**************************Lena's POVThe further we travelled into the forest, the more the atmosphere appeared to shift. Despite the time of year, a chilly, sharp breeze snuck in. It seemed like the forest was aware of our destination and goals. Each tree and shadow appeared to surround us, murmuring about hidden dangers nearby. The heaviness of our mission burdened me as I continued walking, yet I refused to succumb to fear.I looked at Ethan, who was walking next to me with a determined silence. His hand sometimes moved towards the sword hilt on his belt, indicating his instincts were becoming more acute. I could feel his stress, his instinct to protect in full force. I was curious if he had doubts about our choice to depart early. We had spent days preparing, but did we adequately prepare? There was no going back at this point. Adrian was waiting for us out there, and every minute we postponed gave Zane more opportunity to strengthen his hold.The idea of Adrian being confined b
***********************Lena’s PoVAs we began to get close to Zane's fortress, the landscape began to change extremely. The trees were gradually thinned out. It was as if the deeper into the woods we got, the thinner the trees appeared, revealing unevenly cut twisted rocks that seemed to have been damaged by dark magic. I knew instantly that we were getting closer to this ominous darkness.The air became very heavy and suffocating. It was getting really hard to breathe. Each breath we took felt more. It was as if the magic itself was trying to choke us. My heart began to beat a lot faster than usual. My heightened senses told me that we were dangerously close to our goal.But I couldn't shake the feeling that we might also be entering into our doom and our end. As we continued onward, I noticed how the darkness that was around us had taken a new turn. It was like the quality had been enhanced or fortified,d or maybe more darkness had been added to it.It wasn't just lacking light, no
***************************Lena's POV "A witch's haunch?" I asked surprisingly "Yes, Lena, a witch's hunch", she repeated."What's Lena saying," Ethan asked "She says you might be right," I said "Really if that's the case then let us start moving there not enough time to waste Lena" he said "Okay let's go get Adrian "I felt a surge of fear and dread as we got closer to the Fortress; I was thinking about what Ethan and Lyla had said about Adrian's possible escape from Zane's hold. I was silently praying to the Moon goddess to make sure he wasn't caught again. The Fortress seemed to breathe in dark magic and breathe our dark magic as well and my stomach tumbled at the intensity of it. I could sense Zane's power at its peak here, here, but I could also sense something off about it. Its powers seemed to flicker at some point. I wondered if it was really because Adrian had escaped. Ethan was walking protectively in front of Me. The sight of him made me want to laugh, but I couldn'
************************Zane's POV "Adrian you can't hide from me forever, come out now and who knows I might just decide to be nicer to you this time around" I said out loud My minions and I had been searching and looking for him for a while now, but he was nowhere to be found. I could sense his presence was still around, but I could still tell Adrian was around here. As I continued to extend my magic through the shadows surrounding the fortress, I felt a sudden disturbance coming like a wave, and it caught my attention.I sensed a presence, something unfamiliar; it felt strong and distinctly opposite to the dark energy I wielded. At first,t I dismissed it,t thinking I might it might be the result of his overextended power. But the presence grows stronger, closer and more irritating, like a beacon of light trying to pierce through the heavy blanket of my dark magic.I paused, my thoughts shifting from Adrian to the new presence. As we focused on it, a realisation hit me: this is
*************************Zane's POV I continued to search for Adrian vehemently, not minding the presence of light.t I was feelin. Myy mind grew restless as Adrian's escape had jeopardised my entire pla.n I used my dark magic to track Adrian's energy trail,l and he seemed to be slipping away from my fingers, Moving unpredictably. Zane's frustration mounted as my fortress became a maze of shadow, and elusive traces continued to haunt Adrian. The unsettling presence of the light magic gnawed at me. The se station was becoming more stronger, more pronounced and impossible to ignore.What was once a faint glimmer was now becoming am irritating light. I decided to tighten my grip on the fortress, sending in more darkness. My dark magic was swelling in response to this foreign power that dares to approach. My thoughtsweret consumed by the sensation of light magic. I hadn't sensed such a force since the days I destroyed the last of the light-wielding lineage, the ones with the healing po
*************************Zane's POV I watched from my fortress as my minions spread out in search of Lena.an I was carefully checking and overseeing everywhere around the fortress that my dark magic covered.d I searched to see if I could spot the exact location of Lenaa Adrian and whoever she was withered. Despite my growing obsession, I knew patience was the only key. If I rushed into action, I might end up losing Lena's power or, worse,e allowing her to escape. I pondered over how best I could approach the coming battle. e I calculated every possible outcome. I shifted my strategy to ensure that I had prepared enough for anything that might want to take me unawares with Lena’s light magic and Adrian's eventual capture. Though I had sensed that her powers had not gotten to the stage where she could challenge me,e If there was one thing I had come to understand, it was never to underestimate anyone,e just as I have come to understand the hard way with Adrian. Despite my confiden
***********************Adrian's POV I stood at the entrance where the hole in the walls was, and the light was pouring through. I debated with myself whether it was truly a way I could go out of just some cheap tricks made by Zane. My heartbeat quickened as Zane's voice echoed louder, making me second-guess my decision. I reflected on how far I had come. I realised that I could not afford to hesitate anymore, especially knowing that Zane might be onto me. Despite the uncertainty I felt I tried to convince myself that the only way forward was through the light. But I still couldn't help the thought that this could also be a bad choice and a trap by Zane As I stepped into the I was momentarily blinded by the intensity. The shift from the dark corridors of the fortress to the brightness made me unsettled. My senses were on high alert, expecting an attack at any moment. I found myself in a vast chamber with high ceilings unlike anything, and for a brief moment, I dared to hope that th
*********************Adrian's POV I began to wonder how I was going to find Lena here in this tunnel. I was worried about Lena now. She was somewhere around there.e I didn't know where she was the thought that Lena might be in danger was killing me. I had a new resolve,e and it was to find Lena and make sure she was safe.I continued to move around, trying to find my w. ay, I was greatly controlling the urge to shout out her name just so I could probably get her location. I felt like maybe if she heard my voice, she might come in my direction.Just as I was going, I came across another minion; this time around, this minion was quite different from me. The last two he Was a vampire. Vampires are our sworn enemies right from the days of our ancestors, so apart from the dark magic controlling him m, he would definitely be someone who would want me dead.I could feel the tension in the air as he strolled closer I was surprised he wasn't using his vamp speed. Darkness oozed from his eyes