Chapter 4: Eyes in the Dark
691 Words
The creature stepped from the shadows.
Elara's breath caught in her throat.
It was enormous.
At first glance, it looked like a wolf.
But no wolf could be this large.
Its shoulders stood higher than a horse's back. Black fur covered its massive body, shimmering like smoke beneath the moonlight. Its golden eyes burned with unnatural intelligence.
The beast growled.
The sound vibrated through the ground.
Elara instinctively stepped backward.
"What is that?" she whispered.
Kael's grip tightened around his sword.
"A Shadowfang."
The beast lowered its head.
Its lips curled back, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Elara swallowed.
"A what?"
"A creature that should have gone extinct centuries ago."
The Shadowfang took another step.
Then another.
Its eyes never left Elara.
Not Kael.
Not the campsite.
Her.
As if it knew exactly who she was.
As if it had been searching for her.
The realization sent ice through her veins.
Kael slowly positioned himself between her and the beast.
"When I tell you to run, run."
"No."
His eyes flickered toward her.
"What?"
"I'm tired of running."
The words surprised even her.
For her entire life, she had hidden.
Accepted humiliation.
Avoided attention.
And where had that gotten her?
Nowhere.
Now people hunted her.
Monsters hunted her.
Everyone wanted something from her.
Enough.
Kael stared at her for a moment.
Then he gave a short nod.
"Stay behind me."
The Shadowfang attacked.
One second it stood motionless.
The next it exploded forward.
Its speed was terrifying.
Kael met it head-on.
Steel flashed.
The beast twisted unnaturally in midair.
Its claws slammed into Kael's sword.
The impact threw him backward.
He landed hard but immediately regained his footing.
The Shadowfang growled again.
Almost amused.
Elara's heart pounded.
Nothing should be able to move that fast.
Nothing.
The creature lunged again.
Kael dodged.
His blade sliced across its side.
Black blood splashed onto the forest floor.
The beast roared.
The trees shook.
Birds erupted into the sky.
For the first time, the Shadowfang looked angry.
"Good," Kael muttered.
Then everything changed.
The creature suddenly stopped moving.
Its ears twitched.
Its eyes widened.
It wasn't looking at Kael anymore.
It was looking at Elara.
Fear appeared in the monster's eyes.
Fear.
Before Elara could understand what was happening, a strange sensation spread through her body.
Warm.
Powerful.
Ancient.
The air around her seemed heavier.
The shadows beneath the trees stretched unnaturally toward her feet.
The Shadowfang took a step backward.
Then another.
Kael noticed.
His expression darkened.
"Elara..."
She looked down.
Dark wisps of energy curled around her hands.
Not black.
Not silver.
Not any color she recognized.
The energy looked almost invisible.
Like heat rising from stone.
The moment she noticed it, the power vanished.
The forest became normal again.
The Shadowfang let out a terrified howl.
Then it turned and fled into the darkness.
Gone.
Just like that.
Silence returned.
Neither of them moved.
Neither of them spoke.
Finally, Elara looked at Kael.
"What just happened?"
Kael's face had gone pale.
"I don't know."
She frowned.
"You've been acting like you know everything."
"I don't know that."
His voice sounded different.
Uneasy.
Worried.
"The Shadowfang was afraid."
"Of me?"
"Yes."
Elara stared at the empty forest.
Nothing about this made sense.
Why would an ancient predator fear her?
She couldn't even control her own Force.
If she truly had one.
Kael slowly sheathed his sword.
"We leave at first light."
"Where are we going?"
His silver eyes met hers.
"To the ruins of Valeth."
Elara had heard the name before.
Every child in Aetheria had.
Valeth was the lost city.
A kingdom that had vanished over a thousand years ago.
Most people believed it was a myth.
"You think answers are there?"
Kael nodded.
"I think the truth started there."
A cold breeze swept through the trees.
Far away, thunder rumbled across the mountains.
Neither of them noticed the figure watching from the darkness.
Hidden among the branches high above.
Silent.
Motionless.
A pair of crimson eyes followed Elara's every movement.
The figure smiled.
After a thousand years...
The Invisible Force had finally returned.
And soon the entire world would know
- Writer
