⚔️ **CHAPTER 36 — The Council Strikes**
The forest had thinned slightly, revealing a narrow valley ahead. Kael and Caelin moved cautiously, the mist curling around them like watchful fingers. For days, the nightmares had dominated Kael's mind—but now they were manageable, tempered by focus and the tether with Caelin.
Yet nothing in the forest prepared him for what came next.
A sudden sharp whistle cut through the mist. Kael froze. Caelin's hand went to his sword.
From the trees ahead, figures stepped forward—five, then ten, then more. Armor gleamed faintly in the dim light, banners fluttering from long poles. The insignia of the Crown Council—the very authority Kael had evaded since leaving the capital—was unmistakable.
"They found us," Kael whispered.
"They've been watching," Caelin said. "Not the forest… them." His hand rested on Kael's shoulder briefly. "Stay calm. Step by step. We can handle this."
The Council's warriors advanced carefully, surrounding the two. They were not reckless—they knew Kael's reputation, knew the stories of the boy who carried debts the world didn't understand.
"Kael Ardyn," a commanding voice rang out. "Step forward. You are wanted for questioning… and for trespassing on lands protected by the Crown."
Kael tightened his grip on his sword. "I'm not here to fight the Crown."
"Yet," the commander said sharply, "you leave us no choice. You are a threat."
Kaelin stepped beside Kael, calm but unwavering. "We are leaving," he said firmly. "Step aside, or your men will learn the price of interference."
The Council did not move. Instead, their formation tightened, creating a ring around Kael and Caelin. Kael's stomach twisted. The nightmares had prepared him for mental trials—but this was physical, real, unavoidable.
*Focus, Kael,* the second voice urged. *They will push. They will provoke fear. Resist.*
Kael inhaled deeply. The shadows at the edges of his mind flickered—visions of being trapped, beaten, alone—but he forced them down. Step by step. Breath by breath. Side by side with Caelin.
The commander raised a hand, signaling an advance. Swords glinted. Kael met Caelin's gaze, a silent understanding passing between them.
*Together,* Kael thought. *Step by step.*
The first warrior lunged. Kaelin intercepted, parrying smoothly. Kael sidestepped, striking at the advancing figure, not recklessly, but with precision. Every strike, every movement, was guided by focus, calm, and the tether to Caelin.
The Council was relentless, trained, precise—but Kael's growing mastery over his mind, his resistance to fear, allowed him to anticipate their movements. He and Caelin moved almost as one, covering each other's flanks, guiding each other through attacks.
Despite their skill, Kael could feel the exhaustion creeping in. Hunger, fatigue, and the lingering pull of nightmares pressed at him—but now, mental and physical danger were intertwined. The Council's attack forced him to test every lesson he had learned: resistance, patience, coordination, focus.
A warrior feinted left, Kaelin blocked, and Kael struck right, sending the attacker sprawling. Another lunged at Caelin; Kael intercepted with his sword, deflecting a strike that would have cut deep. The Council's numbers were overwhelming—but step by step, together, they advanced, forcing the attackers to adjust.
Kael exhaled, sweat and mist dripping from his hair. *I can do this,* he thought. *I can survive. I *must.*
The Council commander's eyes narrowed. "So, you resist… together. Interesting."
Kaelin's blade pressed forward, Kael's sword mirrored him. "We survive. Step by step. Together."
The forest around them seemed to hold its breath. Even the mist waited, patient and silent, as the first real confrontation with human enemies—not nightmares—tested everything Kael had become.
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