Episode 10 – The Whisper in the Woods
Darkness blanketed the village of Eirien like a heavy cloak. Most lanterns had dimmed, homes shuttered for the night, and silence pressed against the walls of every house. But in the stillness… something stirred.
Kael crouched on the rooftop, his senses stretched across the shadows. The wind whispered—unnatural, cold. His eyes narrowed as he spotted flickers of movement within the forest's edge, just beyond the far fields.
They're here.
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At Lyra's House
Lyra gripped her dagger tightly, heart hammering in her chest. The shadow had disappeared… but she knew it wasn't her imagination.
Suddenly—a crash.
Her window exploded inward.
Lyra fell back, shielding her face as splinters flew. A figure in a black hood leapt in—fast, silent, inhuman.
She slashed instinctively. Her blade nicked cloth, but the figure barely flinched.
"Stay back!" she shouted, summoning a burst of ice from her palm.
Frost shot forward, freezing part of the invader's robe—but it wasn't enough.
He lunged.
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Outside – Moments Earlier
Kael dashed across rooftops like a shadow himself. When he heard the crash, he didn't hesitate.
The moment his boots hit the ground in front of Lyra's home, a second enemy lunged at him from the alley.
Kael didn't blink.
He moved like a gust of wind—dodging, striking, disarming in one fluid motion. With a single palm strike, he sent the attacker flying into a barrel with a sickening crunch. No one saw his element. No one would remember his face.
He ran for Lyra.
---
Inside
The hooded attacker pinned Lyra to the floor. Her dagger was across the room. She tried to summon water, but her magic was being suppressed—the air felt wrong.
Then—BOOM.
The door exploded open.
A streak of light—Kael.
He grabbed the hooded attacker by the collar mid-strike and threw him into the wall so hard it cracked.
The figure coughed blood, unconscious before hitting the ground.
Kael stood between Lyra and the attacker, eyes blazing—calm, but dangerous.
Lyra sat up slowly, eyes wide.
"Kael… you—"
"Are you hurt?" he asked, without turning.
She shook her head, stunned. "No. But… who were they?"
Kael's expression darkened. "People looking for something they shouldn't have."
He turned toward the shattered window, sensing more presences at the forest's edge.
Lyra stepped forward, voice trembling. "Kael… what are you hiding?"
He looked at her finally. For the first time, she saw a faint glow in his eyes—something ancient, controlled, and far beyond anything she had ever seen.
But before he could answer—
BOOM.
A massive presence surged near the woods. Even the air quivered.
From the tree line, a deep voice growled:
"Target not secured. Proceed with Plan B."
Kael turned to Lyra. "Stay here."
"No—Kael—!"
He stepped outside.
As he vanished into the dark, the ground trembled.
---
Elsewhere…
High above, near the outskirts of the village, Principal Thorne stood on a cliff, eyes narrowed as he watched everything unfold.
"So… he finally moved."
He placed a hand on the glowing gem embedded in his staff.
"Let's see how far your power has grown, Kael."
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To Be Continued…