The monsters of the void were relentless, their shadowy forms swirling around the small protective circle of light like a pack of wolves waiting for a fire to die out. Kael moved close to Cassidy, his hand gripping her shoulder with a bruising force. He could feel the tremors racking her body, the sheer exhaustion that threatened to collapse her knees with every step she took."Do not falter," Kael whispered, his voice harsh and heavy with the fear he refused to show. "If that light flickers, we are dead. Do you understand me, Healer? Dead."Cassidy sobbed, a wretched sound that was swallowed instantly by the oppressive silence of the void. "I'm trying," she gasped, her face pale and slick with sweat. "It drains me... it feels like it's taking my life.""Then give it your life," Elira snapped from the other side, her dagger held out uselessly against the encroaching darkness. "Better to give it to the light than to have it ripped out by those things."Elira was terrified. She had alwa

The grand hall was a mess of broken glass and ruined marble. The odd smell hit him first as Kael lay on the cold floor. It was the smell of ash and what was left of his pride. He was numb and pain has enveloped him completely. His violent violet eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. The terrifying stillness that promised death hung heavily in the room. He remembered the void and the evil shadows that tore his men apart. The memory was a heavy red stamp on his mind. He had led them to their executions without trials. The rage that was eating him up had cooled into a bitter regret. He had the grit to do whatever it takes but grit was not enough against the abyss.Elira sat beside him on the ruined floor. She was breathing heavily and her hands were shaking badly. She looked at the empty space where the vortex had been. The shadows here were ancient and hiding but they offered no comfort now. She remembered the fangs tearing through muscle and skin as the guards were devoured. Fear burned

The fog was thick and the air was heavy in the Western area. The chilling smell hit her first as Gamora walked through the dead trees. It was the smell of rotting wood and old mud that dated back centuries; she could feel it with her magic, and beneath it was something else. It felt like a warning that filled the air. She knew of course that void magic always carried a strange aura even when it was old and unknown. But somehow it felt like a new presence was here apart from the ones she knew. Gamora kept her face hidden beneath her dark robes. The green orbs shone softly from her hands. They were not bright enough to be alert to any hidden enemy, but they were enough to see the markings on the wet ground. She was leading the cowardly King Aldric and Queen Seraphine to the coast.A sudden pain pulsed in her left wrist. It was not the ache from earlier when Kael breached the abyss. This was a sharp and cold pain that shot up her arm. Gamora stopped walking and her fingers tightened. Th

Kael stood at the centre, and couldn't decipher what was scribbled into the stone floor of the hidden room. He was pumped up and ready to strike the enemy that was hiding from him. The odd smell hit him first as he prepared the blood magic. Old paper dry and heavy with dust that dated back centuries filled his nose. He didn't feel it with his magic and beneath it was s, let's's,,let'ssss,",",",",",",,,,,,ss's's's'se. It felt like dried blood, and a metallic scent filled the air. He knew of course that shadow magic always carried a strange aura even when it was old and unknown. And somehow it felt like its presence was here apart from the ones he knew. But of course, darkness couldn't be owned by men who just wanted it for pleasure it needed men who had the grit to do whatever it takes to protect it. He turned to Elira and signalled her to watch him. From her hands, green orbs shone softly not bright enough to alert anyone outside but enough to see the markings on the wall. He studied

The odd smell hit him first. Old, dry paper, heavy with dust that dated back centuries, filled the room. He could feel it with his magic and beneath it was something else. It felt like defeat that bitter scent filled the air. knew, of course, knew that shadow magic always carried a strange aura, even when it was old and unknown. And somehow it felt like its presence was mocking him. Kael stood at the centre of the grand hall of the Duskborne estate. He was numb and pain had hadloped him completely because his blood magic had failed. His violent violet eyes stared blankly into the dark. The terrifying stillness that promised death hung heavily in the room. He remembered the fangs tearing through his muscle and skin on the altar. He remembered the betrayal of the cowardly king who celebrated with gold and spat on his grave. Those memories were the heavy red stamp on his heart. He was pumped up and ready to strike but he had no target to hit. Gamora had escaped and he didn't know how the