Capítulo 15: Chapter 14: The Cloaked Stranger
The forest was unnervingly silent. Only the occasional rustling of leaves and the crack of a twig underfoot broke the stillness. Alina and the others moved cautiously, their senses heightened by the growing tension. The earlier encounter with the Wraiths had left them shaken, their nerves frayed.
"We need to keep moving," Lorian said, his voice steady despite the anxiety he clearly felt. He held the Orb tightly, its faint glow providing a small beacon of light in the encroaching darkness.
"I'm not sure we're alone anymore," Fenrir muttered, sniffing the air. His golden eyes glinted as he scanned their surroundings. "Something's following us."
Before anyone could respond, a figure stepped out from the shadows. Cloaked in black, the stranger appeared almost as if the darkness itself had given him form. His face was obscured, but his presence was undeniable—a mix of power and danger that made everyone freeze.
The man's voice cut through the silence, deep and melodic, yet laced with menace. "Well, well. What an interesting group we have here."
Alina's heart raced. She instinctively stepped closer to Ariel, who flared her wings slightly in a protective gesture. Selene, however, stepped forward, her hand already on the hilt of her dagger.
"Who are you?" Selene demanded, her crimson eyes narrowing. "And why are you here?"
The man tilted his head slightly, as if amused by the question. "You may call me Kael," he said. His voice carried an eerie calm. "And as for why I'm here… Let's just say I've been keeping an eye on you."
"That's not an answer," Lorian said, stepping beside Selene with his sword drawn. "Are you with the Coven?"
Kael chuckled softly, the sound like the distant roll of thunder. "The Coven? No. I have no love for them. But I also have no love for heroes who don't understand the game they're playing."
The group exchanged uneasy glances. Fenrir growled low in his throat, his muscles tense. "I don't trust him," he said. "He smells… wrong."
"Smells?" Kael repeated, his tone light and mocking. "How delightful. A wolf with an opinion."
"Enough games," Ariel said, her wings glowing faintly as she stepped forward. "If you're not with the Coven, then why are you here? What do you want?"
Kael's crimson eyes glinted from beneath his hood. "What I want," he said slowly, "is to see how this plays out. You're all pieces on a very large board, and I find it fascinating to watch how you move."
Selene's grip on her dagger tightened. "We're not pawns."
"Not yet," Kael replied, his smile barely visible in the dim light. "But that remains to be seen."
A sudden screech echoed through the forest, sharp and unnatural. Everyone turned toward the sound, their weapons drawn. From the shadows emerged a group of Wraiths, their skeletal forms illuminated by an eerie green glow.
"They found us," Fenrir snarled, stepping in front of Alina protectively.
Kael sighed, as if disappointed. "And here I thought we'd have more time to talk."
"Is this your doing?" Lorian demanded, pointing his sword at Kael.
Kael raised his hands in mock surrender. "I'm not the one who led them here, knight. That honor belongs to you and your little Orb."
"Enough," Selene snapped. "We don't have time for this. Either fight with us or stay out of our way."
Kael smiled, a dangerous curve of his lips. "Very well. Consider this a gesture of goodwill."
He extended one hand, and the shadows around him began to writhe and twist. They surged forward like living entities, engulfing the Wraiths in an impenetrable wall of darkness. The creatures screamed and thrashed, but they couldn't escape.
"What… is that?" Alina whispered, her eyes wide.
"Shadow magic," Selene said grimly. "Rare and highly dangerous."
Kael lowered his hand, the shadows receding back into him. "There," he said casually. "That should buy us some time. Now, shall we move on?"
Lorian hesitated, his gaze flickering between Kael and the forest. "Why should we trust you?"
"You shouldn't," Kael said simply. "But trust is irrelevant. Survival, on the other hand, is something we all value."
"Lorian," Ariel said quietly, her voice laced with urgency. "We don't have much of a choice. If we stay here, more will come."
Reluctantly, Lorian nodded. "Fine. Lead the way, but if you try anything—"
"Yes, yes," Kael interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. "You'll run me through with your sword. I've heard it all before."
Kael led them deeper into the forest, the path seemingly unfolding before him as though the trees themselves obeyed his will. Alina couldn't shake the unease that settled in her chest. There was something about Kael—something she couldn't define—that both frightened and intrigued her.
"Stay close," Ariel whispered, her wings brushing against Alina's shoulder. "We don't know where he's taking us."
Alina nodded, her eyes darting nervously around the darkened forest. She felt a strange pull toward Kael, as if his very presence demanded attention. It wasn't attraction—it was something deeper, more unsettling.
Finally, they emerged into a clearing dominated by an ancient stone structure. The air here felt different—charged with energy and yet strangely calm. Runes glowed faintly on the stones, their patterns intricate and mesmerizing.
"What is this place?" Alina asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"A sanctuary," Kael replied. "One of the few that remain. You'll be safe here… for now."
The group stepped inside cautiously, their weariness evident. Ariel immediately began tending to the injured boy, while Fenrir took up a position near the entrance, his sharp eyes scanning for threats.
Lorian placed the Orb on a stone pedestal in the center of the shrine. Its glow intensified, resonating with the runes around it.
"This place feels… alive," Selene said, her crimson eyes studying the carvings on the walls.
"It should," Kael said. "It's a remnant of the old world, built by those who understood the balance of power. A safe haven for those in need."
"And why are you helping us?" Lorian asked, his tone wary.
Kael smiled faintly. "Because I have my own reasons. Let's leave it at that."
As the group settled, Alina found herself drawn to the Orb. Its glow seemed almost hypnotic, pulling her closer. She reached out a hand, but before she could touch it, Kael's voice stopped her.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
She turned to see him watching her, his crimson eyes unreadable. "Why not?" she asked.
"Because the Orb is more than just a trinket," he said. "It has a will of its own. Touching it could… change you."
Alina pulled her hand back, her curiosity tempered by his warning. She glanced at Lorian, who sat nearby, his expression thoughtful.
"Do you think we'll ever find peace?" she asked softly.
Lorian didn't answer immediately. "I think peace is something we fight for, not something we find."
Kael's smile returned, but it was tinged with sadness. "Wise words, knight. Let's hope they're enough."
Kael stepped back into the shadows, his figure disappearing as the runes' glow flickers. The sanctuary might be safe, but the group knows their journey is far from over.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
Michael_The_Entity
Michael_The_Entity Kael seems mysterious, What do you think?
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