Chapter Fifteen – A Shadowed Warning
The night was unusually quiet. Too quiet.
Kael stood at the edge of the Bloodstone Plains, the wind tugging at his black cloak. His sword was sheathed, but his hand hovered near the hilt, tense and ready. Every instinct screamed that something was wrong.
Behind him, Aria slept by the small fire they'd built. She lay curled beneath the cloak he'd given her, her hair catching the silver moonlight. For a fleeting moment, Kael let himself look at her—really look—without the weight of curses or prophecies pressing down.
But that fragile peace was shattered by the echo of a voice in his mind.
You can't save her, Kael.
---
His jaw clenched. The voice was familiar—cold, mocking. The witch.
Kael's glowing eyes scanned the shadows. "Show yourself," he growled.
Laughter drifted on the wind, low and taunting. "Still so protective of your little mortal? How… pitiful. Do you think she'll still want you once she knows what you truly are?"
Kael's grip on his sword tightened. "You won't touch her."
"Oh, but I already have," the witch whispered, her tone dripping with malice. "She's marked now. Do you think that mark is a gift? No, my dear king—it's a chain. And it will pull her into the darkness, with or without you."
---
Kael's breath grew heavier, rage burning beneath his skin. He could fight armies, destroy shadows, but the witch's words dug where no blade could reach—his heart.
"Get out of my head," he snarled.
The witch chuckled softly. "Soon, Kael. Very soon, you'll have to choose between her life… and your curse."
The voice faded, leaving only the sound of the wind.
---
"Kael?"
He turned sharply to see Aria stirring. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, her hair tumbling over her shoulders like dark silk. "You're awake again," she said softly.
"I couldn't sleep," he admitted.
Aria studied him for a moment, then stood and walked over. "You look… different. What happened?"
"Nothing," he said quickly, too quickly. "Go back to sleep."
---
Her brows furrowed. "You're lying. I can tell."
Kael sighed and turned away, unable to meet her gaze. "I heard her. The witch."
Aria froze. "What did she say?"
"That you're in danger because of me. That I can't protect you forever." His voice was low, rough. "And she's right. If I stay close to you, I'll only bring her closer."
---
Aria's chest tightened. She stepped closer, reaching for his arm. "You're wrong. You're the only reason I'm still alive."
Kael turned to her then, his eyes glowing fiercely. "Aria, I've lived long enough to know that everyone who gets close to me… dies. I won't let that happen to you."
"Then stop pushing me away," she said, her voice trembling but firm. "I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid of losing you."
---
Her words stunned him. For a moment, all he could do was stare, his breath caught in his throat.
"Aria…" he began, but whatever he'd meant to say died on his lips.
Instead, he stepped closer, his hand rising to cup her cheek. His thumb brushed over her skin, lingering like he couldn't bear to let go.
"You make me want things I shouldn't," he whispered.
"Then want them," she whispered back.
---
Kael's lips parted, and for a moment it seemed like he would kiss her again—but the ground beneath them suddenly trembled.
The fire sputtered out, and a wave of cold, suffocating air rolled over the plains.
Kael stiffened, his hand dropping to his sword. "She's here."
---
Aria's heart leapt into her throat. "The witch?"
Kael nodded, his expression dark. "Stay behind me."
But before Aria could move, black vines erupted from the ground, snaking toward them like living chains. Kael swung his sword, cutting through them with bursts of black fire, but for every vine he severed, two more took its place.
---
Aria summoned her silver light instinctively, her palm glowing bright. "Kael!"
"Don't let them touch you!" he shouted, slicing another vine. But as he turned to protect her, one of the vines lashed out and wrapped around his arm, searing his skin with shadow.
"Kael!" Aria screamed. Without thinking, she thrust her glowing hand forward, sending a wave of silver energy into the vines. They burned and shriveled instantly, releasing Kael.
---
Her magic pulsed brighter than ever, flooding the plains with silver light. Kael turned to her, his glowing eyes wide with shock.
"Aria…"
But before he could finish, a figure appeared in the distance. The witch.
Her silhouette shimmered like smoke, her crimson eyes glowing with cruel amusement. "Well, well," she purred. "The little heir learns fast."
---
"Leave her alone," Kael snarled, stepping in front of Aria.
The witch tilted her head, smirking. "Oh, I will—if you give me what I want."
"Which is?" Kael spat.
"You," the witch said simply. "Break the bond, walk into my shadows, and I'll let the girl live."
---
Aria's breath caught. "No! Kael, don't listen to her."
Kael's jaw clenched. He didn't look at Aria; his eyes were fixed on the witch. "And if I refuse?"
"Then she dies," the witch said, smiling. "Slowly."
---
The air thickened with tension. Kael's grip on his sword tightened, his mind torn between rage and fear.
Aria stepped forward, her voice trembling but strong. "You don't get to decide my fate. I'm not afraid of you."
The witch laughed, low and cold. "Oh, you will be."
With a wave of her hand, the shadows around them surged like a storm.
---
Kael grabbed Aria's hand. "Run!" he shouted, pulling her toward the ridge.
They barely made it to the edge before the vines slammed down where they had stood seconds before. Kael swung his sword in one hand while holding Aria's with the other, the two of them moving as one.
But the witch's laughter followed them, echoing like a curse.
---
When they finally stopped, far from the attack, Aria's heart was pounding.
"She wants you," she said softly.
Kael nodded, his face grim. "She always has. But now she knows you're my weakness."
Aria looked at him, her chest tightening. "Then we make sure she never uses that against us."
---
Kael's eyes softened as he looked at her. "Aria…" He hesitated, his voice low. "If something happens to me—"
"No," she cut him off. "Don't you dare say that. Nothing is going to happen to you. Not while I'm here."
---
For a long moment, he just stared at her, like she was something he couldn't believe was real.
Then he whispered, almost to himself, "You're going to be the end of me."
Aria's lips curved faintly, though fear still lingered in her eyes. "Then we'll face the end together."