Bab 8: Chapter 8 : The Road Ahead
The dust had settled. The dragon was gone—vanquished, reduced to ash by Elara's final spell, but the weight of the battle hung heavily in the air. Their bodies ached from the battle, their breaths ragged, yet neither spoke. They simply stood in the eerie silence, the only sound being the distant echo of their footsteps on the stone.
Dorian glanced at Elara, who was leaning against a pillar, her hands trembling from the effort of using the relic. Her normally calm and collected demeanor was replaced by exhaustion. He noticed the faint traces of grief in her eyes, though she quickly masked it.
"We should move," Dorian suggested, his voice quieter than usual. "That was too easy. Something's not right."
Elara nodded, pulling herself together. She pushed her exhaustion aside and straightened. "Agreed. We've only scratched the surface of what this place holds."
They turned away from the chamber and began walking down a narrow corridor. The walls were adorned with faded carvings that seemed to shift and change as they moved, telling stories of ancient battles and long-forgotten sorcery. The further they went, the darker and colder it became, the air thick with an unsettling presence.
As they walked, the tension between them grew. Both of them were aware that the battle was only a prelude to something far darker, but neither had spoken of it yet.
Finally, after a long silence, Elara broke it. "Dorian," she said softly, her voice filled with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. "I've been meaning to ask… What was it that made you so reckless back there? You didn't hesitate when we attacked the dragon."
Dorian's steps faltered slightly, but he didn't stop. He looked ahead, his eyes scanning the dark passage as if searching for something hidden in the shadows.
"It's not just the dragon," he said, his voice low. "It's everything that's happened. The loss, the betrayals… it all comes back to me in moments like this. I do what I must to survive."
Elara glanced at him, sensing the deeper meaning in his words. "Loss?" she asked gently. "What do you mean?"
Dorian's jaw clenched, and for a moment, his gaze softened. He didn't speak immediately, but the weight of his silence was enough to answer her. He wasn't just referring to the dragon; there was something else, something personal.
"Not everyone survives this journey," he said quietly. "I've lost people before. My parents... they died when I was young."
Elara's heart tightened at his words, but she didn't interrupt. She had heard of his past, the tragedy that had shaped him, but hearing him speak of it brought new depth to her understanding of him.
"They were taken," Dorian continued, his voice thick with emotion. "A witch, or something worse—my mother was a healer, but she knew magic. My father... well, he wasn't one for spells. He loved my mother enough to stand by her, even when it meant facing enemies he couldn't fight. They were good people, Elara. They didn't deserve what happened."
He paused as they walked, the shadows growing longer with each step.
"They were killed by a creature... a ghostly figure. A curse, or a demon. My mother tried to shield me, but... she was too late." His voice trailed off, the anger and grief from that long-buried memory surfacing.
Elara reached out, touching his arm gently. "Dorian, I didn't know."
"I never wanted you to," he replied, his voice hardening. "It's not something I like to talk about."
They continued walking in silence for a few moments, each absorbed in their own thoughts. But before long, something else caught their attention. A low, whispering sound seemed to come from nowhere, drifting on the cold air like a taunting breath. Elara stopped abruptly, her eyes narrowing as she scanned their surroundings.
"What is that?" she murmured.
Suddenly, a dark figure appeared before them, stepping out from the shadows. The air turned bitter cold, and Dorian instinctively stepped in front of Elara, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. The figure was tall and gaunt, with hollow eyes and an eerie presence that made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up.
"Another one," Dorian whispered, recognizing the supernatural aura around the figure. "It's a spirit."
The figure raised its hands, and with a cold, mocking laugh, it spoke in a voice that sounded like the wind itself.
"Lost souls wander this place," it said, its voice echoing unnervingly. "You are not the first to be fooled by this labyrinth, nor will you be the last."
Dorian's heart skipped a beat. He had heard of spirits that haunted these ancient places, but nothing had prepared him for the chilling presence that this one brought.
The figure's form began to shift, growing more solid, taking the shape of a female ghost—her face twisted with malice.
"I can see your sorrow, boy," she whispered, her eyes locking with Dorian's. "You think you can escape the past, but it never truly leaves. You carry it with you, like a shadow."
Elara stepped forward, her voice firm. "We don't have time for your games, spirit. What do you want?"
The spirit's lips curled into a smile, but it wasn't a comforting one. "I do not need your time, sorceress. But I will take his."
Before they could react, the spirit lunged at Dorian, her form becoming a blur of darkness. Elara raised her hand, summoning a shield of light, but the spirit was faster. She gripped Dorian by the arm, pulling him toward the shadows.
"Help!" Dorian shouted, his voice laced with panic.
Elara hurled a bolt of magic at the spirit, but it was absorbed into the darkness surrounding the ghost. The more she struggled, the stronger the force became.
"Dorian!" Elara cried, but before she could act, the spirit whispered a final, chilling word: "Leave him."
In a sudden flash, the spirit vanished, taking Dorian with her.
The Journey
Elara stood alone in the corridor, her breath coming fast and shallow. She had no choice but to follow, to find him. The labyrinth twisted around her, the walls now closing in, their oppressive presence all but smothering her.
Her eyes glinted with determination. She couldn't afford to waste time. She would find Dorian. No matter what.
As she advanced deeper into the labyrinth, she came across an unexpected sight: a shadowed figure, a horse-like creature with glowing, molten eyes. It stood at the end of the passage, its sleek black coat glistening in the dim light.
It stepped forward, its hooves echoing on the stone. But this wasn't just any horse—it was the very thing Dorian had spoken of, a creature that had once belonged to his mother.
"Who are you?" Elara asked, her voice steady but curious.
The creature looked at her with deep, knowing eyes. Then, to her shock, it spoke.
"I am the horse of a forgotten past," it said, its voice ancient and rumbling. "The one who carried your friend's mother before her death. The one who saw everything that transpired."
Elara's heart skipped. She stepped forward, eyes narrowed, and demanded, "What happened to Dorian's parents?"
The horse's gaze darkened, and it spoke again, this time with a tone filled with sorrow and knowledge.
"His mother, a witch of great power, loved a man who was not a mage. She protected him from the creatures of the dark, but in the end, they were betrayed. A woman, a creature—she came to kill him, to wipe them all out. His mother fought back, using her magic to protect her son. But her shield broke. The witch, a cursed soul, destroyed everything. Dorian's father—he died in her grasp."
Elara listened, stunned, as the horse continued to reveal the painful history that Dorian had buried deep within his soul.
The Betrayal
Dorian's parents had met under unusual circumstances. His mother, a powerful witch, had been part of a coven known for their healing abilities. His father had been a common man, a merchant with a kind heart who had once saved her life during an ambush. From that day, their lives had intertwined, love blossoming in the most unexpected of places.
They had married, living a peaceful life in the woods, far from the dangers of magic and warfare. Then, Dorian was born, a child of love between a witch and a non-magical man. But that peace was shattered when the spirit, a cursed creature with a twisted vendetta, had come to claim the child.
The creature was a reflection of the darker side of magic, a being consumed by jealousy and greed, determined to destroy anything that threatened its dominion. It had slaughtered Dorian's parents, leaving only the aftermath of destruction and grief in its wake.
When Dorian's mother had died, her magic had shielded him, but at a terrible cost.
The Vow
As Elara learned these details, she felt the weight of....
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Waqar_Ahmed_3614
Waqar_Ahmed_3614 With every passing moment, the tension between Dorian and Elara only deepened. They knew their survival depended not just on their strength, but on their ability to outsmart the monstrous forces hunting them. What awaited them in the next chamber? One thing was certain: their journey was far from over, and the real test was just beginning."
This keeps the action flowing and hints at future challenges, enticing the reader to look forward to the next chapter. :)
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone