Shadows that follow
734 Words
The forest swallowed them whole.
Branches clawed at Elara’s cloak as she struggled to keep up with Kael, her breath coming out in short gasps. Rain soaked through her clothes, but she barely noticed. Her mind was still spinning—Ronan Vale, the storm, the glowing symbol, the fear tightening in her chest.
“Slow down,” she hissed. “Where are you taking me?”
Kael didn’t stop. “Somewhere he won’t find you easily.”
That answer did nothing to calm her.
They finally reached a narrow clearing hidden by thick trees. Kael raised a hand, signaling her to stop. He listened—really listened—his head slightly tilted, eyes scanning the darkness.
Elara felt it too.
A pressure in the air. Heavy. Watching.
“He’s close,” she whispered.
Kael’s eyes flicked to her. “You can feel that?”
Elara hesitated, then nodded. “I feel things… before they happen.”
Kael exhaled slowly. “Then your mother hasn’t told you everything.”
Her chest tightened at the mention of Selene. “You know my mother?”
Before he could answer, a low hum rippled through the ground. Elara staggered back, clutching her wrist as the crescent-shaped birthmark burned like fire.
She cried out.
The trees shook. Shadows twisted unnaturally, stretching toward her as if alive.
“Elara!” Kael grabbed her shoulders. “Focus. Don’t fight it—control it.”
“I don’t know how!” she cried.
A memory flashed in her mind—Selene’s voice, sharp and urgent:
Power responds to fear. Calm your heart, or it will consume you.
Elara closed her eyes. She breathed. Slowly. Deeply.
The shadows retreated.
Silence fell.
Kael stared at her like he was seeing her for the first time. “You’re stronger than I thought.”
She pulled away from him. “Stop talking like you know me.”
A crack echoed through the forest.
Footsteps.
Heavy. Deliberate.
Kael cursed under his breath. “He found us.”
From between the trees, a tall figure emerged. Dark coat. Cold eyes. A smile that didn’t belong on any human face.
Ronan Vale.
“So,” he said calmly, “the witch’s daughter finally steps into the open.”
Elara’s legs trembled, but she stood her ground. “Stay away from me.”
Ronan chuckled. “You sound just like your mother.”
At that, something snapped inside her. “What did you do to her?”
Ronan’s smile widened. “What I always do—hunt what refuses to kneel.”
Kael stepped in front of her. “You won’t take her.”
Ronan’s gaze slid to Kael, sharp and assessing. “Ah. The traitor.”
Elara’s heart skipped. “What does he mean?”
Kael didn’t answer.
Ronan raised his hand. The air thickened, crushing Elara’s chest. She gasped, falling to her knees.
“No!” Kael shouted.
Instinct took over.
Elara slammed her palm into the ground.
The earth responded.
Roots burst upward, wrapping around Ronan’s legs, forcing him back. His eyes flared with rage.
“You carry the full blood,” he snarled. “Just like her.”
Lightning split the sky. The forest shook violently.
“RUN!” Kael yelled.
Elara didn’t think—she ran.
They didn’t stop until the village lights appeared through the trees. Elara collapsed near an abandoned shed, shaking.
Kael crouched beside her. “You did that. You fought him.”
She looked at her hands, still trembling. “I almost lost control.”
“That’s what he wants,” Kael said quietly. “Fear makes your power easier to steal.”
She looked up sharply. “Steal?”
Before he could explain, a familiar voice cut through the night.
“Elara!”
Mira Linden came running, panic written across her face. “Where have you been? The whole village is talking—people say something terrible is coming.”
Elara froze.
Mira’s eyes flicked to Kael. “Who’s he?”
Kael straightened. “No one.”
Elara swallowed. Lies were already piling up.
That night, Elara lay awake in her room, rain tapping softly against the window. Selene hadn’t returned yet. The house felt emptier than ever.
Her wrist burned again.
Outside, the old oak tree pulsed faintly, unseen by the village.
And somewhere in the darkness, Ronan Vale smiled.
“Soon,” he whispered. “Very soon.”
- Writer
