Kael's steps were slow, deliberate as they took him back toward the shrine. The dark woods whispered around him, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze, but it felt like the earth itself was holding its breath. The air was thick with an almost palpable tension, as though something was waiting for him just beyond the horizon of his thoughts.
His mind was a swirl of questions, each one demanding answers that Aurenya had yet to give. He couldn't stop thinking about her, the strange calm she carried, the silver gleam in her eyes that seemed to see right through him. Every instinct told him to keep his distance, yet every fiber of his being was drawn back to her. Why? He had no idea.
"Are you sure about this?" Silas's voice was sharp, cutting through the haze of Kael's thoughts.
Kael didn't look at him. He didn't need to. Silas knew him too well. Kael knew what his friend would say—his caution, his ever-present skepticism. But this was something different. Aurenya was something different.
"I have to know more about her," Kael said, his voice rough with the weight of his own uncertainty. "I can't just walk away."
Silas didn't respond immediately. Kael could feel his eyes on his back, the heavy, judging gaze of someone who had seen too many things go wrong. "I don't trust it. Not her. Not any of this," Silas continued, his words sharp and unrelenting. "You don't know what you're getting into. This isn't just about your curse, Kael. There's something off about her. I can feel it."
Kael's jaw tightened, his pulse quickening. The curse, that damnable thing, was stirring again. His hands tingled—more like burned—beneath his gloves, the sensation creeping up his arms like a hot iron pressing against his skin. A dark heat was gathering, but it wasn't just the weight of Silas's words. No, it was something deeper. The anger that flickered inside him, the fear for Aurenya's safety, triggered the red mark on his palms to ache and flare.
His breathing grew shallow as his hands involuntarily clenched into fists, the curse surging like a flood behind his skin. The red veins beneath his fingers began to glow, a fiery light that swirled around his palms like molten fire threatening to break through. The power always came at a cost, always heightened in moments of rage or when he felt the pull of danger near. His eyes flickered, the edges of his vision tinged with red as though the curse itself was reaching out, sensing the danger before he could. When his emotions spiraled, so too did the curse's control over him.
"I'm going back," Kael said, his voice grating, low with the simmering heat that was clawing at him from within. "I have to."
Silas made a sound of frustration but said nothing more. Together, they pressed onward, their footsteps soft against the moss-covered ground.
As they neared the shrine, Kael's pulse quickened. There was something about this place—something he couldn't explain. It felt as though the world itself had shifted when they entered this part of the forest. The air was thick with the scent of incense, the faintest traces of herbs and something older, something otherworldly. He could hear the soft hum of the shrine's magic, a quiet undercurrent that whispered of ancient power.
The stone pillars of the shrine rose before them, worn with time but still standing firm against the darkening sky. The darkness felt deeper here, as though the night had swallowed the light completely. And yet, there was a glow, a faint radiance emanating from within the shrine itself, as if something—or someone—was waiting for him.
Aurenya was there. She stood in the doorway, her silhouette sharp against the soft light that radiated from within. The silver gleam in her eyes was unmistakable, almost otherworldly in its intensity. Her expression was unreadable, a calm mask that hid whatever turmoil lingered behind her gaze.
When she saw Kael approach, she did not flinch. There was no hesitation in her movement. She simply waited, her gaze never leaving him.
Kael stopped before her, just a few paces away, the space between them feeling impossibly vast and yet painfully intimate. He could feel the weight of her presence, the pull of it, drawing him in despite all of his instincts warning him to keep his distance.
"I knew you would return," Aurenya said, her voice soft but laced with an undercurrent of something Kael couldn't quite name. She spoke the words as if they were inevitable, as though her knowing was just another part of her.
Kael didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stood there, studying her with an intensity that bordered on desperation. He had so many questions, so many things he needed to know. But every time he looked at her, the words seemed to evaporate, replaced by an overwhelming sense of confusion.
"I still don't understand," he said, his voice low, rough with the weight of everything he was feeling but unable to articulate. "Who are you? What are you?"
Aurenya's gaze softened, just the slightest hint of sadness flickering behind those silver eyes. She took a step forward, closing the distance between them, and for a moment, Kael swore he could hear his heartbeat thundering in his chest.
"I am not what you think I am, Kael Valen," she replied, her voice almost a whisper. "I was not born of flesh and blood like you. I was created... a vessel."
Kael frowned, confusion deepening. "Created?" The word felt wrong in his mouth. "By whom?"
Aurenya hesitated, her gaze drifting to the shadows beyond the shrine. "By him," she said simply. "The Hollow King."
The name hit Kael like a physical blow. He had heard of the Hollow King before—dark whispers in the corners of taverns, rumors that swirled like smoke. No one truly knew the truth about him, but everyone feared him. Some said he was an ancient being, twisted by magic and time. Others said he was more than a man—a god, or something close to it.
"What does he want with you?" Kael asked, his voice hardening with a protective edge. The thought of someone, anyone, hurting her twisted something deep inside him, and his hands burned hotter in response, the curse thrumming louder as if responding to the danger that the Hollow King posed. His eyes blazed briefly, the red hue of his gaze burning with the promise of the power that swelled within him.
Aurenya met his gaze, her eyes darkening as though the weight of her past was pressing down on her. "He created me to hold something divine. But something went wrong. I wasn't meant to feel. To experience this..." She gestured vaguely to herself. "But I do. And it is... too much."
Kael's stomach tightened. She was a creation? Not a person, not like him? She wasn't born. And yet... there was something undeniably human about her. Something real.
"He wants you back, doesn't he?" Kael asked, his voice rough with the weight of the words. "To finish what he started."
Aurenya nodded slowly, her silver eyes clouded with an emotion Kael couldn't decipher. "Yes. He believes I am still his—his creation, his tool. But I am not. Not anymore."
Kael felt his chest tighten with an unfamiliar emotion. He didn't know what to do with it, but he knew one thing: He wasn't going to let her face this alone. Not after everything they had shared, not after the pull he felt toward her.
"I won't let him have you," Kael said, his voice resolute, his hands burning hotter, the red gleam in his eyes intensifying for a moment before he regained control. "I won't let him take you back."
Aurenya looked at him then, truly looked at him, and for the first time since they had met, her gaze softened, her guard slipping just enough for Kael to see the vulnerability beneath the surface.
"You don't understand," she said softly. "The Hollow King is not just any man. He is... something far darker, far more dangerous than you could imagine. If you come with me, you'll be pulled into a war that has already claimed more lives than you could count."
"I've been in wars before," Kael replied, his voice hardening with every word. "I've seen death. I've faced things that should have killed me. But I'm not leaving you to face him alone."
Aurenya's lips parted in surprise, and for a moment, Kael thought she might say something, might argue or protest. But she didn't. Instead, she nodded, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"You're a fool," she whispered, her voice tinged with something almost tender. "But I can't say that I'm not grateful."
She turned away, stepping back into the shrine. Kael could see the determination in her movements, the quiet resolve. "We leave at dawn," she said, her voice firm. "Prepare yourself. The journey will be perilous, and the road ahead is fraught with danger."
Kael stood still for a moment, his thoughts racing. There was so much more he needed to understand about Aurenya, about the Hollow King, about everything. But for now, all he could do was stand beside her and prepare for whatever came next.
As he turned to go, he could feel Aurenya's gaze on him, steady and unblinking. Her words echoed in his mind, a soft whisper in the stillness of the night:
"You will see what I am... soon."