Warning

"Caelan, where are you?"

 Elara found herself once again in the dream world, but something was different this time—something was wrong.

 "Caelan!" she called out, her voice trembling as she turned in place. The once vibrant fields, filled with golden light and the scent of wildflowers, were now darkened, consumed by shadows that twisted unnaturally in the wind. A creeping unease slithered into her heart.

 She wandered through the dim landscape, searching desperately for him. When she finally spotted their secret place—the large oak tree where they used to hide away together—relief momentarily washed over her. But as she stepped closer, dread coiled in her gut. The air around it was heavy, thick with something unnatural. A warning echoed in her mind, urging her to turn back.

 "Caelan..." she whispered.

 He was there, leaning against the tree, but he wasn't the same. His posture was rigid, his expression cold, and his piercing eyes—once filled with warmth—held only darkness. The moment he met her gaze, his jaw tightened.

 "You shouldn't have come!" he snapped, his voice sharp with urgency. "Go back, Elara!"

 Her breath hitched. What is happening?

 "Caelan, why are you saying this?" she asked, stepping forward.

 His gaze flickered for a moment—hesitation? Pain? But then his expression hardened once more.

 "I've already told you," he said, his tone void of emotion. "I don't love you, Elara. I never have."

 The words struck like a dagger to her chest, and she staggered back, shaking her head.

 "I don't believe you," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "Please, let me come near you. I miss you."

 Ignoring his warning, she moved closer, reaching out with trembling hands. As she gently cupped his face, her thumb traced the sharp edge of his jaw, just as she had done countless times before.

 "See?" she murmured. "I'm here. Please come back to me."

 For a fleeting moment, something shifted in his eyes—something familiar, something real. He leaned in slightly, his lips just a breath away from hers.

 "My sweet Elara..."

 But in an instant, the warmth disappeared. A sinister smirk curled at the corners of his lips, and before she could react, his hands shot forward, wrapping around her throat.

 "You are nothing but a means to an end!" His voice was deeper now, filled with malice and twisted amusement. His grip tightened, pinning her against the tree as she gasped for air. "You should have listened. Now it's too late for you!"

 Panic surged through her as she clawed at his hands, her vision darkening.

 "Caelan! Caelan!" she tried to scream, but no sound escaped.

"Elara! Wake up!"

 A voice cut through the suffocating darkness.

 "Elara!"

 She jolted awake with a violent gasp, her body trembling uncontrollably. Her vision swam as she tried to make sense of where she was.

 "Taryn?"

 Taryn knelt beside her, gripping her hands tightly, her expression filled with worry.

 "Elara, are you alright?" she asked, searching her face for answers.

 Elara inhaled shakily, the phantom sensation of Caelan's grip still lingering around her neck. She glanced down at Taryn's hands holding hers.

 "Yes… Could you let go of me?" she murmured, her voice hoarse.

 Taryn quickly released her but didn't move away. "You were screaming," she said. "Thrashing in your sleep. I thought you were being attacked."

 Elara rubbed at her throat absentmindedly. "It felt real," she admitted.

 Taryn's gaze darkened. "Do you want to talk about it?"

 Elara hesitated. A part of her wanted to confide in Taryn, but how could she explain a dream that felt like a memory?

 "No," she said finally. "It was just a nightmare."

 Taryn studied her, clearly unconvinced, but she didn't push. Instead, she stood and offered Elara a hand.

 "Come on," she said. "We should keep moving. Something tells me we don't have much time before trouble finds us again."

 Elara took her hand and pulled herself up. As they continued their journey, she couldn't shake the feeling that the dream wasn't just a dream.

 It was a warning.

 And if it was true—if Caelan was really out there—then she had more to fear than she had ever imagined.

As they continued walking through the dense forest, following paths unfamiliar to Elara, a strange sensation began to prickle at her palm—the very hand that once held the amulet in her dreams. At first, she ignored it, clenching and unclenching her fingers in an attempt to shake the feeling away. But as time passed, the sensation grew stronger, almost burning, as though something within her was stirring.

She cast a sidelong glance at Taryn, wondering if she could truly trust her companion.

Then, the air shifted. It was subtle at first, a faint, unnatural stillness that made Elara's breath hitch. The forest, once filled with the distant calls of birds and rustling leaves, had fallen eerily silent. The same silence she had felt when she broke through Eldoria's barrier.

A shiver ran down her spine.

"Taryn, something is wrong," she whispered, dread tightening her chest.

"I've noticed," Taryn replied, her voice tense. She didn't look at Elara, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, her entire demeanor shifting from carefree to alert.

Elara barely had time to react before dark figures emerged from the trees, moving with the same chilling precision as those from before.

"Taryn, stop!" Elara shouted, fear taking over as she threw herself in front of her companion.

The hooded figures closed in, their silent presence suffocating. It was happening again. The same nightmare. The same looming sense of helplessness.

"Taryn, I'm sorry," Elara whispered, her voice breaking.

Taryn frowned but said nothing.

Elara turned to the hooded men, her heart hammering against her ribs. "Please, let her go! She has nothing to do with this!" she pleaded, but they didn't acknowledge her words. They moved forward in unison, forming a circle around them.

Then the chanting began.

A deep, resonant hum filled the air, sending chills down Elara's spine.

"No!" she cried, tears streaming down her face. The burning in her palm intensified—this time, she embraced it. A raw, desperate power surged through her veins, answering her unspoken command. "I won't let you hurt her!"

With a sharp movement, she thrust her hand forward, and a beam of brilliant light erupted from her palm. Three of the hooded men were struck instantly, vanishing into nothingness.

Elara didn't hesitate—she grabbed Taryn's hand and ran.

They nearly made it.

The moment they reached the break in the circle, the hooded figures reacted. The gap closed, sealing their escape. Their chants never wavered.

Elara's breath came in short gasps.

"Elara?" Taryn's voice reached her, but Elara couldn't respond. Fear, panic, guilt—they all swirled within her, mixing into a suffocating weight.

"I'm so sorry, Taryn! This is all my fault!"

Taryn looked at her and made a split-second decision. She had promised herself she wouldn't use her skills again, but she had no choice.

"Don't worry, Elara. I've got you."

Without hesitation, she pulled six knives from her belt. A soft emerald glow pulsed along their edges as she flung them toward the nearest attackers. The knives found their marks, striking with unerring precision. As they returned to her hands, they sliced through even more enemies along the way.

Elara watched in stunned silence.

"Elara, move! We'll talk later!"

Elara nodded, shaking herself out of her trance, and turned to run. But just as she took her first step, a voice—deep, cruel, and chilling—echoed in her mind.

"There is nowhere for you to run, Elara."

Her feet stopped. Her body froze.

"Elara!" Taryn grabbed her wrist, trying to pull her forward, but Elara remained rooted in place, her eyes wide with horror.

The laughter that followed sent ice through Taryn's veins.

"You are mine, Elara. No one can save you. Only death awaits them."

Taryn's grip tightened. "Elara! Snap out of it! We have to go! Don't listen to him!"

For a moment, it seemed as though Elara couldn't hear her. But then, something flickered in her eyes—recognition, defiance.

She came back to herself.

But it was too late.

The hooded men had finished their chant.

"No!" Elara screamed, and in that instant, the burning sensation in her hand spread through her entire body.

It wasn't painful. It was warm, comforting—like an embrace from something ancient and powerful. Her hair lifted, glowing like embers caught in a breeze, her entire being radiating with an intense, blinding light.

Taryn stumbled back, shielding her eyes.

Elara floated above the ground, her body weightless, her voice steady and eerily calm. "Go away."

A wave of pure energy burst from her, rippling outward like an unstoppable tide. Every hooded figure caught in its path disintegrated into dust.

The forest fell silent once more.

For a moment, Elara remained suspended in the air, her entire form shimmering. But then, as the last ember of light flickered out, her body went limp.

She collapsed.

"Elara!" Taryn ran to her side, her heart pounding as she knelt beside her unconscious friend.

She had suspected there was more to Elara than she let on, but this… this was something else entirely.

Carefully, she placed a hand on Elara's forehead. A faint warmth still lingered beneath her skin.

Taryn exhaled sharply. What in the gods' names just happened?

One thing was certain: whoever was after Elara wouldn't stop now.

They needed to move. Fast.