THE FIRST NIGHT
1151 Words
The creature lunged.
Its claws sliced through the air, aiming straight for Kael’s chest. Moonlight flashed across its dark, cracked skin — skin that looked like broken stone held together by thin lines of glowing red light.
Kael moved instantly.
Dark energy surged around him like smoke caught in a violent wind. He twisted aside, barely avoiding the attack, and thrust his hand forward. A wave of shadow burst from his palm and slammed into the creature.
The impact threw it backward into a tree.
The trunk split with a sharp c***k.
The other creatures hissed.
Their eyes burned brighter.
They were not ordinary beasts. Their bodies were lean and jagged, their claws long and curved like blades, and faint red symbols pulsed across their chests — symbols that flickered each time they moved.
Lira stumbled back, her wings beating wildly.
Fear rushed through her chest like icy water.
There were too many.
Another creature leaped toward her.
She froze.
For one terrifying second, she could not move. All she could think about was her village — Silvergrove — the warm lights glowing between the trees, the laughter of children flying through the evening air, the safety she had left behind.
Then the stone in her hand flared.
Light burst from it — bright and sudden — forcing the creature to recoil with a painful screech. It landed hard on the ground several feet away, shaking its head as if the light burned its eyes.
Lira gasped.
“I didn’t mean to do that,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Kael glanced back briefly, still fighting.
“Good,” he said. “Do it again.”
Another creature charged.
Kael raised his hand, and darkness surged forward in a violent wave, knocking the beasts back just enough to create space.
“Move,” he ordered.
Not shouted.
Not panicked.
Controlled.
Lira obeyed instantly.
She ran.
Her wings carried her low between the trees as branches whipped past her face. The forest blurred around her — shadows stretching, roots twisting underfoot, the cold night air burning in her lungs.
Behind her, the creatures chased.
Their growls echoed through the darkness.
Closer.
Too close.
Kael caught up beside her, his expression sharp and focused.
“This way,” he said.
He led her toward a narrow opening between two massive rocks. Thick roots curved around the entrance like claws, forming a natural wall.
They slipped inside.
Kael turned quickly and raised his hand.
Dark energy spread across the opening, forming a thin, shimmering barrier that blended into the shadows.
The growls outside slowed.
Then faded.
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Uncertain.
Lira bent forward, gripping her knees as she struggled to breathe. Her wings trembled with exhaustion, and her heart pounded so hard she could hear it in her ears.
“Are… are they gone?” she asked.
“For now,” Kael replied.
He scanned the clearing carefully, his eyes moving from shadow to shadow.
“This place will hold until morning.”
Moonlight poured down through a break in the trees above, bathing the small clearing in pale silver light. The ground was soft with moss, and smooth stones circled the area like an ancient ring.
It felt safer.
But not safe enough.
Slowly, Lira sank onto one of the stones.
Her hands were still shaking.
The glowing stone in her palm dimmed slightly, its bright light fading into a softer, steady glow.
Kael noticed immediately.
He walked to the center of the clearing and knelt. Placing his hand on the ground, he closed his eyes for a brief moment.
Dark energy spread outward from his fingers, sinking into the earth like ink disappearing into water.
A faint shimmer formed around the clearing.
Then vanished.
Lira watched, curiosity pushing through her fear.
“What did you just do?” she asked.
“A warning barrier,” Kael said, standing again.
“It will tell me if anything comes near.”
His voice was calm, but there was tension beneath it — the kind that never truly rested.
The forest grew quiet.
For the first time since leaving Silvergrove, there was no running. No fighting. No roaring creatures.
Just stillness.
And the soft whisper of wind through the trees.
Lira hugged her knees to her chest, trying to stop the trembling in her body.
Her thoughts drifted back home.
She imagined the glowing lanterns hanging from branches, the gentle hum of fairy wings, the familiar scent of night-blooming flowers. She wondered if anyone had noticed she was gone yet.
A tight ache formed in her chest.
“I didn’t even say goodbye,” she said softly.
Kael looked at her.
“You didn’t have time.”
She swallowed hard.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever see them again.”
The words felt heavier once they were spoken aloud.
Kael was silent for a moment.
“You will,” he said finally.
Lira lifted her head.
“Really?”
He nodded once.
“But not until this is finished.”
His certainty steadied her more than she expected.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
The silence was no longer frightening — just tired.
Then Lira looked down at the stone again.
It pulsed gently against her palm.
Warm.
Alive.
Questions filled her mind.
Too many to ignore.
“Why are they chasing me?” she asked.
Kael exhaled slowly.
“Because of that.”
She frowned.
“It’s just a stone.”
“No,” he said quietly.
“It’s not.”
She hesitated.
“What is it, then?”
Kael met her eyes.
“It’s a key.”
A chill slid down her spine.
“A key to what?”
He looked toward the dark forest beyond the clearing.
“To something older than your people,” he said.
“Older than mine.”
Fear returned — sharp and sudden.
“And dangerous.”
Lira tightened her grip on the stone.
Her wings drooped with exhaustion.
Her eyelids felt heavy.
Kael noticed immediately.
“Rest,” he said.
She blinked.
“What about you?”
“I’ll watch.”
“You should rest too,” she insisted weakly.
A faint, almost amused expression touched his face.
“I don’t sleep much.”
She studied him for a moment, unsure whether to believe that.
But she was too tired to argue.
Slowly, she lay down on the soft moss, curling slightly as her breathing began to slow.
For the first time since the attack…
She closed her eyes.
Sleep came quickly.
Kael remained standing at the edge of the clearing, his gaze fixed on the darkness beyond the barrier.
Minutes passed.
Then—
The barrier shimmered.
Very faintly.
Kael’s expression hardened.
He turned slowly toward the trees.
High above them, hidden among the branches, a tall shadow stood watching.
Unmoving.
Silent.
Waiting.
Kael’s voice dropped to a whisper.
“They found us.”
- Writer
