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Chapter Two: Shadows and Promises
The forest breathed around Evelyne like a living thing—alive with whispers and secrets too ancient to name. The tangled roots seemed to grasp at her ankles, the darkness pressing close. Yet with Kael by her side, the cold no longer felt so sharp.
He walked silently ahead, his broad shoulders barely stirring the night air. The glow in his eyes softened when they glanced back at her, a silent question: Are you sure?
"I'm sure," Evelyne said, voice steadier than she felt. "I cannot go back. Not to the dress, not to the warlord."
Kael's lips tightened. "There are things far worse than a warlord in these woods. Things that hunger for blood and light."
She shivered, but her resolve hardened. "Then I will face them. If it means freedom."
They moved deeper into the heart of Velmire, where shadows twisted into impossible shapes and the air crackled faintly with lingering magic. Evelyne felt the dragon's mark burn faintly beneath her skin, a silver flame awakening from its slumber.
Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the trees. Kael drew his sword—blackened steel shimmering with runes of protection. Evelyne's pulse quickened.
From the darkness, a creature leapt forward—twisted and gaunt, with eyes like coals and claws that scraped stone. Kael met it with a roar, steel flashing in the moonlight. Evelyne instinctively raised her hands, chanting a soft incantation taught by her aunt. A burst of glowing mana flared, stunning the beast long enough for Kael to strike it down.
The creature collapsed, dissolving into shadows that evaporated like mist.
Kael wiped blood from his blade, eyes fixed on Evelyne. "You have power. More than you know."
She looked down at her trembling hands, fear and wonder mingling in her chest. "I don't understand it."
"You will. But first, you must learn who you truly are—before the world finds out."
A sudden rustle drew their attention to the edge of the clearing. A figure cloaked in white stepped forward—Prince Lucien Drakovar, the enigmatic sorcerer from the northern empire, his smile as sharp as a dagger.
"Running away won't save you, Evelyne," he said smoothly. "But perhaps I can offer a better fate... if you're willing to listen."
Kael's hand tightened on his sword hilt.
Evelyne's heart thundered. The shadows were closing in, but the fire inside her was only just beginning.
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