Capítulo 5: Unveiled

Alenya's heart pounded in her chest as the echoes of her magic settled into the earth. The hunter lay immobilised, bound by the tendrils of earth she had summoned in an instant of panic. Her pulse continued to thrum with the power that she had just unleashed, and for a brief, fleeting moment, she felt like she was in control. She felt like she could protect herself. She felt less vulnerable. I can finally defend myself now, she thought briefly, until the reality sunk in.

Kael stood before her, frozen in shock, his eyes locked firmly onto her. She had exposed herself. Revealed exactly what she was. That too in front of the single person she had really cared to hide it from.

Kael's sword was still raised, but his stance had shifted, his body tensed as if ready for something far worse than a hunter. His eyes flickered between her and the writhing ground where her magic had taken hold. She saw the understanding dawn in his gaze, followed quickly by suspicion, or maybe even fear.

For a long, agonising moment, neither of them spoke. The wind whistled through the narrow canyon, carrying with it the soft groans of the earth as it shifted beneath the hunter's body. Alenya's breath was shallow, her hands still trembling from the release of her power.

"Who are you?" Kael's hoarse voice was the first to break the silence. The question hit her harder than any blade. Of course she has expected it. She knew it was inevitable once her magic had slipped, but hearing it from him, hearing the edge in his voice…it struck her differently.

She forced herself to meet his gaze. "I'm the same person I was five minutes ago."

Kael's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. "The same person? The same person who just controlled the earth with a flick of her wrist? The same person who's been running from the king's men?"

Alenya swallowed hard. There was no point in denying it now. He had seen too much. But telling him the full truth? That felt like stepping off a cliff into unknown waters. She wasn't ready for that. Not yet.

"I'm a Verdant," she said finally, her voice quiet but firm. "A descendant of the old bloodline. What you saw was my magic. It is who I am."

Kael's eyes darkened, the tension between them growing thicker by the second. His sword hand remained steady, but his gaze was filled with something she couldn't quite read, something deeper than surface level shock or suspicion. His eyes were calculating, like he was weighing her words against something he already knew.

He lowered his sword slightly but didn't sheath it. "A Verdant," he repeated, his tone laced with disbelief. "You're one of the last."

Alenya nodded, her heart racing. She knew what he was thinking, knew what came next.

"And the king's men are hunting you because of it," Kael said, more a statement than a question. His voice was cold, emotionless.

"Yes," Alenya confirmed, her throat tightening. "Because they fear what I am. What I could do."

For a moment, Kael was silent, his intimidating eyes never leaving her attentive ones. The wind tugged at his cloak, and the hunter on the ground let out a soft groan, still trapped by the magic that had woven through the earth. Kael didn't seem to notice any of it. His unwavering gaze was fixated on her, and she felt its weight pressing down on her like a quill on a scroll.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly, his voice strained.

Alenya blinked, taken aback by the question. "Why would I? I don't even know you. Why should I have trusted you with something like that?"

Kael's jaw clenched, then relaxed. "You're right. You shouldn't have."

He sheathed his sword, his movements slow and deliberate, but the tension in his body remained. Alenya watched him closely, unsure of what came next. His calm demeanour only made her feel more uneasy.

Kael crouched beside the hunter, his hands moving quickly to secure the prisoner. His eyes flickered over the makeshift bonds she had created with her magic, and he shot her a glance that was half-impressed, half-wary.

"Useful," he muttered under his breath. Alenya couldn't decipher whether he was praising her or condemning her. She didn't respond. She had no idea what Kael was thinking, and disliked her state of vulnerability. Her magic was a part of her, but now that it was out in the open, she felt more exposed than ever.

The hunter groaned again, his head rolling back as he struggled against the binds. Kael leaned closer, his voice low and dangerous. "Who sent you?"

The hunter's lips curled in a snarl. "You know who," he spat.

Kael's expression darkened, and he tightened his grip on the man's collar. "I want a name."

The hunter's eyes flickered toward Alenya, his gaze filled with venom. "You think she's the only one running? You think you're safe?"

Before Kael could react, the hunter's body jerked violently, his limbs spasming as if struck by some unseen force. Alenya's magic flickered at her fingertips, instinctively reacting to the sudden surge of danger, but before she could react, the hunter let out a gurgle, and his body went limp.

Kael cursed under his breath, releasing the man's collar. "Damn it."

Alenya took a step closer, her eyes wide. "What just happened?"

"Poison," Kael answered grimly. "They send these men with poison capsules. If they think they've failed their mission, they take their own lives before giving up information."

Alenya's stomach churned. "He was willing to die to capture me?"

"Capture?" Kael gave her a dark look. "No. That one was sent to kill."

Alenya's blood ran cold. She had known she was in danger, and had known that the hunters wanted her dead, but hearing the words spoken so plainly, seeing the result of it lying lifeless on the ground…made it all more real. They wouldn't stop until they found her. They would fight to have her dead.

Kael stood up, his face hard and unreadable. "We need to move. They'll send more."

Alenya's mind raced, her heart pounding in her chest. She had no idea how many more hunters were out there, or how close they were. She didn't realise how far she had come until now; how deeply she had let herself get dragged into this. Her attention turned to Kael.

His reactions were too swift, and he knew too much about the hunters' methods. The way he fought, and the way he handled the situation, wasn't ordinary. A regular man wouldn't have been capable of retaliating in such a manner. And now, with her magic exposed, she couldn't afford to trust him blindly. Yet, she had no choice.

"We can't go through the mountains," Kael decided. "It's too open, too exposed. We've got to avoid the main path." Alenya nodded, though her mind was spinning with questions. She had so many; about Kael, about the hunters, their relation, why he cared so much about her existence...but now wasn't the time. Right now, they needed to move fast.

Kael glanced at her, his eyes narrowing slightly as if gauging her response. "Are you ready?"

Ready? No. She wasn't ready for any of this, but nodded anyway. She had no other choice.

As they made their way deeper into the wilds, the tension between them remained thick, heavy with the weight of the elephant in the room. Alenya kept her distance from Kael, her mind churning over the events of the last few hours. Her secret was out now, and made her more vulnerable than ever.

Then there was Kael. He seemed to be in partial acceptance of her being. She recalled the flicker of suspicion in his eyes and the way his body had tensed when he realized what she was. She knew that whatever he was hiding was very important.

They moved quickly through the narrow paths, the dense trees and sturdy rocks closing in around them like watchful sentinels. The wind had picked up again, carrying with it the scent of petrichor and the distant roar of the sea.

Alenya glanced at Kael, watching the way his eyes scanned the horizon, and the way his hand was stationed close to his sword. He was always prepared, always ready for the next threat. She wondered if he had been expecting this all along.

"Kael," she said feebly, her voice barely audible over the wind. He didn't turn to look at her, but she noticed the slight perk of his ears, and could tell that he was listening. "Why are you doing this?"

Kael's steps faltered for a brief second, just enough for Alenya to notice. He was silent for a long moment before he spoke, his voice flat and controlled. "I told you. I'm looking for someone."

Alenya narrowed her eyes. "Who?"

Kael's gaze flickered toward her, his expression unreadable. "Someone dangerous," he repeated. Alenya's heart raced. "More dangerous than me?"

Kael didn't answer, but the look in his eyes told her enough.

Whoever he was looking for, it wasn't just a coincidence that their paths had crossed. And now, as they ventured deeper into the wilds, Alenya couldn't shake the feeling that Kael's secrets were just as dangerous as her own.