🔥 Chapter 13 — Secrets in the Ruins
The valley fell silent after the Shadow General's defeat, but Kael knew it was only temporary. The Ember along his arm pulsed faintly, as if warning him that danger was never far behind.
Rhyne surveyed the ruins of the frozen valley, eyes sharp. "The General was only one of the King's scouts. There are more coming—and I suspect the next will be stronger."
Kael wiped sweat from his brow, fire still flickering along his hands. "Then we find them first. We can't let them reach the central highlands."
The two navigated through the shattered ice and shattered stone, following faint traces of magic left behind by the Shadow General. The landscape was scarred, twisted by the battle, and the sky above pulsed faintly with the Harrowed King's influence.
Rhyne stopped suddenly, pointing to a series of crumbling towers on the horizon. "Look there. These ruins predate even the King's rise. I've heard whispers—ancient texts call them the Veil Bastion. If the King's generals are moving through it, they might be using its magic to amplify their power."
Kael's Ember pulsed sharply. "Then we investigate. But carefully."
As they approached, the ruins seemed almost alive. Shadows shifted unnaturally, walls creaking, stones moving as if breathing. Kael felt the Ember warning him of hidden threats.
Suddenly, faint figures emerged from the ruins—humanoid, cloaked in shadow, but different from any creatures they had faced before. Their eyes glimmered with intelligence, and dark sigils glowed faintly on their arms.
"Guardians," Rhyne whispered. "Sentinel spirits, bound to the King's will. They test those who approach the Bastion."
Kael ignited the Ember, fire spiraling along his arms. "Then we show them what happens when the Ember meets darkness."
The guardians advanced, moving in perfect coordination, forcing Kael and Rhyne into a narrow path. Flames met shadow, sparks flying as Emberfire clashed with the guardians' magic.
Amidst the chaos, Kael glimpsed a larger silhouette beyond the ruins—a towering figure, radiating power far beyond the guardians. One of the King's elite generals was waiting inside, and the pulse of the crack above seemed to synchronize with its heartbeat.
Kael clenched his fists, Ember blazing bright. "This is it, Rhyne. We face the next general. And I have to be ready… or the northern highlands fall."
Rhyne's silver blade glinted. "Then we go in. Together."
The ruins swallowed them as they charged, the battle for the Veil Bastion beginning.