The flames in the sconces flickered violently, as though wind had entered the sealed chamber. But no wind blew. The sanctum was quiet, too quiet.
Velmira sat on her sacred stool before her altar, mixing a bowl of crushed ash and sacred oil, her chants low and deliberate. But then she paused.
A chill swept over her skin. Not from the cold but from presence. Watching. Waiting.
She straightened, turning slowly.
"Who walks here?" she asked, her voice calm but firm.
No response,
I feel you, she added.
Silence answered.
Her eyes glowed faintly, her fingertips shimmering with ancient energy.
"You hide in shadows," she said. "But shadows answer to me in this place."
A sudden gust of unnatural wind blew out two of the blue flames.
Then three hooded figures stepped from the corners of the room, cloaked in black, their faces masked with bone-painted designs.
Velmira's jaw tightened. "Who are you to enter my sanctuary uninvited?."
One of them stepped forward, his voice smooth but venom-laced. "We walk freely to wherever we choose. That shouldn't concern you, Seer."
The second added, "You meddled where you shouldn't and now you must face the consequences."
Velmira's eyes blazed brighter, her voice sharp and unwavering.
"You've made a mistake coming here."
The third figure chuckled, a low, guttural sound that crawled along the walls. His voice was rough and cold.
"No… the mistake was yours."
She didn't wait.
With a sharp motion, she flung her hand towards them, and a blast of blue energy surged forward. The first two figures were hit hard, thrown across the room like rag dolls. They crashed into the sanctum's stone pillars, groaning as they hit the ground.
But the third figure remained upright, untouched. The energy crackled around him, but he stood in the center, tall and unmoved, his masked gaze fixed on her.
Velmira narrowed her eyes, her voice wary.
"What are you?"
He took a step forward, unbothered.
"I knew you wouldn't be easy to bring down," he said. "That's why I'm here."
Velmira raised both hands, her fingers glowing like coals beneath a forge. The flames around the sanctum roared back to life, now burning bright blue and spiraling with sacred runes.
The very walls trembled.
"I am Velmira," she declared, her voice echoing with raw, ancient force.
"Seer of the Old Blood. Daughter of the Veil. Keeper of Flame and Whisper. You trespass in the house of Sight!"
Power exploded from her body in a radiant shockwave.
The two cultists who had just begun to rise were flung once again, this time with bone-cracking force, smashing against the far wall. Blood leaked from their noses and mouths, groans lost under the roar of magic.
But the third figure, he staggered, forced back a few steps, almost falling. The glow of Velmira's energy singed his cloak, cracking his mask.
He grunted but didn't fall.
Then, with a sudden hiss of black power, he raised his hand and thrust it toward her.
A spear of shadow and flame shot forward, fast, wild, and ancient.
It struck Velmira in the chest.
She screamed.
Her body flew backward, slamming against her altar. The bowl of sacred oil shattered, and blood mingled with ash on the floor.
Velmira gasped, struggling to rise, her limbs trembling.
The masked man approached slowly, hand still burning with dark magic.
"It didn't have to be this way, Seer," he said coldly. "But now, your voice must be silenced."
Velmira's eyes fluttered. But her lips moved again... whispering something… calling something.
Too late.
He brought out the sword from his robe.
He drove the blade into her.
Her breath caught.
And the light in her eyes dimmed.
Silverclaw Fortress – Alpha's Chambers Late Night
Moonlight filtered through the tall windows, casting faint silver across the tangled sheets and bare skin. Alpha Kaelion lay asleep, the rise and fall of his chest steady, one arm draped lazily over the edge of the bed. Beside him, Thalia lay curled against his side, her breathing soft, lips parted slightly in sleep.
A sudden voice echoed in his head, Beta Darian's mind-link, urgent and strained.
"Kaelion… it's late. Velmira hasn't arrived."
He'd been trying for a while but Kaelion unconscious barrier had blocked him out, until now.
Alpha Kaelion's eyes snapped open.
The wind howled faintly beyond the walls as he sat up.
Slowly, he sat up, the sheet slipping off his naked torso. He rubbed a hand down his face with a low sigh.
Then he turned to Thalia, lightly tapping her thighs. "Get up."
She stirred with a sleepy groan. "Hmm? Kael, what is it?"
Thalia, he called flatly.
She opened her eyes, blinking, then glanced towards the window.
"It's the middle of the night. Let me stay. Just till morning."
Kaelion stood, completely bare and moved towards the bathroom, as he spoke expression cold. "You came uninvited. I need you to leave, now."
Thalia blinked, sitting up fully, her expression darkening. "Wow. Did you really just say i wasn't invited? After how you ..."
Enough, Thalia.
He cut in sharply, slipping on his robe. "Don't mistake pleasure for permission."
She stared at him, wounded pride flickering behind her anger.
"Dress and leave." he repeated, not even sparing her a glance.
A long silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken tension. Then, without another word, Thalia got up and began gathering her clothes.
Kaelion said nothing more as she left, closing the door behind her.
He walked back to the bathroom to freshen up.
Moments later, Alpha Kaelion's Private sitting room.
Beta Darian stood in the room, arms crossed.
His face unreadable when Alpha Kaelion entered.
Kaelion, what's this? You knew we were to meet Velmira and you were with Thalia.
Darian asked with an anger laced voice.
Darian, Watch your tone. You should know better who you're talking to with that tone. Alpha Kaelion growled.
Darian looked at him feeling the energy in the room. I'm sorry, Alpha. He said bowing.
Alpha Kaelion sat on a sofa, motioned for Darian to sit also, which he did.
Where's she? Alpha Kaelion asked.
She hasn't come. Beta Darian replied.
Why? You said she told you she was coming over today.
Yes. She did, that's why i don't understand why she isn't here yet. Velmira isn't one not to keep to her words.
A beat of silence passed between them.
Alpha Kaelion stood up.
I'm tired of waiting and being in the dark.
We go to her tonight. His voice sharp and final.
Tonight? Beta Darian asked.
Yes. Get a few guards, we leave now.
On the Road to Velmira's Cottage – Midnight Drive
The engines hummed low through the night, two black SUVs cutting through the road like shadows. Headlights cut sharp golden paths through the dark, casting golden beams that sliced through the trees, stretching long, claw-like shadows across the trees.
The lead vehicle moved with precision, carrying four armed Silverclaw guards and a driver, handpicked, loyal, and trained for the Alpha security and personal protection.
Trailing close, the second SUV glided smoothly behind.
Inside, Alpha Kaelion sat in the back seat, eyes closed but fully alert. Dressed in a sleek black royal set, his presence filled the cabin with quiet power. Beta Darian rode in the front passenger seat, alert and focused, his eyes sweeping the darkness beyond the windshield.
No one spoke.
Only the crunch of tires and the low growl of engines stirred the silence.
Kaelion's thoughts churned beneath the stillness. Velmira's absence gnawed at him. With everything they'd uncovered, the sigil, the drained bodies, the dark tether, her silence wasn't just suspicious. It was dangerous.
The road narrowed.
Beta Darian glanced back slightly. "We're close."
Alpha Kaelion gave a slight nod, his golden eyes still closed.
The forest grew denser as the vehicles slowed, the path twisting with overgrowth. Then opened into a familiar clearing.
Velmira's home.
The cars stopped.
Doors opened in near silence.
The guards moved without a word, forming a perimeter. Weapons ready.
Alpha Kaelion and Beta Darian stepped forward, the air pressing down like a held breath.
They approached the main door. It was shut.
Alpha Kaelion's jaw tightened, his voice low and controlled. "Something feels wrong."
Beta Darian nodded grimly.
Her door never stays closed. It always opens the moment someone steps near it.
Beta Darian reached out, fingers brushing the handle.
He pushed it open.
The door creaked inward.
The smell hit immediately, iron, herbs and something faintly sour... blood.
Beta Darian stepped in first. Alpha Kaelion followed silently. The guards moved in behind them, spreading out with practiced ease.
And the sanctum greeted them with cold silence.