The forest was eerily quiet as Aria staggered back from the clearing, her body trembling from exhaustion. The silver mist of the guardian wolf's presence still clung to her skin, a reminder of the test she had barely survived. But her mind wasn't on the fight she had just endured—it was on Kael.
Her feet moved instinctively, carrying her back toward the mine. Every step was a battle against the pain radiating from her shoulder and the heavy weight of guilt pressing on her chest. She had left Kael behind, and now she didn't know if he was alive or dead.
"You have passed this trial," Selara's voice echoed faintly in her mind. "But your journey is far from over."
Aria clenched her fists. "If he dies because of me, I don't care about your trials."
The voice faded, leaving only the sound of her own ragged breathing and the crunch of leaves beneath her boots.
---
When Aria finally reached the mine, the entrance was eerily still. The faint smell of blood hung in the air, and her pulse quickened as she stepped inside, her glowing hands illuminating the dark passage.
"Kael?" she called, her voice shaky.
The echoes of her voice bounced off the stone walls, but there was no reply.
She moved deeper into the mine, her heart pounding. Her light caught signs of the battle—claw marks on the walls, a broken dagger discarded on the ground. Her stomach churned as she reached the main chamber.
Kael was there, slumped against the wall. Blood soaked his torn shirt, and his breathing was shallow.
"Kael!" Aria ran to his side, dropping to her knees. Her hands trembled as she reached for him, afraid to touch the deep gashes marring his chest and arms.
His eyes fluttered open, and he gave her a weak smile. "Took you long enough."
Aria let out a shaky laugh, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. "You're an idiot."
Kael chuckled, though it turned into a pained cough. "Takes one to know one."
"Hold still," Aria said, her voice firm. She placed her hands over his wounds, letting the heat in her chest rise to her fingertips. The silvery light spilled out, washing over his injuries.
Kael winced but didn't protest as the light began to knit his torn flesh back together.
---
When she finished, Kael's breathing had steadied, though he still looked pale and worn.
"You shouldn't have come back," he said, his voice quiet. "Theron could've followed you."
"I wasn't going to leave you," Aria said firmly. "You saved my life, Kael. I wasn't going to let you die for me."
Kael sighed, running a hand through his blood-matted hair. "That's not how this works. You're the one who matters, Aria. Not me."
Her jaw tightened. "Don't say that. You're all I have."
Kael's gaze softened, and for a moment, the tension between them eased. But then his expression grew serious.
"Theron isn't going to stop," he said. "He'll keep coming for you until he gets what he wants."
Aria nodded, her fists clenched. "Then we'll make sure he doesn't get the chance."
---
Back at the Bloodfang camp, Theron sat in his tent, his golden eyes narrowed as he reviewed the reports from his scouts. His confrontation with the Mooncaller had left him more intrigued than angry. She was stronger than he'd anticipated, and that strength only made him more determined to claim her.
Lyssa entered the tent, her scarred face set in a scowl. "The scouts lost her trail," she said. "The forest is too dense, and she's good at covering her tracks."
"She's not doing it alone," Theron said, his voice cold. "Kael Duskbane is with her."
Lyssa's scowl deepened. "The rogue? I thought he'd have died by now."
Theron's lips curled into a humorless smile. "Not yet. But he's a distraction. The girl's power is raw, unrefined. She's vulnerable, and she knows it. We'll use that against her."
"What's the plan?" Lyssa asked.
Theron leaned back in his chair, his golden eyes glinting with malice. "We don't need to find her. We just need to make her come to us."
---
In the safety of the mine, Kael and Aria sat by the fire, their silence heavy with unspoken fears.
"We can't stay here," Kael said finally.
Aria glanced at him, her expression guarded. "Why not? This place is hidden."
"For now," Kael said. "But Theron will find it eventually. And when he does, we won't stand a chance."
"Then where do we go?"
Kael hesitated, his jaw tightening. "There's a place… deep in the mountains. An old stronghold. It belonged to the Moonbound centuries ago."
Aria's eyes widened. "You know where it is?"
Kael nodded. "I found it once, years ago. It's abandoned now, but if the legends are true, it holds secrets that could help you—help us."
Aria's chest tightened. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"Because getting there won't be easy," Kael said. "The path is dangerous, and the stronghold itself… it's not just a place. It's a trial. Only the worthy can enter."
Aria swallowed hard, her mind racing. The thought of facing another trial so soon after the shrine was daunting, but she knew they couldn't stay in the mine.
"Then we'll go," she said, her voice firm. "Whatever it takes, we'll make it."
Kael studied her for a moment before nodding. "We leave at first light."
---
The next morning, Aria and Kael packed their belongings and left the mine behind. The forest stretched out before them, vast and full of unknown dangers, but Aria felt a spark of hope.
As they walked, the song of the moon hummed faintly in her chest, a reminder of the path she was destined to follow.
She glanced at Kael, his figure strong and steady despite the scars that now marked his body.
"We're going to make it," she said, more to herself than to him.
Kael glanced back at her, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "One step at a time, Mooncaller."
And so, they ventured into the unknown, the shadow of the Bloodfangs looming behind them and the promise of the Moonbound's secrets waiting ahead.