Chapter 5:
The morning sun spilled golden light across the marble towers of Astralis, catching on banners that fluttered in the high winds. The guild's courtyard, usually bustling with apprentices and mercenaries preparing for their daily assignments, held a different sort of energy today. Kaelen and Elira stood side by side at the mission board, their names freshly inscribed onto the guild's roster. Dozens of eyes followed them with unhidden curiosity. Whispers trailed behind like phantom threads.
"That's the moon-born girl."
"And the boy who wields lightning with no sigils…"
"Unstable… dangerous… but maybe brilliant."
Kaelen ignored them, jaw tight, though the faint crackle of energy around his fingers betrayed his agitation. Elira, in contrast, wore her usual calm mask, though her moonstone pendant pulsed faintly against her chest as if echoing her unease.
Their handler, a stern guild officer named Seraphine, approached with scrolls tucked under her arm. She was tall, clad in armor trimmed with silver, her eyes like polished steel. "You two are new. You'll begin with a tier-three assignment—dangerous enough to test your mettle, but not so dire that you'll die unless you're foolish."
She unrolled the scroll with a snap. "A nearby village, Luthmere, has sent distress signals. Livestock disappearing. Shadows in the fields. Locals claim a beast stalks the night. You will investigate, eliminate the threat, and return with proof."
Elira dipped her head. "Understood."
Kaelen muttered, "Sounds simple enough."
Seraphine's gaze sharpened. "Do not underestimate shadows. They often conceal sharper teeth than you think."
By afternoon, the two found themselves on the winding dirt path beyond Astralis, the city's gleaming spires shrinking into the distance. Kaelen walked with his hands behind his head, feigning ease, but every so often lightning flickered at his fingertips like a restless heartbeat. Elira walked quietly, her moonlit aura shimmering faintly in daylight, Lunaris the spirit owl perched on her shoulder.
"You really don't talk much, do you?" Kaelen asked after an hour of silence.
"I speak when there's something worth saying," Elira replied without turning.
"That so? You'll have to loosen up if we're going to work together." He smirked. "Or do you plan to glare our enemies to death?"
Lunaris gave a sharp hoot, almost as if laughing. For the first time, Elira's lips curved into the ghost of a smile. "Perhaps that would be easier."
The conversation ended there, but Kaelen felt the tension between them ease ever so slightly.
By dusk, they reached Luthmere. It was a small village tucked between rolling hills and golden wheat fields, though the beauty was marred by unease. Doors were bolted, windows shuttered, and not a soul walked the streets. The headman, a weary man with dark circles beneath his eyes, ushered them quickly into his home.
"It comes with the mist," he whispered, voice trembling. "A shape… like a wolf, but wrong. Its eyes burn crimson, and its howl freezes the blood. First it took sheep. Then cattle. Last night… it was my neighbor's son."
Elira's hand tightened on her pendant. "Has anyone seen where it retreats?"
"To the forest," the man croaked. "The Hollow Glen. Cursed place."
That night, beneath a sky splattered with stars, Kaelen and Elira made their way into the fields, waiting. The village lay silent behind them, every window a dim flicker of candlelight. The moon hung low, veiled by wisps of cloud.
Then came the sound—a low growl rolling across the wheat. Shadows thickened unnaturally, pooling like ink. From the mist, it emerged.
A beast indeed—its form lupine, yet twisted, stretched too thin, with limbs that bent at wrong angles. Its fur was made of writhing smoke, its eyes twin embers of hate. When it howled, the sound split the air like shattering glass.
Kaelen grinned despite himself. "Finally. Something real."
He lifted his hand, lightning sparking across his palm, illuminating his sharp features. The beast charged, and Kaelen hurled a bolt straight into its chest. The strike hit—but instead of burning, the lightning was swallowed by the smoke.
"What the—?" Kaelen stumbled back.
Elira stepped forward, her pendant glowing with silvery light. She whispered an incantation, and Lunaris spread his wings, releasing waves of moonlight that pushed back the mist. The creature shrieked, stumbling as the light scorched its smoky fur.
"It's a wraith-hound," Elira said, her voice steady even as sweat trickled down her temple. "Born from corrupted souls. Only light and spirit energy can harm it."
"Would've been nice to know sooner!" Kaelen shot back, dodging as the hound's claws raked a furrow into the soil.
"Then follow my lead."
Elira raised her arms, weaving glyphs of silver light in the air. The moon's glow intensified, washing the battlefield in pale radiance. The hound howled, lunging for her throat.
Kaelen moved on instinct, lightning surging to his legs as he dashed forward, intercepting the beast mid-leap. His hand caught its jaw, electricity sparking violently as he forced its head aside. "Your show, Moon Princess!"
Elira's eyes flashed, but she said nothing to the nickname. Instead, she thrust her glyph forward. A spear of moonlight pierced through the hound's chest. The creature screamed, its body unraveling into threads of shadow.
For a moment, silence. Only their heavy breathing filled the night air.
Then—whispers. Low, hissing voices carried on the wind. Kaelen froze, scanning the shadows. The mist around them writhed unnaturally, though the hound had already dissolved.
Elira stiffened. "We're not alone."
From the treeline, figures emerged. Cloaked, masked, their robes black as midnight with crimson sigils etched across the fabric. The Obsidian Order.
One stepped forward, raising a staff crowned with a shard of obsidian. His voice was like oil, slick and cold. "So, the Moon's chosen and the boy of lightning stand together at last. How convenient. Saves us the trouble of hunting you separately."
Kaelen spat to the side. "Who the hell are you supposed to be?"
"Your end," the man replied simply.
Dozens of shadows writhed at their feet, twisting into spectral beasts, each pair of eyes glowing with malice.
Elira's heart pounded, but her voice was calm. "Kaelen. Stay close."
Kaelen smirked, lightning arcing across his arms like serpents. "Finally—something worth fighting together for."
The night erupted in light and shadow as the battle began...