The forest swallowed their footsteps, but not quickly enough. Behind them, horns blared, and torches sliced through the night like ravenous stars.
Kai took the lead, sword drawn, his eyes darting through the shadows. "Keep low," he whispered urgently. "They're spreading out, trying to trap us by the river."
Elara's lungs felt like they were on fire. The heat inside her pulsed wildly, reacting to her fear as if it were alive. Each heartbeat sent warmth racing through her veins, a cruel reminder of the light she couldn't conceal.
Seren stumbled, gripping a torn sleeve. "I can't…I can't keep up" Elara seized her arm and pulled her along.
"You're not stopping now. We're almost there."
A lie. She had no clue where they were. The trees towered above them, their gnarled branches intertwined so tightly that they blocked out the moonlight. Strange whispers danced on the wind, too faint to decipher, yet too distinct to ignore.
Kai slowed and raised a hand. "Do you hear that?"
Elara nodded. "Voices."
"Not human," Seren gasped.
The forest shifted around them, a soft creak of wood and wind. Elara felt the hairs on her neck stand on end. The Whispering Woods. She'd heard tales of it, a place where lost souls lingered, bound by magic older than kingdoms.
Kai frowned. "We'll be trapped if we go deeper."
"And we'll be dead if we don't," Elara shot back.
The horns blared again, much closer this time. Without another word, she pressed on. The air turned colder, thick with the scent of moss and ancient earth. Shadows flitted between the trees, faceless shapes flickering at the corners of her vision.
"Stay close," Kai commanded, his voice rough.
Elara could sense the tension radiating from him, his hand hovering close as if ready to pull her back from the edge. Once, that would have brought her comfort. Now, it only served as a reminder that he didn't trust her abilities, he didn't trust her.
The whispers around them grew louder, transforming from mere noise into distinct words.
Child of flame… heir of ashes… rise…
Elara froze, recognizing the voice, the same one that had echoed from the fire. "Do you hear that?" she whispered.
Seren's eyes widened in fear. "There's nothing, Elara."
Kai's expression darkened. "What do you hear?"
She hesitated for a moment. "A woman's voice. It's calling to me."
Kai stepped closer, urgency in his tone. "That's not a voice you should follow. These woods prey on the living. They can twist your mind."
But the voice only grew stronger, clearer. Your crown is not of gold but of flame. Claim it, before the hunters do.
Elara's breath hitched. A sudden warmth flared in her palms. The trees ahead shimmered, revealing a faint path of light that wound deeper into the woods.
Seren gasped. "Elara, what did you do?"
"I didn't," she replied, though her heart whispered otherwise.
"It's guiding us." Kai shook his head. "Or leading us to our doom."
"Would you prefer to turn back?"
He glanced over his shoulder. The distant flicker of torches danced through the trees. His silence spoke volumes.
They followed the glowing trail, weaving through gnarled roots and ancient stones. The deeper they ventured, the quieter the forest became. Even the horns faded, swallowed by the encroaching darkness.
Elara's fire dimmed to a steady warmth, no longer painful but rhythmic, pulsing like a heartbeat that wasn't her own.
Then, the path opened into a clearing. At its center stood a blackened statue, a woman sculpted from obsidian, crowned with thorns of flame. Her eyes glowed faintly with a golden light.
Elara stepped forward, completely captivated. "I've seen her before…"
Kai quickly grabbed her wrist. "Be careful."
But the moment her skin touched the statue, a wave of warmth radiated out, slow, powerful, ancient.
Finally, a voice whispered in her mind. The blood remembers.
Elara's vision started to blur. Flames flickered around her, not burning but illuminating. Images flashed before her, a throne of fire, a woman draped in red, a city rising from the ashes.
"Who are you?" Elara gasped.
I am the first flame. The one from which your lineage was forged. You carry my gift and my curse.
A sharp pain shot through her chest. Kai shouted something, but it felt distant, drowned out by the roaring in her ears. The fire within her surged, spilling into the air, swirling into a golden storm.
Seren screamed as the light blinded her.
And then, just like that, it was gone. Elara collapsed, gasping for breath. The clearing was scorched, the statue cracked and smoldering.
Kai knelt beside her, eyes wide with horror. "You vanished, just vanished. Elara, what did you see?"
She met his gaze, her voice trembling. "A queen. She called herself the First Flame."
Kai's grip tightened on her shoulder. "That's impossible. She's just a myth."
Elara shook her head slowly. "Not anymore."
Before he could respond, a sharp sound sliced through the night, a metallic snap, followed by the soft hiss of arrows.
Kai reacted instantly, pushing her down. Two arrows lodged into the tree right beside her head.
"They found us," he hissed.
Seren's voice trembled. "How? We lost them!"
"No," Elara said quietly, staring at the faintly glowing trail behind them. "They followed the light. My light."
The forest filled with the sound of boots and steel. Dozens, maybe more.
Kai stood up, blade glinting in the firelight. "Then we make them regret finding us."
Elara stood beside him, her hands already glowing again, fear and fury intertwining.
This time, she didn't try to suppress the fire. She let it burn.
The clearing burst into a brilliant light.
Flames surged outward, devouring the darkness and casting the trees in a shimmering gold. The hunters hesitated at the edge of the radiance, just long enough for Elara to catch a glimpse of their faces beneath their helmets. Men. Women. Some barely old enough to be called boys. All bearing the mark of House Vael.
They regarded her not as prey, but as something unnatural.
Kai's voice was calm beside her. "They're scared."
Elara's lips quirked into a semblance of a smile. "Then they have every reason to be."
And the night responded with fire.