Capítulo 10: Edge of the abyss

Alenya's heart raced as she and Kael moved deeper into the forest, putting as much distance between them and Drenyar's camp as they could. The oppressive weight of his presence still clung to her, like the lingering shadow of a nightmare. Her legs burned from the effort, but she didn't dare slow down. Not with the warlock so close.

The wind howled through the trees, and the ground beneath them felt treacherous, slick with damp leaves and moss. Every shadow seemed to twist into something menacing, and every sound felt like it could be the whisper of Drenyar's dark magic following them.

Kael led the way, his movements quick and deliberate, his face hard and set. Alenya could see the tension in his jaw, the fury burning in his eyes. He had seen Drenyar up close, the man who snatched away his sister's life, and she knew what that meant. She could feel it radiating off him, anger, desperation, and a burning desire for revenge.

But there was no time for revenge. Not now. They were outmatched, and they both knew it.

"Are we far enough yet?" Alenya whispered, her voice tight with fear.

Kael didn't answer immediately, his eyes scanning the trees, as if expecting something to emerge from the darkness at any moment. Gradually, he slowed his pace, coming to a stop in a small clearing. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his fingers tense, ready to draw at any moment.

"We're not far enough," he muttered. "But we can't keep running blindly. We need a plan."

Alenya's chest tightened. She could still feel Drenyar's magic lingering in the air, oppressive and heavy. It had taken everything in her not to reach for her own power when she saw him, not to let the earth swallow him whole. But she knew it would've been foolish to act so recklessly. Drenyar's magic was stronger, darker. She had felt it in the way the forest seemed to die around him, the way the very air had thickened.

"We can't face him, Kael," she said, her voice trembling with the weight of the truth. "Not like this."

Kael's jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with a mixture of frustration and fury. "I know."

Alenya saw the conflict in his gaze; the need to fight, to make Drenyar pay for what he had done, but also the cold, hard reality that they weren't ready. Kael had trained to fight, but against someone like Drenyar? It wasn't enough. And her magic, as powerful as it was, still felt uncontrollable, a force that could just as easily destroy her as it could protect her.

For a long moment, they stood in silence, the only sound being the wind rustling through the trees. Alenya's mind raced with fear and uncertainty. They were close to the warlock now, and she had no idea how to fight him, of what he wanted from her or why she was so significant to him.

Kael's gaze flicked toward her, his eyes narrowing as if he could sense her fear. "We need to figure out what he's after," he pondered. "He's not just hunting you for your magic. There's something more. He wants you for a reason."

Alenya swallowed hard, her stomach twisting with dread. She had thought the same thing, but hearing Kael say it out loud made it feel more real.

"How do we find out?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kael's expression darkened. "We watch him."

Alenya's eyes widened. "You want to spy on him?"

Kael nodded, his gaze sharp. "It's the only way. We're not ready to fight him head-on, but we can gather information. If we can figure out what his plan is, why he's hunting you, then maybe we'll have a chance to stop him."

Alenya's heart raced at the thought. Spying on Drenyar felt like a death invitation, but Kael wasn't wrong. They needed answers, and waiting for Drenyar to strike wasn't an option. On the contrary, the idea of getting that close to him again, of risking discovery… "It's too dangerous." Alenya objected. "He'll sense us. He'll-"

"He won't," Kael interrupted, his voice firm. "Not if we're careful."

Alenya looked into his deep eyes. He was serious. He was really going to do this. And part of her wanted to follow him. Part of her wanted to be brave, to face Drenyar head-on, to find out the truth and end this nightmare once and for all. But the other part of her, the part that had spent years running, hiding, surviving, believed that this was madness.

Before she could voice her doubts, Kael stepped closer, his unwavering gaze softening just enough to make her heart skip a beat.

"I need you with me, Alenya," he said quietly. "You're the only one who can understand what Drenyar's after. Your magic, your connection to the earth, it's tied to something deeper than we realise. And if we're going to stop him, we need to know what that is."

Alenya felt a lump rise in her throat. She had spent so long fearing her magic, fearing what it could do, that she had never thought of it as anything more than a burden. But now, standing here with Kael, with Drenyar's shadow looming over them, she realised that her magic might be the key to everything. The key to defeating Drenyar. The key to defeating the king. The key to surviving.

But it also made her a target. And that terrified her more than anything.

Still, she nodded, her voice steady despite the fear clawing at her insides. "Okay."

Kael's eyes softened, and for a moment, she saw his features relax with relief. He nodded once, then turned toward the forest. "We'll circle back and find a spot to watch from a distance. We can't get too close, but we need to see what he's doing."

Alenya followed him, her pulse thumping in her temples as they moved carefully through the trees. The silence of the forest weighed heavily on them, and every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves set her nerves on edge. It didn't take long for them to make their way back towards the camp, though this time, they stayed hidden within the cover of the trees, moving as quietly as possible. Alenya's heart raced with each step, her senses heightened, her magic dancing in her blood.

Kael stopped abruptly, motioning for her to crouch beside him. They had found a vantage point, hidden behind a thick patch of underbrush, just far enough from the camp to remain unseen but close enough to observe Drenyar.

Alenya peered through the leaves, her breath catching in her throat as she saw the flickering firelight and the dark, cloaked figures gathered around it. But it wasn't the figures that held her attention, it was what lay in the centre of the camp.

A stone altar.

The sight of it sent a shiver down her spine. The altar was carved with intricate symbols, glowing faintly in the firelight, and atop it was a large, jagged crystal that pulsed with an eerie, unnatural light. Alenya had never seen anything like it before, but her magic reacted to its presence instantly. The pull of the crystal was undeniable, and she could feel the energy radiating from it, dark and twisted.

Drenyar stood near the altar, his hands raised, muttering something in a language Alenya didn't recognise. The other figures knelt before him, their faces obscured by their hoods, their bodies still and silent.

Alenya's chest tightened, her eyes locked on the crystal. She could feel her magic stirring, reacting to the presence of the altar and whatever dark energy was tied to it. The air around them was viscous with power.

"What is that?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Kael's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he watched Drenyar. "I don't know. But it's tied to him. To his power."

Alenya couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment. "If only you knew," she blurted. Kael shot her a quick, ambiguous glance and returned his gaze towards the clearing. The crystal was pulsating, drawing on the energy around it, and she could feel its pull in her very bones. Her magic hummed rhythmically in response, as if it recognized the power before them.

Drenyar continued his ritual, his voice rising and falling in foreign chants, his hands moving in deliberate motions over the altar. The air around him shimmered with dark energy, and the crystal's glow grew brighter, more intense.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Alenya's feet trembled, and her breath caught in her throat. The earth was responding to Drenyar's magic, just as it had responded to hers. She could feel it, the same power she had used to control the land, the same force that had flowed through her veins when she fought the Shadowspawn. It was all connected.

"He's trying to tap into the old magic," Kael muttered, his voice low. "The Verdant bloodline. That's why he needs you. He thinks you're the key."

Alenya's heart pounded in her chest as the pieces started to fall into place. Drenyar wasn't just after her because of her magic, he was after the source of it, the ancient power that had been tied to her bloodline for centuries.

And he was using the altar to find it.

Before she could fully process the weight of this revelation, Drenyar's voice suddenly rose to a deafening pitch, and the crystal on the altar flared with a blinding light. Alenya gasped, her magic surging in response, and she instinctively grabbed Kael's arm, her heart racing with fear.

"We need to get out of here," she whispered urgently. "Now."

Kael nodded, his expression grim, and they both slowly backed away. Alenya's magic boiled with volatility beneath her skin, reacting to the power of the altar, and she could feel it pulling at her, calling her back. She felt drawn to it, but her conscious mind knew better.

Whatever dark magic he was summoning, it was too dangerous.

As they retreated into the shadows, Alenya cast one last glance at the camp. The image of the glowing stone altar burned in her mind, Drenyar's chants playing repetitively in her ears.