Chapter 14: The Shadows of Blackreach

Kael didn't believe in ghosts.

But if there were ever a place haunted by the dead, this was it.

Blackreach stretched before them like a graveyard of stone—abandoned towers, crumbling bridges, streets covered in thick layers of dust. The air was still, the silence pressing against her ears like a warning.

Kael didn't hesitate.

She moved with purpose, bow in hand, an arrow already nocked, eyes scanning the ruins.

Something was here.

She could feel it.

Behind her, Jorrik drew both his swords, the curved blades gleaming faintly under the dim blue glow of the ruined city.

Riven was slower, more relaxed, rolling his shoulders before unsheathing his single sword. The dark steel shimmered faintly, and Kael caught it this time—the magic woven into the blade.

She frowned.

"Magic?" she asked flatly.

Riven smirked. "Jealous?"

Kael ignored him. "What kind?"

Riven twirled the sword in his hand lazily. "Shadow magic. Makes me faster. Harder to hit."

Jorrik sighed. "Means he cheats in a fight."

Kael arched an eyebrow. "And you?"

Jorrik flicked one of his blades. A faint, golden fire rippled across the metal before vanishing. "Light magic. Burns through most things."

Kael nodded once, tucking the information away.

"Still no magic for you?" Riven asked, tilting his head.

Kael didn't answer.

She didn't need magic.

She had her bow.

And she was better with it than most mages were with their spells.

"Something's watching us," she muttered instead.

Riven turned to scan the ruins. "Yeah, I was hoping it was just my paranoia."

Jorrik adjusted his grip. "Stay sharp."

Kael already was.

The First Attack

The silence stretched.

Kael's breath slowed. She could feel the tension in the air, like a bowstring drawn tight, ready to snap.

Then—

A whisper of movement.

Kael spun, loosing an arrow without hesitation.

The bolt sliced through the air, hitting something just as it lunged from the shadows.

A hollow, inhuman screech echoed through the ruins.

Kael took a step back, her heart pounding.

The creature she had hit staggered—its form barely solid, a mass of shifting darkness, glowing with eerie blue veins.

Riven let out a slow breath. "Well. That's unsettling."

The creature turned its head toward her.

Kael didn't let it move.

She fired again, the arrow sinking deep into its core.

The thing shrieked and collapsed, its body dissolving into black mist.

Jorrik muttered, "What the hell is that?"

Kael was already pulling another arrow. "Doesn't matter. There are more."

Because in the distance, the ruins began to stir.

More of those things, shifting in the shadows, their glowing veins pulsing faintly.

Watching.

Waiting.

Kael exhaled. Fine. Let them come.

She was ready.

*The Battle in the Ruins*

The creatures moved fast.

But Kael was faster.

She fired, each arrow precise, unerring. The first creature fell mid-leap, her bolt slicing through its skull before it could reach them.

Jorrik was already moving—a blur of steel and golden fire, his twin swords cutting through the shifting darkness. His magic left searing trails, burning through the creatures like paper.

Riven fought with quick, sharp movements, his enchanted blade weaving through the air like a shadow itself. Every strike landed deeper, faster, his magic allowing him to dodge just before the creatures could land a hit.

But there were too many.

Kael moved, keeping her distance, firing relentlessly.

One creature lunged—she rolled, loosing an arrow mid-motion, pinning it to the broken ground before finishing it with another shot.

Another came from her blind spot—she pivoted, grabbing an arrow and driving it into its throat like a dagger.

She didn't hesitate. Didn't falter.

Because she was Kael Veyne.

And she never missed.

Riven, of course, had to make everything difficult.

"Try to keep up, sweetheart," he called, dodging another attack.

Kael loosed another arrow. "Try to shut up."

Jorrik laughed, twisting as his golden magic flared, cutting two creatures in half. "I like her."

Riven grinned. "I know. It's annoying, isn't it?"

Kael fired an arrow directly past Riven's head.

He didn't flinch.

But the creature behind him collapsed, dead.

Riven turned to glance at her, arching an eyebrow. "That almost looked like you were saving me."

Kael pulled another arrow from her quiver. "Don't get used to it."

*The Aftermath*

The last creature collapsed into mist, the ruins falling silent once more.

Kael lowered her bow, scanning the area.

Jorrik let out a breath, shaking his blades clean. "That was unpleasant."

Riven rolled his shoulders. "Could've been worse."

Kael wiped sweat from her forehead. "We should keep moving before more show up."

Riven exhaled, his smirk fading slightly. "Yeah. Let's go."

Kael frowned at the shift in his tone but didn't push.

Not yet.

Because whatever he was searching for—

They were getting close.

And Kael wasn't sure if she was ready for what they would find.