The night stretches on like an endless road, dark and uncertain. Kael and I walk in silence, the weight of our conversation hanging between us like a thick fog. His presence is a strange comfort, but the tension in my chest hasn't eased. If anything, it's grown heavier, pressing down with each step I take.
We reach the edge of Corvalis, where the skyline gives way to the outskirts—a place where few dare to venture after dark. I can feel the danger lurking, the shadow of the Revenants watching us, waiting for a slip-up. I've lived my entire life in hiding, avoiding attention, staying invisible. But now, it feels like I'm stepping into a storm I can't outrun.
Kael doesn't say anything as we move deeper into the abandoned streets. His eyes scan the area constantly, alert, as if expecting someone—or something—to jump out of the shadows. I keep my senses sharp too, feeling the crackling electricity in the air, the anticipation of something coming.
"Where are we going?" I finally break the silence, my voice cutting through the tension.
"To the safe house," Kael replies, his tone low. "We need to keep you hidden while we figure out our next move."
I glance over at him, still processing everything he's told me. "And what exactly is the next move? If I'm supposed to stop the Revenants, how do I even begin? I can't control this power. I don't even know if I can trust myself with it anymore."
"You're not alone," Kael says again, his voice steady. "We'll figure this out together. I've spent years researching everything I can about the Revenants, about your Gift. I won't let you face this alone."
His words should reassure me, but they only make me feel more trapped. The closer I get to the truth, the more I realize that the choices I have left are narrowing, like a cage slowly closing in. Every time I take someone's power, a part of me dies. And if I keep doing it, I'll lose myself completely.
As we round a corner, I catch a flicker of movement in the corner of my eye. My heart skips a beat. Before I can react, a figure steps into our path, blocking our way.
A tall woman, draped in dark robes, her face hidden beneath a hood. She's not alone. Two more figures step out from the shadows, all of them radiating a strange, dangerous energy that sends a chill down my spine.
I can feel it immediately—these are no ordinary people. These are Revenants.
Kael tenses beside me, his mind racing, and I know he's calculating our options. I don't even have to ask. I can see the way his eyes flicker with recognition.
"Kael," the woman's voice is smooth, but laced with venom. "I've been waiting for this moment."
"Not tonight, Elysia," Kael growls, his hand subtly shifting toward the knife at his belt. But his gaze flicks to me, and in that moment, I see the warning in his eyes. "Lyra, get back."
I don't need to be told twice. Instinctively, I take a step back, heart pounding in my chest. But the Revenants are already closing in.
"We've been watching you, Lyra," Elysia continues, her voice soft but chilling. "You think you can hide from us? You're the key to everything. And we'll have you, one way or another."
Kael steps in front of me, his stance protective. "Not today."
But Elysia only smiles, a cruel twist of her lips. "You can't protect her forever, Kael. She's already marked."
I don't know what that means, but the dread in my chest spikes, the stone creeping further into my heart. I feel the weight of their words, the gravity of their intentions. They know something I don't. They know what I'm capable of, and they want to use it.
But I won't be their pawn.
"I won't let you take me," I say, the words slipping out before I can stop them. My power stirs, restless beneath my skin, a force I can't fully control but can feel rising to the surface.
Kael's hand moves, quick as lightning, drawing the knife from his belt. The sound of metal sliding from its sheath is sharp, a promise of the battle to come. But even as he readies himself, I can sense the danger in the air. We're outnumbered, and I'm not sure how long we can keep up this fight.
Elysia's smile widens. "We'll see, won't we?"
Before Kael can react, one of the other Revenants lunges forward, their hand outstretched. A dark, sickly energy pulses from their fingertips, and I feel a jolt of pain shoot through me, like a dagger slicing into my soul. My breath hitches as the stone in my chest shifts, and for a moment, I feel my heart seize, the weight of it almost too much to bear.
But I won't let it consume me.
"Lyra!" Kael shouts, his voice filled with urgency.
I have no choice. I have to fight. I have to survive.
With a shout, I focus on the power within me, pulling on it, pulling from the darkness that threatens to swallow me whole. I steal the Revenant's energy, a surge of power that shocks through my veins, sharp and painful. But I feel the stone inside me shift, harden, and I grit my teeth against the crushing weight.
Kael's eyes widen as the light around us seems to flicker. "No, Lyra, don't—!"
But it's too late. I've already taken the power, and with it, a piece of my heart.
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