The darkness had come to still, but the atmosphere inside the cabin was oppressive. Elira sat at the rusty wooden table, her fingers tracing the subtle scars inscribed onto its surface. Her mind wandered far from their immediate surroundings, far from their haven. The bond with Kael pulsed through her veins, like the beat of her heart, like the unacknowledged weight of their shared fate.
She glanced over at him. He braced himself against the tiny, broken window, gazing out into the evening as if the darkening woods contained some secret that she didn't. His shoulders were tensed, his body barely able to hold itself together after the long flight from the academy. The magic within him, the Void, pulled to break free. She could sense it, pounding like an angry beast.
Elira could not stand the space between them, could not stand the quiet. But she was wise enough not to push him. Kael was a fortress, one that would not open its gates, not even to her, even though they were bound by their souls.
Hours had passed since they'd arrived at the cabin, but the thrum of danger lingered. The Voidsworn were close, she knew that. The scars on their backs, the ones resembling dark wings—she couldn't avoid thinking of them. The whispers that followed them, the lies they spoke of the bond, it all seemed to be closing in.
"Elira."
She blinked and lifted her face, meeting Kael's silver stare. The intensity of his regard sent a shiver down her spine, and she swallowed dryness in her throat.
"We can't stay here for very long," he said, softly but firmly. "They'll find us sooner or later."
Elira nodded, too afraid to trust herself to speak. Her throat closed, her heart felt heavy. So much was in the balance, so many powers were in motion that she could barely keep up. But she knew one thing for certain: they couldn't hide forever.
"We'll find a way," she said, trying to sound braver than she felt. "We'll find a way to stop this, Kael. We have to."
Kael looked at her for a moment, as if weighing something in his mind. Then, suddenly, he walked across the room in two great strides, offering his hand. She braced, feeling the familiar pull of his magic rumbling around him.
"Let me help you," Kael breathed softly, his voice rough as he moved closer to them. "I've fought with this for so long, Elira. I can't keep going like this. But with you… maybe we can change it. Maybe we can stop the prophecy from destroying everything."
Elira's heart thudded painfully in her chest as she looked up at him. There was something vulnerable in his eyes, something desperate.
Her fingers trembled as she placed her hand on his, their hands entwined. There was a charge between them, a spark that traveled up her arm and stayed in her chest. But it wasn't the magic. It was the bond. Their souls so deeply intertwined that she could feel his pain, his struggle.
"I don't know how to make it stop, Kael," she gasped. "But I'll try. I promise you."
They stood there for a long time, hands locked in the darkness of the cabin. The world outside was silent, but inside, transformation was sweeping everything.
Kael's grip on her hand tightened, his eyes wide with shock. Elira gasped as a surge of dark magic erupted inside him. She felt it, too, as if the magic were struggling to get out of him.
"Kael!" she cried, but the voice was ripped from her throat as the bond flared.
Kael's body wracked as the magic tore frantically, his veins ablaze with dark energy. The Void was rising, filling him, and she could feel it tearing at their connection, threatening to rip them both apart.
"Kael!" Elira screamed again, but he did not respond. His body shook, and for a nauseating instant, she believed he would curl in on himself.
She did not think, wrapping her arms around him, pulling him into her despite the raw energy between them. She felt the roughness of his breath against her neck as he struggled to hold back the magic. His muscles rippled beneath her fingers, and she felt the warmth of his body, the crushing pressure of his magic.
"I won't let you go," she breathed hotly in his ear. "I'm not leaving."
Kael's body shook more violently, but the tension in his stance eased as the bond between them grew stronger. She could feel his magic begin to slow, to slacken, as if her presence was the only thing keeping him grounded.
The dark energy surrounding him began to fade, and for an instant, all was calm.
Kael's breathing slowed, and he edged back to look at her. His eyes were wild, full of gratitude and terror, and Elira felt the weight of his emotions pressing down on her.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't want you involved in all this. You can have a sane life, without this madness."
Elira reached up, her hand tracing across his cheek, and smiled softly at him. "This isn't natural, Kael. But I wouldn't have it any other way."
He didn't respond right away, but she saw the conflict within his eyes. The battle between duty, destiny, and his own will. But in that moment, Elira knew one thing: their bond was growing stronger, and so was the magic inside both of them.
We must leave," Kael spoke softly after some time, breaking the silence. "The Voidsworn will be close now. We have to get to the center of the Forest of Shadows. There is something there, something that can assist us.".
Elira nodded, although the dread that had been growing in her chest refused to go away. The Forest of Shadows was legend—dark, ominous, and deadly. Many had ventured into it, but none had ever returned. It was a place where the veil between the worlds was thin, where ancient magic still lingered, waiting to be found.
But Kael was right. They had no choice.
She rushed to fill the little that they had with them—food, water, some provisions—before falling back behind Kael from the cabin into the night. The forest around them was quiet, the shadows long and dark. The air was thick with the odor of damp earth and decaying leaves, and Elira could feel the weight of the forest around her.
Kael led the way, his presence a calm, grounding presence. The bond between them hummed with each step, each throb of his strength a reminder of the power they held—and the danger of its use.
As they pushed deeper into the woods, Elira couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched. The silence was too stifling, too absolute. Trees that towered above them seemed to shut in, their twisted limbs like skeletal fingers reaching out.
And then she heard the sound.
A scratching in the underbrush.
A flash of movement.
Kael's hand shot out, his fingers clamping on her wrist like a vice. "Stay close," he whispered.
Elira nodded, her chest pounding as they continued on.
The further in they went, the darker the woods became. And the colder the air got, so did the tension between them. The bond had always been solid, but now it was pulsating with a new strength—one that neither of them could ignore.
There was no going back now. They had reached the point of no return.