Safe?

The dark wings of the thing seemed to spread across the walls and beyond, pulsating with the malevolence of shadows rising from obscure corners. Lya and Eren felt imprisoned, the whispers from the Darks seeping into their minds, calves roaring a disunified voice to their host, a strange vertigo settled upon their heads. The very air they breathed was wet with an ancient damp stone smell and the stench of spoiled magic.

Eren ground his fists together furiously and wiped the sweat from his brow. The protective circle he had drawn wavered weakly on the uneven floor, like a candle standing at the brink of being extinguished. "We can't stay here!" he finally said in a high-pitched tone of confidence.

"There are no claws!" Lya placed a palm against both temples as she sought refuge from the claws that slithered in inside her mind."They're trying to separate us... to get us confused." The words escaped her on waves of short, quick, and a lot of breath that rushed from her throat.

The shadows flowed around the circle probing its boundaries. One of the shadows, larger and thicker than the other, approached with the darkness in which a face should have been reconfiguring through an inhuman smile. The essence held heavy and charged the air with a certain thrum of energy, sending a shiver through Lya's being.

In the Arcana Library, Arwen, a respected member of the Council, searched for them frantically, her eyes scanning every stair, corner, and shelf. She felt the agitation in the magic of the environment, like a mirror reflecting the imminent danger. "They're in danger," she murmured. The echo of her voice seemed to amplify the gravity of the situation, resounding through the silent corridors.

Elric, her trusted healer, who had arrived to help in the search, approached. "How have you been monitoring the girl?"

Arwen hesitated for a brief moment, biting her lower lip. "The connection with Eren. I placed a seal on him. He doesn't know, but it allows me to feel when he is in danger. And now... he is being consumed by fear."

Elric frowned, the concern evident on his face. "That's risky. If he finds out... Besides being a practice forbidden for centuries."

"He won't notice if I act quickly. I need to find the passage to the crypt. We don't have time." Arwen started to run, her heart beating fast, every second precious. She knew that the corrupted magic of the crypt could easily claim the lives of her friends if she didn't act quickly.

In the crypt, the protective circle finally gave way. The shadows lunged, and Lya felt something icy slide across her skin, pulling her into an endless abyss. Her consciousness faltered, and a primal despair took hold of her being. Eren tried to hold Lya, but his hands passed through the shadows, as if they were made of smoke. Eren's gaze met the emptiness, a mixture of fear and determination reflected in his eyes.

An explosion of light cleaved through the darkness, and, for an ion of time, the whispering spell of the Beings brought silence. The sound of footsteps resounded in the crypt as Arwen emerged at the entrance radiating immeasurable power. With a fluent gesture of her hands, she chanted words of ancient significance. The voice of high magic struck the stone walls in ripples. The mystical light streaming from her outstretched palm turned blinding and annihilated the shadows.

Arwen stalked closer, her gaze riveted upon the Dark Beings. "No innocent blood will flow at your behest anymore, absolutely cadaverous and ineffectual forms," came her strong, almost stony voice. The ancient-ish Eldar turned-from-the-sound relocated with his hands overhead to cast a high magic spell to encase the Beings in chains of pure light.

Lya and Eren watched stunned; the shadows crumpled back into the cloaked corners of the crypt, powerless against Arwen. "We have to get out of here now!" she told Lya, setting to lift her. Eren nodded, still breathing heavily; he was grateful that one of the Council members had managed to reach him.

The trio ran through the crypt, the narrow corridors and stone walls seeming to close in around them. The shadows still pursued them, but Arwen's high magic kept them at bay, for now. They knew they had to find a way to seal the crypt and prevent the Dark Beings from escaping into the outside world. Time was essential, and every moment counted.

They finally emerged from the crypt, the daylight seeming almost unreal after the oppressive darkness inside. Arwen, Lya, and Eren made their way hurriedly to the hospital, where the healers, Arwen's apprentices, began to treat them immediately. The physical wounds were the least of their problems; it was the mark of dark corruption that worried the healers.

Lya was lying on a bed, still pale and trembling. Eren was beside her, exhausted but vigilant. Arwen was in a hurried meeting with medical staff, explaining the present situation and enforcing the magical protections in the hospital.

At that time, a constable entered the hospital, the Council's specific tunic contrasting with the lean corridors. He went straight to Arwen, handing her a sealed parchment. Arwen opened it, and her face hardened as she began reading the summons.

"Lya, Eren," she called, approaching the two. "The Council wants a hearing with us tomorrow. They need to hear what happened and decide the next steps."

Eren frowned, the exhaustion giving way to concern. "Do you think they'll understand?"

"We'll make them understand, but this is all your fault, I told you to stay out of trouble," said Arwen, still upset.

"We needed more answers, after all Arwen doesn't tell us anything! Why should we live in ignorance?" retorted Eren, always defiant and not knowing when to keep quiet.

"But now, we need to rest and recover our strength. Tomorrow will be a long day." Arwen ignored him, already knowing what Eren was like, and left.

Elric, who witnessed everything, said, "Eren... if she didn't tell you, it's because you don't need to know. Everything she did was to protect you."