Chapter One

The wind screamed, ripping past her as the heavens gave way.

Cassiel plummeted through a torrent of cloud and light, her body spiraling helplessly toward the earth below. Once radiant and firm, her wings hung in tatters, their silver feathers trailing like ash in her wake. The sky above blurred into a smear of gold and shadow while the world below surged closer—a dark expanse of jagged mountains and dense, swaying forests.

The force of the descent tore at her, shredding what little strength she had left. Pain lanced through her shoulders, her arms, her legs—sharp and unrelenting. Her senses were a blur of searing light and deafening sound, each moment stretching into an eternity as gravity dragged her downward.

Then came the impact.

The earth rose to meet her with brutal finality.

Cassiel hit the ground with a force that split the air like thunder. The shockwave rippled outward, shaking the forest to its roots. Flocks of birds erupted from the trees, their panicked cries swallowed by the resounding crack of splitting rock. The soil beneath her buckled and caved, cradling her broken form in a shallow crater.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Her chest heaved as she fought to draw breath, each inhale a sharp stab in her ribs. The damp scent of dirt and crushed pine filled her nostrils, heavy and alien. She blinked her vision, the edges darkened by a haze of pain and exhaustion.

Her fingers twitched against the soil, searching for something to anchor her. They brushed against the smooth, cold metal.

The sword.

Her hand closed around the hilt, instinct guiding her even as her strength waned. She tried to lift it, but the weight felt wrong—unbalanced, broken. Her gaze flickered down, and she saw the jagged edge where the blade had been severed, the most extended piece missing. The once-flawless weapon, its surface etched with celestial light, now lay shattered in her grasp.

A surge of despair threatened to overwhelm her, but the searing ache in her limbs drowned it out.

Cassiel tried to move, but her body refused to obey. Her wings dragged limply at her sides, feathers crushed and bent, a mockery of their former splendor. She shifted her arm, planted her palm against the ground, and pushed.

The effort sent white-hot pain shooting up her back. She collapsed, her head falling against the dirt, the forest spinning around her in a dizzying blur.

She lay there, motionless, as fragments of memory began to surface.

The darkness had come without warning, a shadow sweeping through the heavens. She remembered the faces of her siblings—brief flashes of light and sound—fighting against an overwhelming force. Then... nothing. Only the sensation of falling.

Her breathing hitched as she tried to recall more, but the pain clawing through her body made it difficult to think. She squeezed her eyes shut, her grip tightening on the broken sword as if holding it could tether her to something real.

The forest around her was alive with faint sounds—the rustle of leaves, the distant caw of birds—but it all felt distant, muted. The light above her began to dim as the sun sank lower on the horizon, casting long shadows across the crater.

Cassiel swallowed hard, willing herself to rise.

She couldn't stay here.

Her muscles trembled as she tried again, pushing against the ground with all the strength she could muster. Her wings dragged behind her, limp and useless, but she managed to lift herself a few inches before collapsing again.

A frustrated gasp escaped her lips as her body sank back into the dirt.

"Move," she muttered, her voice hoarse and shaking. "Get up."

But no matter how often she tried, the result was the same. Her strength had abandoned her, leaving her helpless and alone.

The world around her blurred as exhaustion pulled at her, the edges of her vision darkening. Somewhere in the distance, she thought she felt a faint tremor—a disturbance in the earth—but she couldn't be sure if it was authentic or a trick of her failing senses.

For now, all she could do was lie there, waiting.

Cassiel wasn't sure how much time had passed before she heard the faint crunch of footsteps.

Her head turned weakly, her vision hazy, but the sound drew closer—deliberate and steady, not the erratic shuffle of an animal. A shadow moved between the trees, and slowly, a figure came into focus.

Cassiel blinked, struggling to stay conscious. She tightened her grip on the broken hilt of her sword, though it felt like trying to hold water in her trembling fingers.

The figure emerged from the underbrush—a young woman, tall and lean, her dark hair tied back in a braid. She wore a worn tunic and sturdy boots, a basket slung over her shoulder. Her steps faltered as her gaze landed on Cassiel.

"What in the..." the woman muttered, stopping several paces away. Her sharp eyes darted to the tattered wings splayed in the dirt and the jagged blade lying nearby.

Cassiel tried to speak, but her throat was dry, her voice rasping. "Please..."

The woman stiffened, her hand instinctively moving to the knife at her hip. She studied Cassiel for a long moment, her brow furrowing with something between wariness and disbelief.

"Who are you?" the woman asked, her voice careful but edged with suspicion.

Cassiel swallowed hard, her lips parting. The word came out hoarse but firm. "Cassiel."

The woman's gaze flickered to the cratered ground around her, then back to the sword. "What happened to you?"

Cassiel hesitated, her chest tightening. She didn't want to answer, but the words slipped out, heavy and brittle. "I fell," she said softly, her voice cracking.

The woman's frown deepened. She glanced around the clearing, expecting someone else to appear, then back at Cassiel. "You... fell?"

Cassiel closed her eyes briefly, the memories pressing against her like a weight. "From somewhere... higher," she murmured, her voice trembling.

The woman's grip on her knife eased, though the tension in her stance didn't fade. She took a slow step forward, crouching carefully. "You're hurt," she said, her tone quieter now.

Cassiel nodded weakly. "I can't move."

The woman hesitated, glancing over her shoulder at the forest behind her. Her jaw tightened, and she muttered something under her breath. Then, with a sharp exhale, she moved closer.

"Alright," she said, her voice steadier now. "Let's get you up. Can you lean on me?"

Cassiel's body trembled as she tried to shift, pain flaring through her back and wings. Her legs refused to hold her weight, and she sagged back against the dirt with a frustrated gasp. "I... I can't," she whispered.

The woman rubbed the back of her neck, muttering again. "This is probably a mistake," she said, more to herself than Cassiel.

She crouched beside Cassiel, slipping an arm under her shoulders. "Okay," she said, her tone brisk. "This will hurt, but I'm not leaving you here."

Cassiel gritted her teeth as the woman pulled her upright. Her legs wobbled, her wings dragging uselessly behind her, but the woman steadied her grip.

"You're heavier than I thought," the woman muttered, more to herself than Cassiel.

Cassiel barely registered the comment; her focus narrowed to keep upright. She swayed, and for a moment, it felt as though the air itself shifted beneath her, a faint breeze easing the strain on her weight.

The woman adjusted her hold on Cassiel, her expression unreadable. "Name's Alyna, by the way," she said as she began guiding Cassiel toward the edge of the clearing. "You might as well know who's hauling you out of here."

Cassiel forced her lips to move. "Thank you... Alyna," she said softly.

The forest seemed darker with every step, the thick canopy overhead swallowing the last traces of daylight. Cassiel leaned heavily on Alyna, her body trembling with exhaustion. Her wings dragged limply behind her, their weight a constant reminder of her broken state.

Alyna adjusted her grip on Cassiel's waist, her tone brisk but steady. "You're lucky I found you when I did. These woods aren't exactly welcoming."

Cassiel glanced at her, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"

"They're dangerous," Alyna replied. "Always have been, but worse lately. You don't want to run into a shadow elk or a bone-winged drake—not without something sharp and a bit of luck."

"Bonewinged Drake?" Cassiel asked, her voice quiet but tinged with curiosity.

Alyna smirked faintly. "Big lizard. Wings like glass. More temper than sense. You hear their scream. You run the other way."

Cassiel frowned, her gaze flicking to the shadows between the trees. "Then why are you out here?"

Alyna hesitated for a moment before answering, her tone pragmatic. "Because I can hold my own. Most of the animals don't get close unless they're desperate anyways." She shifted her grip on Cassiel, steadying her as they stepped over a gnarled root. "Besides, someone's got to forage. Times like these, there's no room for sitting idle."

Cassiel nodded faintly, though her legs threatened to give out beneath her. "What do you mean by desperate?"

Alyna glanced at her, her expression tightening. "The forest is... off. Animals are acting strangely, and plants are dying when they shouldn't. Even the river's been running lower than usual. No one knows why, but whatever it is, it's making things harder for everyone."

They walked in silence for a moment, the oppressive stillness of the forest settling over them like a weight. Cassiel's thoughts churned as she leaned against Alyna, her grip tightening on the broken hilt of her sword.

"What will your village think?" she asked, her voice soft. "About a stranger like me."

"They'll help," Alyna said. "The people in Rothmoor are... kind."

Cassiel studied her, "Are you sure?."

"I am," Alyna replied.

They continued down the narrow path, the air growing colder and heavier. Cassiel glanced at the shadows more often, the faint rustling of leaves sounding too deliberate to be the wind.

A low growl broke the silence.

Cassiel froze, her body tensing as her gaze snapped toward the sound. A figure emerged from the gloom—a wolf.

Its black fur gleamed faintly in the dim light, and its amber eyes burned with an intensity that sent a chill down Cassiel's spine. It moved with quiet precision, its steps slow and deliberate, its gaze fixed on her.

Alyna stiffened, her hand dropping to her sword. "That's... not right," she muttered, her tone low.

Cassiel glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

"There are no wolves like that in these woods," Alyna said, drawing her blade with a whisper of steel. "It doesn't belong here."

The wolf growled again, its lips curling back to reveal sharp, glistening teeth.

Cassiel gripped the broken hilt of her sword tightly, though she doubted its effectiveness. Her legs trembled beneath her, her wings dragging uselessly, but she forced herself to stay upright.

"What do we do?" she asked, her voice low.

"Back away," Alyna said quietly. "Slowly."

They began to retreat, their steps deliberate and careful. The wolf followed, its movements fluid, its unblinking gaze never leaving Cassiel.

"This thing isn't hunting," Alyna muttered under her breath. "It's... watching."

Cassiel felt the weight of the wolf's gaze pressing against her like a tangible force. It wasn't hunger that burned in its eyes—it was something more profound.

The wolf crouched suddenly, its muscles coiling as it prepared to strike.

Alyna stepped forward, her blade raised, her stance firm. The air around her shifted subtly, a faint breeze brushing past Cassiel's skin.

"If it jumps, move," Alyna said sharply.

The wolf lunged.

Cassiel's chest tightened as she reached inside herself, where her power once flowed. Heat flickered weakly in her core, sputtering like dying embers.

Please, she thought desperately, her grip tightening on the broken hilt. Not now. Not like this.

The heat surged, faint but growing, just as the wolf's jaws reached the arc of its leap. A burst of fire erupted around them, roaring to life in a wide circle. The wolf yelped as it collided with the flames, twisting midair and landing hard on the ground.

It rose slowly, pacing along the edge of the fire. Its amber eyes glowed with an unnatural light, burning with something almost... knowing.

Alyna held her ground, her sword still raised. "What the hell is it waiting for?"

Cassiel swayed, her legs buckling as the flames sputtered. The wolf tilted its head slightly, its gaze lingering on her.

Then it turned and disappeared into the shadows, its growl faintly echoing as it vanished.

Cassiel collapsed, her vision blurring. Alyna caught her as she fell, her voice sharp and panicked.

"Cassiel! Stay with me! Don't you dare pass out on me now!"

Cassiel's lips parted, but the words never came. Alyna's voice was the last thing she heard before the darkness claimed her.