The Drakon hound came out of the mist like a nightmare with teeth.
Its body was huge, bigger than any wolf Elara had ever seen, its black scales shining under the strange blue light of the forest. Its wings scraped against the glowing trees as it moved. When it screamed, the sound tore through the air like metal ripping apart.
Elara gasped and stumbled back.
Kaelen didn't.
He stepped forward, shadows rolling off him like smoke. The creature charged. Fast. Heavy. Its claws swung wide, aiming to crush him.
Kaelen moved faster.
He twisted, barely missing the strike, and slammed his fist into the creature's side. The impact shook the ground. Elara felt it travel up her legs, like an earthquake under her skin.
"Elara!" Kaelen shouted. His voice wasn't calm anymore. It was raw. Old. Angry."Find shelter! Now!"
She tried to move. Her feet wouldn't listen.
The Drakon hound shrieked again, this time louder, snapping its jaws and turning back toward Kaelen. Blood dripped from its mouth, glowing dark red as it hit the ground.
It was smiling.
Elara's chest burned. Fear mixed with something else. Panic. Guilt.
Kaelen was fighting for her.
Her fingers tightened around the locket. It was hot now, almost burning. The silver felt alive, shaking in her hand like it wanted out.
"I didn't mean for this," she whispered.
The world blurred. Her head filled with images again.
The woman in blue silk. Standing tall on a cliff. Mist obeying her hands. Power bending when she spoke.
Stop running.
The thought wasn't hers.
Elara sucked in a breath.
"Kaelen!" she shouted.
He glanced back just as the Drakon hound lunged again. Kaelen blocked it, but the force pushed him back a step. Only one step—but it terrified her.
"No," she said, louder now. "No, no, no."
Her hands shook as she raised the locket.
Kaelen saw it and his eyes widened. "Elara, don't—"
Too late.
She didn't know words. She didn't know spells.
She only knew intent.
Protect him.
The air around her shimmered.
A soft blue light spilled from the locket, washing over her hands, her arms, her chest. The trees responded. Their glow brightened. The crystals in the distance hummed louder.
The Drakon hound froze.
Its red eyes snapped to her.
Kaelen felt it too—the shift in the air, the sudden pressure. Power. Wild and old.
"Elara…" he breathed.
The light burst outward.
Not sharp. Not violent.
But strong.
It wrapped around the creature like a net made of moonlight. The Drakon hound screamed, this time in pain. Its scales cracked, breaking apart as if they were glass.
It fought. Thrashed. Tried to escape.
The magic held.
Elara cried out as the power surged through her, too much, too fast. Her knees buckled but she stayed standing, teeth clenched.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, not sure who she meant it for.
The creature collapsed in on itself, dissolving into glowing dust that lifted into the air and vanished.
Silence fell hard.
Elara's ears rang. Her whole body shook. The locket cooled slowly, its pulse steady again.
She swayed.
Strong arms caught her.
Kaelen pulled her close, holding her upright as her legs gave out. His grip was tight, protective, like he was afraid she might disappear.
"Easy," he murmured. "I've got you."
She leaned into him without thinking. His warmth grounded her. His heartbeat was strong and real against her cheek.
"What… what did I do?" she whispered.
Kaelen looked down at her, eyes burning with something she'd never seen before. Fear. Awe. Something deeper.
"You answered," he said quietly. "And the magic listened."
Her breath came shaky. "I didn't plan it. I just… felt it."
"I know." His hand slid up her back, steadying her. "That's what scares me."
She looked up at him. "You're scared of me?"
"No." His voice dropped. "I'm scared for you."
Their faces were close. Too close.
She noticed the small scar near his jaw. The way his lashes darkened his eyes. The faint glow of magic still clinging to him.
Something pulled between them. Tight. Electric.
He lowered his head without realizing it. Or maybe he did.
Her breath caught. His lips were right there.
Just one step closer—
A low growl rolled through the forest.
Not loud. But heavy. Ancient.
Kaelen froze.
His arms tightened around Elara as he turned slightly, placing himself between her and the sound.
"Stay behind me," he said.
The air changed again.
Cold crept in, sliding over Elara's skin. The glowing trees dimmed. Shadows stretched longer, darker.
Whispers followed.
Soft at first. Then many.
Too many.
Kaelen's jaw clenched. "The Collective," he muttered. "They're here."
Elara's heart slammed. "They followed us?"
"Yes." His eyes scanned the forest edges. "Or they were already waiting."
The mist thickened. Shapes formed inside it.
Tall figures stepped forward, cloaked in darkness. Their faces were hidden, but their presence pressed down on Elara's chest, making it hard to breathe.
The locket pulsed fast again. Warning her.
She grabbed Kaelen's coat. "What do they want?"
His answer was immediate. "You."
One of the figures laughed softly.
"Child of the old blood," a voice echoed. "You shine brighter than expected."
Elara swallowed. "I don't even know who you are."
The figure tilted its head. "Oh, we know you."
Kaelen growled low in his throat. "Stay back."
Another voice whispered, closer now. "The key has awakened."
Elara felt sick. "The locket…"
"Yes," the voice purred. "And the vessel who carries it."
Kaelen shifted his stance. "You won't touch her."
The figures moved closer, surrounding them. Shadows layered over shadows.
Elara tightened her grip on Kaelen. "What do we do?"
He looked down at her, really looked. Fear was there. But so was fire.
"We don't run," he said. "Not anymore."
She nodded, even though her hands shook. "Together?"
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Always."
The whispers grew louder. The forest trembled.
And deep beneath Havenwood, something stirred.
The shadows did not stay still.
They thickened. Grew heavier. No longer just shapes in the mist, but figures wrapped in dark cloaks, standing tall and close. Their faces stayed hidden, like the dark itself had swallowed them whole.
The whispers grew louder.
Not words. Promises.
Pain. Power. The Sleeping King.
Elara clutched the locket as she ran, the silver burning against her palm. Her lungs ached. Her legs screamed. But she didn't stop.
Behind her, the forest shook.
Kaelen stood alone now.
"Well done, Guardian," a thin voice hissed from the shadows. "You sent her away. Brave. Foolish. Predictable."
Kaelen turned slowly, eyes glowing faintly in the low light. "If you think that means you've won, you're already dead wrong."
A taller figure stepped forward, its presence cold and crushing. "You've grown careless, Vane. Attachment dulls even the sharpest blade."
Kaelen's jaw tightened. "Say her name again and I'll tear you apart."
Soft laughter echoed around him.
"The Thorne girl is impressive," the reedy voice said. "Raw. Untamed. A perfect vessel."
"She is not a vessel," Kaelen snapped. "She is not yours."
"Everything belongs to the King," the taller shadow replied calmly. "And the King is waking."
Kaelen raised his hand, magic cracking around his fingers. "Then you won't live to see it."
The shadows struck first.
Dark tendrils lashed out, sharp and fast. Kaelen blocked them, ancient power slamming into theirs. The ground split beneath his boots. Light flashed. Shadows screamed.
"You're weaker," one voice taunted. "The beast drained you."
Kaelen didn't answer. He pushed harder, forcing them back.
"She already destroyed your hound," he said coldly. "What does that tell you?"
A pause.
Anger rippled through the shadows.
"A fluke," the taller one said. "She lacks control. She will burn herself out."
Kaelen thought of Elara's face. Her fear. Her strength.
"No," he said. "She will rise."
The shadows hissed, retreating inch by inch.
"This isn't finished," the reedy voice warned. "The King will wake. And when he does, you won't be able to save her."
With a final surge of dark energy, they dissolved into the forest, leaving silence behind.
Kaelen stood still, chest heaving.
Then he turned and ran.
Elara didn't know how long she ran.
Time felt wrong here. Stretched. Twisted.
Branches whipped her arms. The glow of the forest faded and returned in waves. The locket pulled her forward, guiding her like a thread she couldn't see.
"Please," she whispered. "Please be right."
The whispers chased her, distant but sharp.
She tripped, catching herself on a glowing root, and gasped as pain shot through her ankle. She bit her lip and forced herself back up.
Don't stop.
She felt it then.
A tear in the air.
Like a thin wall made of light.
The breach.
Relief crashed into her so hard she almost cried.
But something else moved in the mist ahead.
Her heart froze.
"Elara Thorne," a voice purred softly.
She spun.
A single figure stepped out of the glow, cloaked in silver-black shadows. Unlike the others, this one felt calm. Controlled.
Dangerous.
"You run well," it said. "But not well enough."
Elara backed away, raising the locket. "Stay back."
The figure smiled beneath the hood. "Ah. It listens to you. Even now."
"What do you want?" she demanded, her voice shaking.
"The same thing we've always wanted," it replied. "Balance… rewritten."
The air behind her flickered.
The breach began to close.
"No," she whispered.
Kaelen felt it.
The sudden shift.
Fear tore through him like a blade.
"Elara," he breathed.
He ran faster than he ever had, shadows bending around him. He could feel her now—her magic flaring bright and wild.
Too bright.
"Hold on," he growled. "I'm coming."
The forest blurred.
Ahead, the light of the breach pulsed weakly.
And beside it—
Elara.
Facing the dark alone.
Kaelen roared, power exploding from him as he launched forward.
The shadows turned.
And the veil screamed.