Chapter 16 The whisper in the Wind
301 Words
Far beyond the borders of Nytherra, in the shadowed ruins of the Withered Vale, a black flame burned in a circle of ash.
The wind carried no scent there—only silence.
A woman stood barefoot on the dead earth, her long hair woven with bones, her fingers tracing ancient symbols into the stone floor. Her eyes, glowing like rotting embers, narrowed as her magic pulsed.
“They’re born,” she whispered to no one. “Moon and sun. Wolf and fire. The prophecy lives.”
From the dark, a dozen hooded figures stepped forward.
“What do you command, Witch Queen?” one asked.
She raised a vial of golden ash. “We strike before they awaken. Before the blood matures.”
A low growl echoed across the vale.
“They locked the peninsula. Sealed their realm. But arrogance is always a c***k in stone.”
Her hand burned with dark light as she tossed the ash into the air.
“Begin the hunt.”
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Back in Nytherra, the peace began to splinter.
Storms brewed unnaturally across the northern coast.
Wolves patrolling the Frostline Peaks reported strange movements—creatures not seen in decades. Shadows that vanished in sunlight. Claws that left no scent.
Even Kaelen, young as he was, began waking from dreams he could not remember. But the fear lingered in his throat.
Lioren’s powers surged too rapidly. When he was angry, flames sparked at his fingertips. The palace mages struggled to contain him.
One night, as Araya walked the tower halls alone, she caught sight of a figure that disappeared as soon as she turned.
A whisper followed her to bed: “He’s watching.”
The kingdom celebrated, yes—but the darkness had started its march.
And the wolves would have to rise once more.
- Writer
