CHAPTER 8:PATHS OF FATE

The Veilwood Forest whispered secrets to those who dared to listen. Its ancient trees, twisted by time and magic, loomed high above Seraphina and Kael, their glowing runes pulsing softly in the fading twilight. Each night in hiding had made Seraphina more attuned to the forest's presence, though she still wasn't certain if it meant to protect them—or consume them.

Kael crouched near the firepit, his keen warrior's eyes scanning the darkness beyond their small clearing. "Something feels different tonight," he murmured, gripping his sword.

Seraphina, seated on a fallen log, followed his gaze into the trees. "You sense it too."

A heavy silence settled between them.

For days, they had managed to stay ahead of the Vaelorian search parties, using the Veilwood's shifting paths to their advantage. But the forest was not without its own dangers.

Seraphina pulled her cloak tighter. "We can't stay here forever."

Kael exhaled, his breath misting in the cool night air. "I know." He turned to her, his expression unreadable. "We'll have to move north soon. There's a place beyond the mountains—a hidden refuge for those who have forsaken the empire's rule."

Seraphina hesitated. "And if my father's men find us before then?"

Kael's jaw tightened. "Then we make our stand."

A King's Desperation

Miles away, in the candlelit war chambers of Castle Vaeloria, King Aldric loomed over the latest reports. His once-proud posture was stiff with barely contained rage.

Seraphina was still missing.

The Veilwood had swallowed his search parties like a hungry beast, leaving behind only whispers of sightings and vanished men.

Aldric's gaze snapped to his trusted advisor, Lord Cedric Valerius. "The emperor grows impatient." His voice was low, deadly.

Cedric, ever composed, clasped his hands behind his back. "Emperor Darius is a man of strategy. He waits because he knows our failure will serve him."

Aldric slammed a hand onto the table. "Then we will not fail. I will not let Vaeloria become a pawn of Zephirion."

Cedric smirked. "Then perhaps it is time to turn to unconventional methods."

Aldric narrowed his eyes. "Explain."

Cedric leaned forward, his voice barely above a whisper. "If the Veilwood rejects soldiers… perhaps it will welcome something older. Something darker."

Aldric's grip tightened on the edge of the table. He despised sorcery, yet desperation clawed at his reason. If magic could bring Seraphina back, did he truly have a choice?

"Summon the mage," he said at last.

Cedric's smirk widened. The hunt was about to take a new turn.

The Empire's Shadow

Far beyond Vaeloria, Emperor Darius Velmorian sat upon his throne, watching as a new envoy from Aldric arrived.

The man knelt, presenting a sealed letter with the lion sigil of Vaeloria.

Darius took the scroll, breaking the wax with deliberate slowness. Aldric's words were curt, calculated.

The emperor read the message, then let out a quiet chuckle.

"So the lion king has finally realized he cannot win this hunt alone."

He passed the letter to his royal sorcerer, whose violet robes shimmered under the torchlight. "Prepare our next move," Darius commanded.

The sorcerer bowed. "Shall we crush him, then?"

Darius's golden eyes gleamed. "Not yet." He leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips.

"First, we let him beg."

To Be Continued…