The silence that followed the General's disappearance was heavier than the blizzard itself. Elara turned to look at Kaelen, who was standing a few paces away, his face pale and his eyes fixed on the ground. The crystal in her palm pulsed with a strange, rhythmic throb—a warning she didn't want to understand.
"What did he mean, Kaelen?" she asked, her voice trembling. "What infection was he talking about?"
Kaelen didn't answer at first. He slowly raised his hand, pulling back the sleeve of his midnight-blue cloak. There, etched into his skin, were the same dark, pulsing veins she had seen on the Void-Breakers. "I was a soldier of the Council long before I was your guide, Elara," he whispered, his voice thick with regret. "They don't let their hunters go so easily. They planted a shadow in my heart, and every time you use the crystals, it grows stronger."
Elara felt the world spinning. Her only ally was becoming the very thing they were fighting.