The air was thick with the scent of ash and burnt earth as we stumbled away from the ruins of the Vale. The once-vibrant forest, now reduced to a charred wasteland, stretched out behind us like a death sentence. Callum's arms were tight around me, the only warmth amidst the chill creeping in from the destruction. I could still feel the hum of the light inside me, faint but steady a reminder of the child that had saved him, that had given us this fleeting moment of peace.
We didn't speak for a long while, the only sounds were the crackling of the remaining embers and the distant howling wind. I wasn't sure what had become of Lysandra, but I could feel the shift in the atmosphere. The weight of her sacrifice, the weight of the ritual, lingered like a heavy mist over us, and I wondered if there had ever truly been an end to this. Had we really freed ourselves, or was this just another chapter in a never-ending cycle?
Callum broke the silence, his voice rough and hoarse, the words heavy with something I couldn't quite place. You said the baby saved me.
I nodded, my fingers gently tracing the small swell of my stomach, as if to reassure myself that it was real. "It wasn't just the child's light. It was everything the bond we share, the sacrifice, the power we never knew we had. I think... I think the child unlocked something."
He was quiet for a moment, his eyes fixed ahead, lost in thought. I'm not sure what we've done. Or what it means.
Neither was I. But what else could we do? The Vale had been a prison for centuries. The curse had poisoned everything, and Lysandra's intentions, no matter how twisted, had freed us. In the end, we had no choice but to follow through.
The thought of what we'd left behind tugged at me. The Vale, the memories of pain and loss, the lives sacrificed to keep the gate closed. There had to be more to this more than the ruins, more than the fading shadows of the old gods. Something, or someone, had watched us leave.
I felt a shiver trail down my spine. It wasn't just a feeling. It was a presence, lingering at the edges of my mind, waiting to strike.
Callum, I whispered, my voice thick with unease. We're not alone.
He stiffened, his body going rigid beside me. What do you mean?
"Something's out there," I said, my senses sharpening, the weight of the moment settling on my chest. I can feel it.
He looked over his shoulder, his gaze scanning the now-barren landscape. It's probably just the aftermath. Everything's unsettled.
But I knew better. There was something or someone still watching us. And we couldn't escape the feeling that the shadows were far from finished with us.
We continued on in silence, moving away from the Vale and toward what I hoped was a safer future. But even as we walked, the distance between us and the cursed land grew, the sensation of being followed never quite fading.
As we neared the edge of the forest, I caught sight of something in the distance a silhouette, standing tall against the horizon. A figure, cloaked in shadow, just beyond the reach of the fading light. I froze, my heart skipping a beat.
Callum, I hissed, grabbing his arm.
He turned sharply, his eyes narrowing in the direction I was pointing. Who the hell is that?
The figure didn't move, its presence unnatural. It was as though it was part of the landscape itself, blending with the shadows but standing separate from them.
I couldn't see its face, but the air around us seemed to thicken, a tangible weight pressing against my chest. The longer I stared, the more I felt the pull of something ancient, something dangerous.
Get behind me, Callum ordered, his voice low and controlled.
I stepped back, doing as he said, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the figure.
Come out, then, Callum shouted, his voice echoing through the empty space. Show yourself.
The figure remained still, unmoving, its presence an unshakable reminder that we had only just begun to scratch the surface of whatever curse had been cast upon us.
The silence stretched on, unbearable. The only sound now was the wind, rustling the charred remnants of the forest, whispering secrets in a language I couldn't understand.
Then, slowly, the figure stepped forward, revealing its true form.
It was tall taller than any man I had ever seen and cloaked in black, its face hidden beneath a hood of darkness. But as it moved closer, I could see the faint gleam of gold beneath the hood, a glimmer of something familiar, something that struck a chord deep within me.
Rhea, the figure said, its voice low and raspy, but unmistakably male. You've made a grave mistake.
I froze, a chill running down my spine. Who are you?
The figure's hand lifted, and the hood slid back, revealing the face of a man I never thought I'd see again.
It was him. The one from my nightmares. The Alpha.
But something was wrong his eyes, once a deep, molten gold, were now hollow, black, like the void itself.
Callum, don't I started, but it was too late. The moment I said his name, Callum was already moving, his body a blur as he lunged toward the figure.
The Alpha's lips curled into a dark smile, his hand outstretched.
Don't be so hasty, he said, his voice dripping with malice. I am not your enemy, not yet.
Callum skidded to a halt, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. Then what the hell are you?
The Alpha's smile widened, his features twisting in the shadows. A warning.
Suddenly, the ground beneath us trembled, a powerful force shaking the earth as though the world itself was waking. The Alpha's form seemed to ripple, a shifting mass of smoke and shadow, growing larger and more formidable by the second.
Rhea, Callum, you are far from free, the Alpha's voice echoed, distorted by the wind. The cycle is far from broken. It has only just begun.
Before I could react, a wave of force slammed into me, sending me flying backward. I landed hard, my vision spinning as the last remnants of the Vale's curse seemed to reach for me once more.
Callum was at my side in an instant, pulling me up, his eyes wild with fury and fear. Stay with me, he growled, but his voice was tinged with the same fear that clawed at my own chest.
The Alpha's laugh echoed through the air, the sound hollow and foreboding. The game is far from over.
And with that, the figure vanished into the shadows, leaving us with only the echo of his words.
We were no longer safe. We had only just become aware of the true price of freedom.