The slam of Damien's body against the cold stone floor echoed like thunder through the hollow chamber. His chest heaved as he rolled onto his side, groaning. When his vision cleared, he realized he was no longer in the palace hall surrounded by the masked men and chaos—he was back in his chambers in Zerethane.
The silence was suffocating.
"Elena?" Damien's voice cracked, raw with panic.
No answer.
He staggered to his feet, scanning every corner with his eyes, expecting her delicate form to emerge. His hands trembled as he ripped open the drapes, kicked aside chairs, and overturned the table in a frenzy.
"Elena!" he roared again, his voice reverberating against the stone walls.
The name left his lips again and again until it no longer sounded like a word but a desperate plea. When no response came, he slammed his fist into the wall and the stone cracked forcefully under his force.
"No, no, no..." His breaths came out sharp and erratic. His heart thundered as though it would burst from his chest. He dragged his hands through his dark hair, tugging at the roots as he paced the room unsteadily. His composure unraveled in a way it never had before, breaking through his walls of perfection.
As he continued pacing, he felt his leg give out. Damien let out a disgruntled groan, leaned against the wall and turned to inspect it. A short, hollow hole was carved into his legs through his pants, dripping with red liquid. He squinted his eyes at the wound.
It wasn't healing.
For a wound that small, it should have been healed by now or at least partially but nothing happened.
Nothing at all.
He sank to the ground, slumped against the wall like a broken man. His hair fell over his face, strands of it sticking to the sweat on his temple. His broad shoulders shook against his wet shirt as he ran his hands through his hair to get it away. He clenched one fist against his knee, lowering his head between them. With trembling lips, he muttered, almost to himself, his voice sounding strained and yearning.
"Where are you..."
The words came out soft and vulnerable, something that would surely be a surprise for anyone who saw him now... yet they heavy with buried torment.
For once, the man who had always maintained a calm demeanor, looked like a mess of confusion, pain and anguish. He had faced beasts, and death itself without flinching. But the thought of losing Elena hollowed him out in a way nothing else could.
After a while of sitting in the darkness, he dragged his head up.
No. There was no way he was losing her. Not after centuries and centuries of planning and waiting.
He must find her. Whatever it took...
...................
On the other side of realms, Elena's body slammed hard against the rough bark of a tree. A sharp cry tore from her lips as her back screamed with pain from the sudden impact. She slid to the ground, gasping and clutching at her ribs as she forced air into her lungs.
Her head spun with a dull ache. Where was she?
Slowly wincing with each movement, she pushed herself to her feet. Her legs wobbled beneath her, forcing her to limp as she steadied herself against the tree.
The world around her was shrouded in thick darkness. Towering trees loomed about her like watchful giants casting silhouettes like watchful giants. The air was thick and stake like, carrying the faint smell of damp moss and wet earth.
Her chest tightened.
"What is this place...?" she whispered to herself as if hearing some sounds would ease the fear clawing at her.
Then, ahead, through the suffocating dark, she caught sight of a faint glimmer; a soft light flickering light in the distance.
Her heart leapt for joy.
Without thinking, she stumbled toward it, each step driven by the faint hope that perhaps, just perhaps, she wasn't totally alone.
The closer she drew, the more the a strange sense of familiarity hit her. Her breath caught in her throat when the shadows gave way to a clearing, and there it was. The old river, wide and calm with its surface glowing faintly as if touched by moonlight even though no moon hung in the sky.
Her pulse quickened.
"This place..." Her words trembled in the still air.
Memories flashed before her eyes and realization hit her like a rock. This place...the dreams she'd recently had were always by this river. The first time she had been here, that sense of otherworldly allure that bound her even against her will had completely hypnotized her.
And here she was again, standing at the same place she thought existed only in visions.
Her fear dulled for a moment as awe swept over her. But wait, how was she here? That question was soon answered though. Seraphine.
Where was Seraphine? Was she gone?
Elena spun around, frantically scanning the trees. "Seraphine? Miss...?" she called out but there was no answer. Only the gentle lap of water against the shore.
Her throat tightened. She was alone. The dread of being alone came back forcefully against her. To curb it, she called out a gain, her voice getting louder and louder with each call.
Her gaze drifted back to the river. At the far end, just beyond the bend, she noticed something she hadn't before in any of her dreams—a small winding path leading upward into the dense woods.
A faint glimmer of hope lit within her. Maybe Seraphine was there. Maybe she could find her. Maybe...
But between her and that path stretched the river itself. Its water was calm but deep, just above her waist if she remembered clearly enough.
Elena swallowed hard, hugging her arms around herself. She didn't know what lurked beneath the dark surface, but sitting still wasn't an option.
Drawing a shaky breath, she stepped into the water. The cold bit at her legs, sending shivers through her body but she ignored it and continued going. Each step was taken with caution and determination as she pushed forward.
Halfway across, the silence broke.
A low growl rumbled from the trees opposite her; a deep, guttural one like thunder rolling in the clouds.
Elena froze in place right at the middle of the river.
From the shadows of the dense woods right in front of her, it emerged.
Her blood ran cold with heart-stopping dread.
What came out was massive—larger than any lion or animal or whatever it wasshe had ever seen. Its long, muscular body was wrapped in a coat of densely packed grey fur. Its eyes glowed an unnatural blue, piercing through the dark like small lanterns of death as its mouth opened to reveal long, sharp fangs glistening in its mouth that curled into a snarl.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
As if her legs had a mind of its own, she took one step back. Then another. Her breathing grew ragged as sweat slicked her palms. She couldn't even tell if it was just the water of her body releasing a massive amount of sweat.
Then instinct took over. With every drop of adrenaline in her fear weakened body, she turned and ran.
Her feet slapped against the shallow water, splashing wildly as she sprinted for the bank. She didn't dare look back, though she felt the ground quake with each bound of the creature as it closed in.
She reached the shore and darted toward the path she had come from in a frenzied run only to halt in horror.
The way back was gone. Completely blocked!
A towering brick wall, strewn with vines and creepers stretched across the path, cutting her off completely. It hadn't been there before.
"No... no, no, no!" she gasped, pounding her fists against the cold wall.
Behind her, the beast snarled as it got closer now, its growl vibrating through her very bones.
Her chest rose and fell in quick bursts. She turned slowly, dread crawling over her skin like shaved ice.
The creature crouched low, locking its eyes on her. Then, with a furious roar, it launched forward with claws outstretched and fangs gleaming as it soared through the air.
Elena screamed, crumpling into a crouch with her arms shielding her head. She braced herself for the tearing pain of its claws.
A second ticked by. Then two. But it never came.
Instead, a burst of light flared before her shut eyes, blinding and dazzling. A transparent shield pulsing with silver energy materialized in front of her just as the beast collided against it.
The sound was deafening as the beast came crashing into it.
The beast snarled and clawed, its fangs snapping against the barrier, but it could not break through. Slowly, it stilled, its glowing eyes fixing on the figure standing before Elena.
It bowed its massive head at the figure and lowered its eyes then, with a low growl of it leapt away into the shadows, vanishing across the river.
Elena's breath came in shaky sobs. Still trembling with her arms wrapped around her head and her body curled on the cold ground, hot tears started to flow down her cheeks.
As she sobbed quietly, still expecting the worst, a warm hand gently touched hers.
"Princess..." came the voice softly in a coaxing manner.
Her arms were slowly drawn down from where she had placed it to shield her head by the hand before being lowered gently into her lap.
She looked up and blinked against the bright glow before her struggling to adjust her vision.
When the light dimmed enough, she finally saw him.
Her eyes widened and her lips parted soundlessly.
It couldn't be. How...how was this possible?
Standing before her, framed by the silver glow of the river, was the very face she had only ever seen in her dreams.
Calithar.