The journey from the City of Mirrors had been long, fraught with silence and tension. The path ahead twisted through the shattered landscape, the air thick with the weight of ancient power still lingering in the city's ruins. Kael could feel it—a presence, an oppressive energy clawing at his back, gnawing at the edges of his mind.
And worse still, the curse stirred.
His hands, wrapped in old cloth and bloodied from more than battle, pulsed with heat just beneath the skin. The red hue had deepened since the city, the veins across his knuckles glowing faintly like molten cracks in stone. The curse was never silent for long—and lately, it whispered louder.
Aurenya walked beside him, her gaze fixed forward, though the tension in her shoulders betrayed her unease. She had been silent for the past few hours, her thoughts as unreadable as ever. But Kael knew her well enough to see the strain on her face, the way her fingers clenched and unclenched around the girl in her arms.
The girl was still unconscious, her body cold to the touch. Her aura, once a gentle glow, had become erratic, fluctuating between blinding brilliance and deep shadows. The power within her was unstable, volatile. The gods had given her too much, and now it was tearing her apart from the inside.
"We need to find shelter," Kael muttered, casting a glance over his shoulder. "The Hollow King is coming. We can't outrun him forever."
Even as he spoke, he flexed his fingers against the burn spreading up his arms. The curse always reacted to danger—or perhaps it sensed something more. The Hollow King's name had power, and Kael's red hands had begun to twitch with each passing hour, feeding on that rising threat.
Aurenya nodded but said nothing, her eyes scanning the horizon as if expecting the ground to crack open at any moment. The tension in the air was thick enough to suffocate.
They had to reach the next city before nightfall—before the Hollow King's forces closed in. But the distance seemed endless, and Kael could feel the girl's deteriorating state weighing on him. He glanced at her, his heart heavy. She had become a symbol of everything they were fighting for, and yet she was slipping through their fingers.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they came upon a small clearing, a patch of forest surrounded by twisted, blackened trees. It was the perfect place to rest, to gather their strength, but Kael could feel something in the air. The smell of smoke lingered on the wind.
"Stay alert," he growled, his instincts on high alert. "This place doesn't feel right."
His hands itched under the wrappings, the red veins glowing faintly. It was always like this before a confrontation—his curse awakened in warning. A spark of dread crawled beneath his skin.
Aurenya didn't need to be told twice. She crouched beside the girl, her face set in concentration. Her magic, though fragile, still pulsed within her, ready to protect them if necessary.
Silas, who had been unusually quiet for most of their journey, suddenly straightened, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the horizon. "As much as I hate to say this...We're not alone," he said, his voice low and steady.
Kael's hand went to the hilt of his sword. The leather grip was warm beneath his cursed touch, warmer than it should have been. He could sense it too. Something—or someone—was lurking just beyond their sight.
A rustle came from the trees, and before Kael could react, a figure emerged from the shadows. Tall, with fiery red hair and eyes like burning embers, Lysaria stepped into the clearing, her presence filling the space with an overwhelming heat.
"I thought I might find you here," Lysaria purred, her voice like silk and flame. "Kael, Aurenya, and... the little one, of course."
Kael's hand tightened on the sword. The red of his curse flared against the grip, responding to her presence, the fire in her aura. His body ached with the tension of holding it back.
"Stay away from her," Aurenya warned, her voice tinged with something Kael couldn't quite place—fear, anger, or perhaps both.
Lysaria's lips curled into a smile, her eyes flickering over the girl in Aurenya's arms. "You're desperate, I see. You'll need more than that to save her."
Kael's pulse quickened, and so did the throbbing in his hands. It was as if the curse was crawling toward the surface, craving release. He had to force his fists to remain steady.
"What do you want, Lysaria?" he asked, his voice low, roughened by the strain of holding the red back.
"I want the girl," she said simply, her gaze flickering toward the girl in Aurenya's arms. "She belongs to the Hollow King now. You can't stop him."
Aurenya's breath hitched. "You don't understand. She's not just some tool for the Hollow King."
Lysaria tilted her head, her smile widening. "That's the problem, isn't it? You all think you can control her. She's a god, a weapon, and weapons don't choose sides."
Kael took a step forward, the ground cracking slightly beneath his boot. His curse simmered along his forearms, red veins glowing brighter now—visible even through the cloth. The fire in him answered the fire in her.
"We won't let you take her."
Lysaria raised a hand, her fingers snapping. Instantly, the air around them crackled with heat, the trees around them starting to smolder. The ground beneath Kael's feet burned, and the red in his hands surged in response—glowing hot, fighting flame with flame.
"Then I'll make you a deal," Lysaria said, her voice a honeyed threat. "You let me take her to the Hollow King. In exchange, he spares your life. All of you." Her gaze flickered to the girl. "He'll have what he wants, and you'll be free to go."
Aurenya's eyes burned with anger, her hands trembling. "You think we would ever agree to that?"
Lysaria chuckled, her voice like the crackle of fire. "What other choice do you have? He's coming for her either way. If you hand her over now, he'll take her without destroying everything in his path. If you resist, there will be nothing left when he's done."
Kael's curse flared, his hands burning like live coals. He felt it rising in him—the temptation to let go, to unleash what boiled beneath the skin. The Hollow King wanted the girl. He wanted to use her, manipulate her power. But Kael wasn't about to let that happen.
"I won't let you take her," Kael said, his voice low but firm, burning with conviction. "Even if I have to burn the world down to stop you."
Lysaria's smile faded, her eyes narrowing in amusement. "Then you're already lost," she said softly. "But you're not the only one who has a bargain to make. The girl... She's already marked by the Hollow King. She knows that. And you—Kael, Aurenya—you both know that the longer you resist, the worse it will get for her."
The red in his hands shimmered, the skin beneath cracking slightly like scorched earth. The curse fed on anger, on the intensity of the moment, and Kael clenched his fists hard to stop it from spilling over.
But he wasn't about to give up. Not yet. Not while Aurenya was still by his side, and not while the girl was still alive.
Aurenya, her face a mask of determination, stepped forward, her voice cutting through the heat. "We'll take our chances," she said.
Silas stood there, ready for a go.
Lysaria's eyes flashed with a sudden, dangerous fire. "Then so be it," she said. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
With that, the ground beneath them rumbled, and the very air itself seemed to pulse with the coming storm.