Volume 43
Writer: Sabbir Ahmed
Chapter 14: Shadows of the Hunter's Plot
The battle had ended, but the valley was scarred.
Lina stood among the rocks, her silver light fading to a steady glow, while Kael and the scouts tended to minor injuries. The Hunters had retreated, but their shadow lingered—ominous and deliberate.
"They're regrouping," Kael said, scanning the horizon. "And they'll be back, stronger."
Lina's chest tightened. "Why are they after me? I thought it was just about the Rift."
Mira's voice echoed in her mind through the pendant. Not the Rift alone. They want its power… and you.
Lina frowned. "Me? Why me?"
Before Mira could answer, a pulse of energy radiated from the Rift below. Lina felt it as a sharp tug, almost like a warning. She knelt, pressing her hand to the earth, and visions flickered before her eyes: a council of pale-eyed Hunters, maps of fractured lands, and a dark crystal—similar to her pendant, but corrupted, black as night.
"They're collecting fragments of Rifts," Lina whispered. "Not just ours… multiple ones. They want to merge the power."
Kael's jaw tightened. "If they succeed, they could control the Rift's energy—and reshape the world."
The pendant pulsed violently, responding to Lina's fear and determination. Her mother's voice whispered, calm but urgent: They cannot be allowed to succeed. You must protect the Rifts. And prepare for what's coming.
Lina's mind raced. "So the Hunters aren't just enemies. They're… architects of chaos. They've been planning this for decades."
Mira's voice softened, guiding her thoughts. And your mother foresaw it. That's why she became one with the Rift. To stop the first step of their plan. And now, Lina… the rest is in your hands.
Lina clenched her fists. "Then I won't let them win. Whatever it takes."
Kael placed a hand on her shoulder. "You won't have to do it alone."
As the silver skies shimmered above, Lina realized the truth: the Hunters' plan was bigger than she imagined, and the next steps would test her powers, her resolve, and her trust in everyone around her.
Far below, the Rift pulsed, a silent heartbeat calling to its daughter.
The real battle for the world's fate had only just begun.