🔥 Chapter 54 — Shadows in the Forest
The eastern hubs gleamed faintly under the moonlight, wards humming softly as Kael and Rhyne finished their fortifications. The forest was silent, almost unnaturally so, the kind of quiet that whispered of unseen eyes.
Rhyne crouched near a tree, eyes narrowing. "Something's off. The King isn't sending full forces this time—just shadows. Scouts? Or something worse?"
Kael's Ember threads flickered, coiling around him like alert serpents. "Covert units. He's testing our defenses. He wants information without committing to a frontal strike. We can use this. If we observe carefully, we'll know his next major move."
From the shadows, faint silhouettes moved between the trees. Magical wards flared briefly, revealing cloaked figures who melted back into the darkness as soon as they were detected. Kael's flames pulsed in rhythm with the movement, sensing the subtle distortions of hidden magic.
Rhyne whispered, "Small units, highly trained. Look at the way they avoid the obvious paths. These aren't normal scouts—they're elite operatives."
Kael's eyes glowed, Ember threads extending to intercept and probe the intruders. "We don't engage directly. Let them move. Every step they take triggers subtle wards and illusions. We learn their patterns, their strengths, and weaknesses before striking."
The operatives split into several groups, weaving through the forest like shadows. Each triggered minor magical disruptions—flashes, sounds, illusions—sufficient to slow them and gather intelligence without revealing Kael and Rhyne's full position.
Rhyne smirked. "The King thinks he's testing us. Instead, we're mapping his agents, predicting his tactics, and controlling every movement they make."
Kael's flames flared brighter. "Exactly. Patience is the weapon here. Let him overreach. When he commits to his next move, we'll know exactly where, when, and how to strike."
From the ridge, Kael and Rhyne observed the shadows, their presence both feared and invisible. The eastern front was fortified, but now, the game had shifted. The King's probes would lead him directly into the traps they had prepared, and the battle for dominance was entering a new, subtler phase.