A Seer’s Revelation

Chapter 16

A Seer's Revelation

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Darkness surrounded Cater like a suffocating void, pressing in from every direction. He stood still, the air around him cold and unyielding. He tried to move, to break free, but an unseen force held him in place.

"Vera!" Cater's voice echoed into the endless black, but only silence answered him.

He closed his eyes, summoning his dark power. His body tensed as energy surged through him, but the void refused to yield. It felt as though the place itself was draining him, smothering his abilities.

"This place… It's blocking me," he muttered, frustration clawing at his chest.

Then he heard it—a voice, faint but filled with sadness.

"Cater, you have to wake up…"

His head snapped up, his heart aching as he recognized the voice. "Alric?" he called out, his voice trembling.

"I don't want to lose a friend," Alric's voice continued, raw with emotion. "I don't want to lose you."

Cater's breath hitched. He tried to respond, to tell Alric he was still here, trapped in this nightmare, but his voice was swallowed by the darkness. He screamed, the sound reverberating through the void, but it brought him no closer to freedom.

I have to break free. I have to destroy whatever's holding me.

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Back at the castle, Jane sat cross-legged in the middle of her room. She locked the door, her fingers tracing runes in the air as she whispered a spell to ensure no one could enter. The room grew darker as she extinguished the candles one by one.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her spellbook and began flipping through its worn pages. She searched frantically, her fingers trembling as they scanned each line of text.

Finally, her eyes stopped on a page. The spell she was looking for was there—a protective enchantment that would shield Cater from Vera's touch. If the demon tried to harm him again, she would face nothing but pain.

Jane knelt on the floor, drawing a glowing symbol with chalk. Her eyes turned an icy blue as she began chanting, the words ancient and powerful. Energy rippled through the room, making the walls tremble.

"I won't let you take him, Vera," Jane whispered fiercely. "I won't let Cater or anyone else fall to you."

The spell took hours to complete, draining her strength. When she was finally done, she sat back, taking a deep breath. But before she could rest, there was a knock at the door.

Jane froze, her heart pounding. Quickly, she waved her hand, casting another spell to erase all signs of magic from the room. The glowing runes disappeared, the chalk faded, and the candles reignited.

She stood and walked cautiously to the door, opening it to reveal the blind healer standing silently in the hallway.

"You?" Jane said, confused. "Do you need something?"

The man stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, his milky-white eyes turning toward her. "I smell magic," he said, his voice low.

Jane forced a laugh, crossing her arms defensively. "What are you talking about? There's no magic here. And besides, magic is forbidden in the castle. Anyone caught practicing it would be killed by King Authur—remember?"

The healer's unseeing eyes seemed to pierce through her. "I know you're a witch," he said calmly.

Jane stiffened, her blood running cold. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, her voice tight. "And if you're done, I have things to do. Thanks for stopping by."

She moved to escort him out, but he grabbed her wrist, his grip surprisingly strong. "Don't think I'm blind and foolish," he said. "I can smell it all around you—magic thick in the air. But that's not why I'm here."

Jane frowned, pulling her wrist free. "Then why are you here?"

"There's only one way to wake your friend," the healer said, his tone serious. "But it will take more than spells and willpower."

Jane stared at him, confusion and hope warring on her face. "What do you mean? How do you know all this?"

The man sighed. "I'm a seer. The last of my kind. My eyes may be blind, but I see what others cannot. I see truths hidden in the shadows, paths that others are too afraid to follow."

Jane's eyes widened. She had thought all the seers were gone, wiped out during the dark wars. "You're a seer?" she whispered, her voice filled with disbelief.

"Yes," the man said simply. "And if you don't act quickly, the Dark Lord's son will fall into an eternal sleep."

Jane's resolve hardened. She stepped closer, her gaze steady. "Then tell me what to do. I'll do anything to save him."

The healer extended his hands. "Take my hands, and I'll show you."

Jane hesitated for a moment before placing her hands in his. As soon as their skin touched, her eyes turned white, and her surroundings vanished.

A vision unfolded before her. She saw Cater lying motionless in his bed, his skin pale and his breathing shallow. She saw Alric kneeling beside him, tears streaming down his face.

"No," Jane whispered, her voice breaking. "Is he… dead?"

"Be silent and watch," the healer's voice echoed.

In the vision, Alric leaned closer to Cater, his hand trembling as he cupped Cater's cheek. Then, hesitantly, he pressed his lips against Cater's. The moment their lips met, a surge of energy rippled through the air, and Cater's eyes snapped open.

The vision ended abruptly, and Jane staggered back, her hands falling away from the healer's. She stared at him, her mind racing. "What does that mean?" she asked, her voice shaking.

The healer smiled faintly as he walked toward the door. "The reason Cater can't break free is because the love in his heart is holding him back. If you want him to wake, the one he loves must do the unthinkable."

Jane's eyes widened as she stepped forward. "You mean… Alric has to kiss him?"

The healer nodded, his expression unreadable. "You don't have much time, child. If you care about your friend, you'll do what needs to be done."

Without another word, the healer left, closing the door behind him.

Jane stood frozen in place, her thoughts spinning. How was she supposed to make the prince kiss Cater? How could she make Alric realize what Cater felt for him before it was too late?

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