," Kael said, his voice steady despite the fear clawing at him. "But we'll need to be careful. Venric won't stop hunting us, and the artifacts are only going to draw more attention."
"Understatement of the year," Lira muttered, though her smirk softened the bite in her words.
Ember nodded, her fiery eyes glowing with determination. "We've made it this far. We'll see it through."
Kael glanced down at the satchel, the golden thread pulsing faintly in his chest. The journey ahead was uncertain, but for the first time, he felt a flicker of hope.
They had the artifacts. They had each other.
And they weren't giving up.