The abyss swallowed them.
Wind howled past, tearing at their cloaks as they fell. Mist twisted around them like living tendrils, whispering in tongues not meant for human ears. Gravity became meaningless.
Kael clung to Elira, his arms locked around her even as his consciousness slipped. The forbidden spell had torn through him like wildfire. His magic, his very essence, felt hollowed out. Numb. Broken.
Elira's breath was ragged. Blood flowed freely from the deep slash in her side. Her magic flickered weakly, a dim shimmer of frost trying in vain to slow their descent.
Below, the mist churned like a living sea. And then, impact.
They struck water hard, pain crashing through Kael's body before the world went dark.
The river dragged him under. Cold. Silent. Final.
He couldn't move. Couldn't think. Only the distant, fading sense of Elira kept him from surrendering to the pull of the deep.
Then, pressure on his arm. A grip.
Elira.
Her hand, slick with blood but strong, seized his wrist. With a final pulse of magic, she thrust them upward.
Kael broke the surface with a gasp, choking on air. Elira surfaced beside him, barely conscious. Her lips were pale. Her wound bled freely.
The river carried them forward. Kael, helpless. Elira, barely holding on.
Finally, they washed onto a soft, mossy bank. Elira collapsed beside him, her breathing shallow.
Kael tried to speak. Failed. He could feel nothing below his waist.
Panic clawed at him.
Elira groaned, forcing herself up. Her hand trembled as it pressed to her side. Blood soaked her gown. Still, she crawled to Kael and checked his pulse.
Alive. But broken.
"I can't move," he rasped.
"I know," she whispered. "But you're still here."
Kael looked past her, at the world they'd fallen into.
The Lower Realm.
Towering trees glowed faintly blue, their bark veined with shifting light. The air pulsed, heavy with ancient energy. The ground shimmered faintly with magic. It was otherworldly. Unnatural.
Then the mist moved.
Not wind. Not weather.
A presence.
Elira froze.
A low growl rumbled from the fog. Not human. Not animal. Something in between.
Kael's blood turned to ice.
Elira raised her hand. Her magic sputtered, a flicker of frost dancing across her fingertips. Not enough.
Another growl. Closer.
The mist parted just slightly, but nothing stepped through.
It was watching.
And they had nowhere to run.