Chapter 102: A Glimpse of Darkness

Lysandra froze as Elara stepped closer, her silhouette half-illuminated by the dim light of Kael's lantern approaching in the distance. The sorceress' voice came like a serpent's hiss, weaving through the air with a sickening sweetness.

"You really think you could escape me?" Elara taunted, her lips curling into a predatory smile. "You and that light of yours are far from mastering its true power."

Lysandra's grip tightened on the scroll, holding it close to her chest. The words she had read still lingered in her mind, their meaning unclear but ominous. "What do you want, Elara?" she demanded, struggling to keep her voice steady.

Elara's laughter echoed through the library, a hollow, unsettling sound that seemed to vibrate in the very walls around them. "I don't just want your power, dear girl," she replied, her eyes narrowing as she stepped even closer. "I want you to understand it… and to suffer for it."

Before Lysandra could react, Elara's hand shot out, grasping the scroll from her grasp. She tried to resist, but the sorceress' strength was unnatural, as if she drew power directly from the darkness that seemed to follow her like a shadow.

Kael's voice rang out as he rounded the corner, lantern raised high. "Lysandra, get away from her!" he shouted, drawing his sword in one swift motion.

But Elara only smirked, her gaze flicking to Kael with a dangerous gleam. "So protective, aren't we?" she mused. "But it's too late."

With a flick of her wrist, dark energy burst from her fingertips, slamming into Kael and sending him flying back into the shelves. Books toppled and scattered as he hit the ground, groaning in pain.

"Kael!" Lysandra cried out, her heart pounding in her ears.

Elara's grip tightened on the scroll, and she whispered an incantation that Lysandra could barely comprehend. The parchment glowed briefly before crumbling to ash in her hands. "You won't be needing that," she said, her tone filled with cruel satisfaction.

A surge of rage coursed through Lysandra. Without thinking, she lunged at Elara, light flaring from her hands. But the sorceress was too quick. She sidestepped the attack effortlessly, sweeping Lysandra's legs out from under her and pinning her to the cold stone floor.

"You're still so weak, little Lightbearer," Elara whispered, leaning in close. "But don't worry. I'll make you stronger, whether you like it or not."

Lysandra struggled beneath her, but the sorceress' dark magic sapped her strength, leaving her helpless. As Elara's grip tightened, a sinister smile spread across her face. "We'll meet again soon," she promised, "and when we do, you will beg for the darkness."

With a final, mocking laugh, she vanished into the shadows, leaving Lysandra gasping on the ground.

Kael staggered to his feet, his expression twisted with pain and concern as he hurried to her side. "Lysandra, are you alright?" he asked, pulling her into his arms.

She nodded, though her entire body trembled. "We need to find another way," she said, her voice a hoarse whisper. "The ritual… there has to be more than one path to unlocking my power."

Kael's gaze hardened. "We'll find it, no matter what it takes."

As they picked themselves up from the floor, Lysandra couldn't help but feel the darkness closing in on them once more. Elara's words echoed in her mind, and a small part of her feared that the sorceress might be right—that she would have to embrace the darkness to truly understand her own light.

To be continued...