CHAPTER 105 — HUNTING THE SHADOW
The plateau was quiet, almost deceptively so. Kael stood at the edge, hollow symbol blazing faintly, its pulse jagged and uneven. The battle with the Second Bearer had ended—temporarily—but its echoes lingered. The air still thrummed with residual energy, and the fractured ground bore scars that no wind or rain could erase.
Shadowblades crouched beside him, blades sheathed but ready, eyes scanning every shadow, every shifting crack. "Kael… they're out there," she murmured. "Waiting. Watching. And the fracture isn't done yet."
Kael nodded, jaw tight. "I know. We can't afford mistakes. Not now." He scanned the horizon. Beyond the plateau, faint ripples of chaotic energy flickered across forests, rivers, and mountains. The fracture was spreading, silent but inexorable, threading through the world like a dark pulse.
Titanbound stomped the cracked stone, molten energy sparking from his fists. "I don't care how careful we are," he growled. "If they show up again, I'll tear them apart. Every last one of them."
Kael turned to him, expression grim. "It's not just them. It's the fracture feeding them, strengthening them. And we don't know how many bearers it's already touched… or could awaken."
Shadowblades' gaze sharpened. "Then we hunt. We track them before they find us—or before the fracture decides to expand further."
Kael exhaled slowly, energy radiating from his hollow symbol. Roots of Ironroot erupted from the fractured stone, probing the surrounding terrain, searching for disturbances, tracing the chaotic pulses left behind by the Second Bearer.
"They left traces," Kael murmured. "Tiny ones, but enough. The fracture left fingerprints… and I can read them."
Titanbound's fists flared, molten light flickering. "Then let's go. I'm not waiting for them to grow stronger."
They moved carefully, every step calculated, the fractured plateau beneath their feet threatening to collapse with the slightest misstep. Shadows twisted unnaturally along the cracked stone, responding to the presence of the Second Bearer. Every movement was amplified, every noise exaggerated, feeding into the tension that hummed like a living thing.
The first signs appeared in the forest below. Leaves swirled, black veins creeping along bark and soil. The fracture's pulse was subtle but undeniable, threading its influence into the roots and branches, probing for resistance, searching for Kael's presence.
Kael's hollow symbol flared violently. "They're close. Too close."
Shadowblades darted ahead, moving like a wraith through the trees. "I'll draw them out," she whispered. "Keep the roots ready."
Kael nodded, grounding himself. The Ironroot pulsed through the forest, roots writhing beneath the soil, seeking the chaotic energy of the Second Bearer. The air shimmered with anticipation, almost solid, as if the forest itself held its breath.
Then, suddenly, a pulse of energy shot through the trees—sharp, erratic, chaotic. The Second Bearer had sensed them.
Kael flared his symbol, roots snapping upward, breaking the forest floor in jagged spirals. Titanbound leapt forward, molten fists igniting, every strike sending shockwaves that fractured stone and earth alike.
The Second Bearer emerged, chest pulsing with chaotic energy, shadows writhing around them like living tendrils. Their eyes glowed with dangerous intensity, scanning, calculating, and then locking onto Kael.
"You're persistent," the Second Bearer hissed, voice echoing through the twisted trees. "But persistence won't save you from what comes next."
Kael stepped forward, hollow symbol burning, roots lashing outward. "We'll see about that. You won't get another chance to test the fracture without a fight."
The forest trembled as the two forces collided. Shadows erupted from the Second Bearer, twisting around roots and stone, lashing at Kael. Roots of Ironroot struck back, coiling and snapping, seeking the chaotic pulses that powered their enemy.
Titanbound slammed molten fists into the earth, launching columns of fire and rock toward the Second Bearer. Shadowblades darted between shadows, blades slicing tendrils, disrupting the chaotic rhythm.
The Second Bearer twisted mid-air, their chaotic energy flaring unpredictably. Each movement rippled through the forest, knocking over trees, shattering boulders, and creating miniature shockwaves that echoed like gunfire.
Kael's hollow symbol flared, energy coursing through his veins. The roots of Ironroot wrapped around the chaotic pulses, constraining, redirecting, destabilizing. The Second Bearer screamed, a soundless, vibrating force that reverberated through Kael's chest.
"You're strong," they admitted, voice low, almost impressed. "But the fracture… it teaches me faster than you can anticipate."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Then we'll force it to teach you lessons instead."
He stepped deeper into the forest, energy radiating outward. Roots of Ironroot tore through the soil, anchoring trees and boulders alike, creating barriers and channels. The Second Bearer tried to anticipate each strike, twisting mid-air, shadows lashing outward, but Kael's precision kept them off balance.
Titanbound's fists flared again, molten energy burning brighter, striking tendrils and fracturing stone. Shadowblades moved like a shadow herself, striking at openings, cutting, slicing, disrupting the flow of chaos.
The Second Bearer hissed, energy surging uncontrollably. "You… are… persistent… for a first bearer…"
Kael's hollow symbol pulsed violently. The forest around them reacted, roots writhing, leaves twisting unnaturally. The fracture's pulse was stronger here, almost sentient, whispering, manipulating, trying to merge the Second Bearer's chaotic energy with the environment.
Kael gritted his teeth. "We force control. Not reaction. Make the fracture adapt to us."
A sudden surge of energy blasted through the forest, uprooting trees, tearing boulders, and sending a shockwave across the ground. The Second Bearer twisted violently, shadow tendrils snapping outward, energy flaring chaotically.
Kael channeled all his energy into the hollow symbol, roots of Ironroot lashing outward in precise strikes. The Second Bearer screamed, energy destabilizing, shadows collapsing inward, flickering in and out of existence.
Titanbound slammed the ground one last time, molten pillars erupting, amplifying the shockwave. Shadowblades struck with perfect timing, slicing through residual shadows, leaving the Second Bearer staggered and struggling to maintain their form.
Kael took a deep breath, eyes locked on the flickering chaos. "You will not control me… or this forest… or the fracture."
The Second Bearer faltered, chaos energy surging uncontrollably. For a brief moment, they wavered, the mark on their chest flickering. The forest pulsed in response, almost breathing, reacting to Kael's power.
And then, as quickly as it began, the Second Bearer vanished. Shadows collapsed into nothing, leaving only faint traces of chaotic energy pulsing in the air.
Kael dropped to one knee, chest heaving, hollow symbol blazing. Shadowblades crouched beside him, alert, eyes scanning every shadow. Titanbound exhaled, fists dimming, molten energy fading.
"They're gone… again," Shadowblades murmured. "But… they're not defeated."
Kael nodded slowly, feeling the weight of what they had just endured. "No… and the fracture isn't dormant. Every second we wait, it spreads, learning, adapting, preparing… testing us for something far worse."
Titanbound slammed a fist into a nearby boulder, shattering it. "Then we strike next time. Harder. Faster. No hesitation."
Kael's gaze remained on the horizon where the Second Bearer had disappeared. The hollow symbol pulsed violently, a warning, a challenge, a promise. The fracture's pulse was spreading beyond the forest, threading into distant mountains and rivers, reaching for other bearers, other Gates.
"We plan," Kael said quietly. "We prepare. And when they return, we strike before they can learn again."
Shadowblades nodded, eyes sharp, blades ready. "Then we hunt the shadow… and we make sure it never learns control over us."
Kael's hollow symbol flared one last time, roots of Ironroot pulsing with renewed energy. The fracture had shown its hand. The Second Bearer had revealed their strength.
And the war for the Gates, the bearers, and the fractured world had only just begun.
Kael's eyes hardened, chest burning, as he whispered:
"The fracture will learn fear… from me."