The world around Elara blurred. The burning huts, the screaming villagers, the shadowy creatures - everything became unimportant when her eyes fell on the man with the golden eyes.
He stood perfectly still in the midst of the chaos. His black cloak blew in the wind, and the silver sword in his hand shimmered in the flickering light of the flames.
"Who... are you?" Elara gasped.
The man did not answer immediately. His eyes slid over her as if he was looking for something. Then, without warning, he moved.
It was not a normal movement. No hesitation, no unnecessary effort. One moment he was standing a few meters away, the next he was right in front of her.
Elara gasped for air and stumbled backwards. But before she could say even another word, the stranger swirled around - and the sword in his hand cut the air.
SLOT!
One of the shadow creatures, which had crept into Elara from behind unnoticed, was cut in half. The dark body trembled, dissolved and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
The stranger turned to her again.
"You have to come with me right away."
His voice was deep and calm, but with an unmistakable commanding tone.
Elara blinked. Her heart was still racing, adrenaline pumping through her veins.
"What? Who are you? What's happening here?"
The man sighed as if he had no time for long explanations. He looked around briefly - the shadow creatures slowly retreated, as if they were reassessing the situation.
"You're in danger. They found you. It won't be long before more of them come. If you want to survive, follow me now."
Elara felt her stomach contract.
None of this made sense. She didn't know these creatures. She didn't know why she was attacked or where this strange force in her came from. And she didn't know this man - but something about him felt... familiar.
The shadow creatures in the distance moved again. One of them made a deep, roaring sound as if calling for reinforcements.
The stranger cursed softly.
"We don't have time anymore."
He grabbed her wrist - and the moment his skin touched hers, a wave of heat shot through her body.
What was that?!
Before she could react, he dragged her with him.
"Wait!" Elara called, but he didn't let go of her. They ran through the burning village, past panicked villagers who tried to escape. The shadow creatures followed them, but every time one of them ventured too close, the stranger's silver sword twitched through the air - and the creatures disappeared with tormented screams.
Elara stumbled several times, but the man's grip remained firm. Only when they left the last row of houses behind and ran into the dark forest, he slowed down his pace.
"We should be safe here... for the moment."
He let go of her wrist, and Elara stagged as she tried to catch her breath. Her heart pounded against her chest.
"Can you finally explain to me what the hell is going on here?" She gasped.
The stranger looked at her for a moment, then nodded.
"My name is Kael. I am a guardian of balance."
Elara frowned.
"Guardian of the... what?"
Kael pulled back the hood of his coat. Only now could she recognize his face properly - sharply cut features, a striking jawline, dark hair... and those golden eyes that looked almost supernatural in the moonlight.
"I belong to an ancient order whose task is to preserve the balance between light and shadow. And you..." He paused for a moment. "...you're not just any girl, Elara. You are the last descendant of the seers."
Silence.
Elara stared at him.
"The... what?"
Kael sighed. "Is exactly what I expected."
He took a step closer.
"The power you used to destroy this creature... that wasn't ordinary magic. It was the light of the seers—a power that had been lost for centuries. You activated it. And that means you're now the main goal of the darkness."
Elara slowly shook her head.
"No... no, that can't be. I'm just a healer. I have never—"
"You felt it, didn't you?" Kael's gaze drilled into her. "That warmth, that pulling in your chest when you used the light. It was instinctive. Because it's in your blood."
Elara opened her mouth, wanted to say something back... but she couldn't.
Because deep down she knew he was right.
Kael turned and looked into the darkness of the forest.
"We have to move on. They won't stop chasing you. But if we're fast enough, we can reach a place where you can learn to control your powers."
Elara hesitated. Her life had completely changed within a few hours.
But she had no choice.
She took a deep breath.
"All right... I'll come with you."
Kael nodded with satisfaction.
"Good. Then let's disappear before more of them appear."
And with these words they disappeared into the darkness of the night.