Volume 43
Writer: Sabbir Ahmed
Chapter 16: The Hunters' Leader
The northern Rift lay ahead, a chasm of glowing silver fissures cutting through the mountain range. Lina and Elyra moved cautiously, their combined energy radiating from their pendants. The air pulsed with tension—the Hunters were waiting.
Kael crouched beside them. "There are more than fifty this time. They've mobilized faster than we anticipated."
Lina clenched her fists. "Then we hit them hard and together."
The first wave of Hunters emerged from the mist, weapons crackling with dark energy. Lina and Elyra raised their hands in unison. Silver light surged, intertwining, forming a barrier that repelled the attackers. The ground beneath them glowed, amplifying their bond.
The Hunters struck again, more coordinated this time. Lina's power surged in response, sending tendrils of light lashing out to push them back. Elyra mirrored her movements perfectly, their energies harmonizing into a rhythm neither had fully realized before.
"Focus on the Rift's energy!" Elyra shouted over the clash. "Draw it through us!"
Lina obeyed instinctively, letting the silver current flow between them. The combined force created a wave of light that threw dozens of Hunters backward, scattering their formation.
Then the air shifted. A new presence arrived—calm, deliberate, and terrifyingly powerful. From the shadows, a figure stepped forward, taller and broader than any Hunter Lina had seen. A dark cloak, silver eyes, and an aura of authority that seemed to bend the light itself.
"The key awakens… and so does the heir," the figure said, voice resonating with power. "I am Maltheris, and I will not allow you to stop what we've begun."
Lina's heart raced. She could feel the pendant pulsing faster, almost like a warning. Elyra's grip tightened on her arm. "That's… the leader?" she whispered.
"Yes," Lina said through clenched teeth. "And we can't let him reach the Rift."
Maltheris lifted his hand, sending a wave of dark energy surging toward them. Lina and Elyra combined their powers instantly, silver light meeting shadow in a blinding explosion. The ground shook, rocks splitting, and the air shimmered as the energy clashed.
For the first time, Lina realized the full scale of the war ahead. The Hunters had a leader who was not only powerful—but cunning. But with Elyra at her side, and the guidance of her mother's essence within the pendant, Lina knew she could face him.
The battle had begun—and it would decide the fate of the Rifts, the Hunters, and the world itself.