Alina's breath hitched at the woman's words. The way she stood, poised yet unmoving, made the hairs on the back of her neck rise. This was no ordinary traveler.
Kael shifted, subtly placing himself between Alina and the stranger. His hand never left the hilt of his sword. "Who are you?"
The woman tilted her head slightly, as if amused by the question. "That's not important." Her hood cast a shadow over her face, but Alina could just make out the faint glint of sharp eyes beneath it. "What is important is that you walk away from this. Now."
Alina stiffened. "I don't even know what *this* is."
The woman let out a quiet sigh. "Then consider yourself lucky. The star you saw tonight is not meant for human eyes. It is a harbinger, a signal to those who understand its meaning. And those who understand it…" Her voice lowered slightly. "…do not tolerate interference."
Alina's grip on the parchment tightened. "Who sent those men after me?"
The woman ignored her question, instead taking a slow step forward. Kael responded immediately, unsheathing his sword in one smooth motion. The sound of steel against leather sent a ripple of tension through the air.
The woman stopped, her lips curving in the faintest trace of a smirk. "You still think that blade will protect you?"
Kael's stance didn't waver. "It's done a decent job so far."
The woman chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Bravery is admirable. Foolishness is not."
Alina felt frustration creeping in. This woman spoke in riddles, warning them away from something she refused to explain. But Alina had spent her entire life chasing the unknown. She wouldn't stop now.
"If you expect me to just walk away, then give me a reason," she said firmly. "Tell me why this star is so dangerous."
The woman went quiet. For a moment, Alina thought she might actually answer. But then, the stranger's gaze flickered toward the parchment in Alina's hands, and something in her posture changed.
"You've already seen too much."
Before Alina could react, the woman lifted her hand. A gust of wind, sudden and unnatural, tore through the clearing. Alina staggered back, shielding her face from the debris kicked up by the force.
Kael lunged, but the woman barely moved—she simply raised her fingers, and Kael was sent skidding backward as if an invisible force had struck him. He landed hard, his sword clattering to the ground beside him.
Alina's heart pounded. This was no ordinary threat.
The woman turned to her once more, and this time, there was no amusement in her tone—only cold finality.
"This is your last chance," she said. "Forget what you saw. Destroy that parchment. If you don't…" Her eyes gleamed from beneath the hood. "They will come for you."
Then, just as quickly as she had appeared, she was gone. The wind died down. The clearing fell silent once more.
Alina stood frozen, her pulse a hammering drum in her ears.
Kael groaned, pushing himself up from the ground. His expression was dark, his breathing unsteady. "That wasn't normal," he muttered.
Alina swallowed hard. "No," she agreed. "It wasn't."
She glanced down at the parchment, her mind racing.
The woman had given her a choice.
Forget. Destroy. Walk away.
But the fire in Alina's chest told her she would do none of those things.
Whatever secret this star held—whatever truth people were willing to kill for—she would uncover it.
Even if it meant they would come for her.
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