TEN: THE TRUTH BENEATH THE ASH
410 Words
The evidence emerged three days later, and Bright was the one to discover it. Tracks scattered across the ground revealed a troubling truth: there was not just one assailant, but many. They were lurking, observing, and stalking their prey. With a clenched jaw, he made his way back to the cave, the weight of the realization heavy on his mind.
“They know where you are.”
Ember looked up sharply.
“How?”
“I don’t know yet.”
A lie. He had a theory.He just didn’t want it to be true.
“Show me,” she said.
He paused for a moment, then gave a slight nod. Together, they traversed the mountain with renewed urgency, drawing nearer to one another, always within arm's reach and attuned to each other's presence. Their path led them to a ridge, where, hidden beneath layers of snow and stone, they made a discovery. It was a fragment of metal, a remnant from her capsule, yet it bore signs of alteration, runes intricately carved into its surface.
Ember’s breath caught.
“I know this.”
Her fingers hovered over it, but didn’t touch.
“This is royal binding magic.”
Bright’s expression darkened. “Meaning?”
Her voice dropped. "Meaning my family didn’t just destroy the mountain.”
She looked at him. Eyes burning now.
“They marked me.”
The silence felt cold.
“A tracking spell,” Bright said.
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t know.”
“No.”
Her hands clenched.
“They didn’t just want me gone.”
Her voice hardened. “They wanted to make sure I stayed gone.”
The wind screamed through the air, a relentless force surrounding them. Yet, they remained still, rooted in place. Everything had shifted; the stakes had escalated. This was no longer a fight for mere survival; it had transformed into a battle
Bright moved in closer, maintaining a deliberate distance. She didn't make contact, yet the warmth radiating from him was palpable, enveloping her gastrutin an almost electric tension.
“Then we stop running,” he said.
Her gaze lifted slowly to meet his.
“And do what?”
Something dark curled in his expression.
“We make them regret it.”
For the first time since the mountain crumbled, Ember grinned. It wasn't a gentle smile, nor was it warm. It was a fierce expression, reminiscent of something reborn from the ashes.
“They already will.”
- Writer
