Elixir’s POVThe air felt heavy with an unspoken tension as I stared at the faintly glowing rune carved into my wrist. Its silver hue pulsed gently, like a heartbeat tied to something far beyond my understanding. Despite the comforting warmth it brought, my instincts whispered that something was wrong.“Elixir, are you okay?” Lucian asked. His dark eyes studied mine. I could hear the uncertainty in his voice. That wasn’t like him and it made my stomach churn more.“I’m fine,” I said, forcing a smile. It was weak. Deep down, I knew I wasn’t fine. The ceremony felt unfinished. We had opened a door meant to stay closed.We were all gathered around a big oak table in the dim war room. Maps and old scrolls were spread out, lit by candlelight. Shadows flickered on the walls, making the place feel tight and small.“The seer’s prophecy didn’t prepare us for… this,” Ewen muttered, his fingers tapping an uneven rhythm against the table’s edge. His usual calm demeanor seemed fractured, a rare cr
Elixir’s POVThe icy air clung to my skin as we returned to the house, silence stretching like a taut thread between us. Every step felt heavier, my mind swirling with the cryptic message whispered by the shadows: “Beware the false bond. The true queen has yet to rise.”What did it mean? The bond, the prophecy, my place in all of this felt like a cruel game, one I didn’t know the rules to. As we stepped into the dimly lit war room, Lucian was the first to speak. His sharp voice cut through the stillness: “We need answers now.” Soren’s usual calm was fraying at the edges. “From who? The seer? She’s as cryptic as the shadows themselves.” Ewen crossed his arms, his jaw tight. “We’re not going to find answers by snapping at each other.” I stayed silent, my fingers brushing the faintly glowing rune on my wrist. It pulsed softly, a quiet reminder of the bond that now felt more like a chain. My gaze flickered to Lucian. “You’ve been keeping things from me. What else do you know?” L
Elixir’s POVAs I took an awkward step forward, the world around me appeared to blur. My breath caught in my throat. The truth had been directly in front of me, but it had stayed elusive—obscured by veils of half-truths and secrets. Now, in the thick of it all, I couldn't tell if I was more betrayed or afraid.The room was eerily silent except for the faint hum of the wind against the windows. Soren’s expression was unreadable, but there was tension in his clenched jaw, a crack in his usually calm exterior. Ewen stood off to the side, his fists curled tightly, his knuckles white. And Lucian... his eyes burned with an intensity that made it hard to meet his gaze.“Elixir,” Lucian said, his voice low and controlled, but I could hear the tremor beneath it. “You need to trust us.”“Trust you?” I repeated, my voice sharper than I intended. “How can I trust you when every step forward feels like falling into a trap I didn’t see coming?”Lucian took a step closer, and I instinctively backed
Elixir’s POVThe silence that followed the seer’s words was deafening, as if the world held its breath alongside me. My knees felt weak, my chest tight, and the weight of a thousand unanswered questions bore down on me. I could hear the muffled sounds of chaos outside—distant shouts, the snapping of branches—but inside this room, it was just us. The seer’s piercing gaze remained fixed on me. “Elixir, you must decide now. The longer you wait, the more dangerous it becomes.” Decide. The word reverberated in my mind like a mocking echo. What was I supposed to decide? Every choice seemed shrouded in mystery, like walking a tightrope in the dark. “I can’t choose if I don’t even know what’s happening!” My voice cracked, frustration and fear pouring out like a dam breaking. “You’re asking me to trust you, to trust all of you, but how can I when I don’t even understand what’s at stake?” The seer didn’t flinch, her expression calm but unreadable. “You already know, deep down. It’s not
Elixir’s POVEverywhere was still heavy with the scent of burnt wood and ash, remnants of the shadows that had retreated moments ago. My knees wobbled as the adrenaline drained from my body, leaving me feeling raw and exposed. The fire that had roared within me moments ago had dimmed to an ember, but it was still there, flickering quietly in my chest. The seer approached me, her gray eyes almost translucent under the faint moonlight filtering through the cracked windows. “You did well, Elixir,” she said, her voice softer now, tinged with something that almost felt like pride. I wanted to believe her, to take some comfort in her words, but the weight of what had just happened—and what was yet to come—pressed down on me like an iron shroud. “What happens now?” I asked, my voice hardly above a whisper. Lucian stepped closer, his presence steady and commanding as always. “Now, we prepare for the next attack. The darkness isn’t gone—it’s only retreating, regrouping. It’ll come back s
Elixir's POV“Elixir…”The voice came from everywhere and nowhere. It was a whisper that curled around my name like a chill. I shot up, my body stiff, even with Lucian’s jacket over my shoulders. The others were still there, looking tired. But they didn’t hear it.“Elixir…”It came again, softer this time but clear. A shiver ran down my spine. “Did you hear that?” I asked, breaking the silence in the room.Lucian looked at me, his eyes sharp. “Hear what?”“The voice.”“What voice?” Soren asked, stepping closer, eyebrows knitting.“It’s calling my name,” I replied, looking at each of them. “It’s faint, but it’s there.”Ewen stood up straight, scanning the room. “Are you sure?”“Of course, I’m sure!” I snapped, frustrated. “I’m not making this up.”The seer’s calm voice broke through. “She’s not lying. The darkness has started to whisper. It knows it can’t reach her with force, so it will try through her mind.”A cold feeling settled in my stomach. “What does that mean?”“It means it’s
Elixir’s POVDarkness clung to my skin like a second ghost. My chest heaved as I stepped through the archway, my mind still echoing with the last words of the appearance. "You will fail them too." The weight of it pressed into my bones, but I couldn’t let it take root. Not now. Not when this was only the beginning. Lucian’s warm hand was still wrapped around mine, grounding me in the present. His grip was firm but not crushing like he was holding on just as much as I was. I squeezed back, letting the warmth spread through my fingers. "Are you okay?" Soren’s voice was cautious, but there was something deeper behind it—concern, maybe. Or fear. I nodded, but the movement felt mechanical. "Yeah. I think so." The seer studied me, her silver eyes catching the faint glow of the runes behind me. “It tried to break you.” I swallowed hard. “It almost did.” Ewen exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. "We should keep moving. This place is unpredictable. The longer we linger
Elixir's POVA chilling stillness settled over the clearing. My breath was lodged in my throat, my muscles frozen in place as I stared at the impossible—myself standing just feet away, yet so fundamentally wrong.This other me had black eyes. They had no warmth. No hint of humanity. Just a deep, dark void.Lucian was the first to react, his stance shifting, a quiet growl rumbling from his chest. Soren’s fingers twitched toward the dagger at his belt. Even Ewen, usually unshaken, had his hand poised near the hilt of his sword.But the seer's face showed nothing.I swallowed hard. What… are you?My mirror image tilted her head, her lips curving into an eerie smile. "Isn't it obvious?" Her voice—my voice—sent a bolt of nausea through me. "I'm the path you left behind."Lucian’s jaw clenched. "If that were true, you wouldn’t be standing here."The thing that looked like me gave a slow, deliberate blink. “Wouldn’t I?”The air around us thickened. The wind stopped. Even the trees, their br
Elixir's POVThe air got really cold. I touched Lucian's hand. But just as I grabbed his wrist, that old, decayed hand pulled him into the darkness.“No!” I screamed, my voice echoing in the crumbling room. I lunged forward, but the darkness swallowed him whole. The walls around me twisted, like they were alive and eating my hope. The floor cracked beneath me.Lucian was gone.Soren and Ewen struggled to keep their balance on the shifting ground. The whole temple shook, like a big animal waking up. When Veylan disappeared, it felt like the place was deciding our fate.“Where is he?” Ewen shouted, panic in his voice. “Where the hell is Lucian?”I had no answer. My hands shook, stretching out to where he used to be. I knew something dark was watching me. I could almost feel it lurking.“We need to go!” Soren cursed. “Before this place crushes us!”The temple groaned, the floor splitting wider. My heart raced. I wanted to jump into the dark and save Lucian, but Soren pulled me back.“Eli
Elixir’s POVThe ground opened up beneath me.One second, I was running. The next, I was falling into a dark pit. I barely had time to scream before the air rushed past me. I gasped for breath. I clawed at nothing, hoping for something to grab. But there was nothing. No ledge, no rope, no helping hands. Just empty darkness.The wind howled around me. Or was it something else? It felt alive, sliding through my hair and chilling my skin. It seemed to know who I was. It called my name in a mix of voices that wasn’t mine.I twisted in the air, heart racing and stomach churning. How long was I falling? Seconds? Minutes? Time felt strange, twisting around me.Then I hit something.It wasn’t the hard landing I expected. Instead, I landed on something soft. It felt like sinking into thick mud. I gasped, forcing my body to move.My hands pressed into the surface. It was warm and pulsing.I jerked my hands back. Panic shot through me.This wasn’t stone or dirt. This was flesh.The thought mad
Lucian's POVLucian stood still. The darkness below stirred with each breath Elixir took. It felt like an old friend to her, wrapping around her like a loyal pet waiting for a command. His hands turned into fists. This felt wrong. Elixir had always been strong, but this- this was unnatural.Veylan thrashed against the shadowy tendrils holding him. He was halfway lost in the nothingness. His screams turned into something growly and animal-like. Every struggle made the shadows squeeze tighter, pulling away his life. The air was thick and heavy, almost like it was alive. “Elixir,” Lucian called, keeping his voice steady. “Let go.” Nothing happened. Her eyes, once filled with fire and defiance, now held an emptiness that sent a shiver down his spine. The glow around her hands pulsed, growing stronger, as if the abyss recognized her. As if it welcomed her.“Elixir,” he tried again, stepping closer. She took a slow breath, and the tendrils around Veylan squeezed tighter. A hor
Elixir’s POV The world imploded. Stone crumbled. The walls that once caged us turned to dust, sucked into the gaping void beyond. A force- ravenous, all-consuming- ripped through the ruins, swallowing the torches, the air, the very fabric of reality. I tumbled backward, my body weightless, plummeting into a darkness so absolute it devoured my breath. My scream never left my throat. Then- impact. A shockwave tore through me as I crashed onto an unseen surface. But it wasn’t stone. It wasn’t solid. It pulsed beneath me, a sick, shifting mass. Lucian landed beside me, his sword already drawn, his eyes scanning. Ewen and Soren weren’t here. Just the two of us. The space around us was vast yet suffocating, shifting in unnatural ways. Faint pulses of red light flickered in the air, illuminating the truth. We were standing on something alive. My stomach twisted. The ground beneath us slithered, a thick, pulsating mass of flesh and bone, stitched together by sinew. Faces
Elixir’s POVThe walls creaked like they were alive. The old stone pressed around us, closing in. The air smelled rotten, thick enough to choke on with every shallow breath.I forced myself up, pressing my palm against the icy floor. My ribs hurt, and my mind fogged. I couldn’t break down now.Lucian stood a few feet away, sword ready, eyes fixed on the empty hallway. It looked empty, but it felt anything but.Veylan’s presence hung in the air, tightening around us like a noose.Ewen wiped blood from his forehead. “Tell me we’re not trapped.”Lucian didn’t say anything.Soren looked at me, his eyes sharp. “Elixir, you sensed it first. Does he have control here?”I swallowed hard. “Not just control. This place bends to him. He isn't just in the temple; he is the temple.”Lucian straightened. “Then we burn it down.”I wanted to believe it could be that simple. Destroy the place and watch Veylan’s hold crumble.But the temple was alive. It was tied to Veylan in ways we didn’t get.Ewen’s
Lucian’s POV The darkness was unbearable. Not the kind where your eyes adjusted, where shadows took shape, and flickering torchlight could carve through the black. This was something else. Something alive. A suffocating void that swallowed even the thought of escape. I couldn’t see Elixir. Couldn’t hear Soren or Ewen. But I felt him. Veylan. His presence seeped into the air, thick and cloying, curling like smoke in my lungs. The laughter from before had stopped. Now, only silence remained. A silence that pressed in on all sides, so heavy it felt like the temple itself had closed its mouth around us. Then- A whisper. Low, right at my ear. "You should have buried me deeper." Ice shot through my veins. My grip on my sword tightened, the leather-wrapped hilt digging into my palm. My body screamed at me to move, to strike, but there was nothing to strike. Another whisper. "You think your blade can stop me?" This time, I felt breath against my skin. I swung. Th
Lucian’s POVIt was dark. Really dark. I could barely remember what light felt like. My breaths were slow. My grip on my sword was strong. But I felt fear knotting in my stomach. We weren’t just stuck. We were trapped.“Elixir,” I whispered. My voice vanished into the silence. No reply. Panic squeezed my chest. I reached out, but all I felt was cold air. “Elixir!” I called again, louder this time.Still nothing.Then I heard a whisper. But it wasn’t hers.“She's listening, Lucian.”The voice slipped through the darkness. It felt old and wrong. It was Veylan.The air shifted. I felt a breeze that shouldn’t be there. It grew stronger, wrapping around me. Then I heard it- a slow, dragging footstep. Another one followed.I turned fast, raising my sword, but there was nothing. The footsteps came from something else. Something that was watching me.The darkness shifted. A shape moved, slow and careful. It didn’t step out, it came apart from the dark. Then I saw him.Veylan.He looked like h
Lucian’s POV The name still echoed in my mind. Veylan. It wasn’t possible. It shouldn’t have been possible. Yet Elixir had seen him. Heard him. And that meant we were standing at the edge of something far worse than we had imagined. We moved quickly through the crumbling temple ruins, our steps echoing in the eerie silence. The torches lining the walls flickered as though disturbed by an unseen force, casting long, twisting shadows that stretched unnaturally across the ground. I kept Elixir close, my hand hovering near the blade at my hip. She was silent now, her expression unreadable. But I could see the tension in her jaw, the way her fingers curled into fists at her sides. She was unraveling. “Elixir,” I said quietly, slowing my pace just enough to walk beside her. “Talk to me.” She didn’t look at me. “There’s nothing to say.” I exhaled sharply. “You just told us that a *dead man* is alive. A man we buried. A man who shouldn’t even exist anymore. That’s not noth
Elixir’s POVI couldn’t believe I said it. My breath seized as the name left my lips, barely louder, yet it carried the weight of a thousand nightmares, suffocating, and undeniable.Veylan.I instantly regretted it. Saying his name felt like waking something that should have stayed asleep.It felt like breathing life into something long buried- something that should have stayed beneath the earth. Lucian gripped my arm tightly. His eyes were sharp, full of disbelief. There was something else, too- something dark.“Say it again,” he said, his voice calm but urgent.I shook my head. No way I could say it again.I felt exposed. My mind was stuck in a terrible memory. It wasn’t just some bad dream. I had been there, frozen in place, hearing those awful words.“You were never meant to survive.”The air around me felt thick. It pressed down on my chest, making it hard to breathe. The walls felt like they were closing in, the torches throwing crazy shadows- no, they weren’t shadows. They we