chapter 16: The whisper of fate

The Whisper of Fate

The wind howled through the ancient ruins as Kael pressed his back against the crumbling stone wall, his breath shallow, heart pounding. The weight of the prophecy burned against his skin, the sigil on his forearm pulsing like a second heartbeat. Something was coming.

He tightened his grip on Solmara, the blade humming in response. The whispers of the past clung to the ruins, voices lost to time. This place—Veylan's Hollow—was once a sanctuary for seers, but now it was nothing more than a graveyard of forgotten prophecies.

Beside him, Seraphine moved like a shadow, her golden eyes flickering in the dim moonlight. Her presence steadied him, even as he fought the urge to reach for her, to pull her closer. But he couldn't. He shouldn't.

The prophecy had warned him, his love for her would bring ruin.

And yet, here she was, standing beside him, a dagger in hand, her breath mingling with his in the cold night air.

"We don't have much time," she whispered. "The Shadowborn will be here soon."

Kael nodded, pushing his doubts aside. They had come too far to hesitate now.

A Test of Fate

The ruins stretched out before them, pillars broken and worn by time. At the center of the hollow stood an ancient obelisk, covered in markings Kael could barely understand. This was what they had risked everything for—the Seer's Testament, the only thing that could tell them how to break the cycle of fate.

Seraphine moved first, her fingers brushing over the inscriptions. A faint glow spread across the stone, the magic old but still alive.

"It's written in the Old Tongue," she murmured. "It speaks of—"

A low growl rumbled through the ruins, cutting her off.

Kael turned, muscles tensing. They weren't alone.

From the shadows, the creatures emerged. Tall, cloaked figures with glowing red eyes,The Shadowborn.

Their forms flickered like living darkness, bodies twisting unnaturally. They didn't walk—they glided, their presence freezing the air around them.

"Kael Ardyn," one of them hissed, its voice a chorus of whispers. "Fate has called you."

Kael lifted Solmara, the blade igniting with a brilliant white light. "I don't answer to fate."

The Shadowborn lunged.

The Battle Begins

Kael moved on instinct, meeting the first attacker with a sweeping strike. Solmara cut through the creature like fire through parchment, its light searing the unnatural flesh. The Shadowborn screeched, dissolving into black mist.

Another came from behind. Seraphine was faster. She spun, her dagger flashing as she slashed across its throat. The creature staggered, but unlike the first, it did not fall. Instead, it laughed—a hollow, chilling sound.

Kael cursed. They were adapting.

He shifted his stance, gripping Solmara with both hands. If he hesitated, if he doubted for even a second, they would not survive this.

The Shadowborn circled, their numbers growing. The air thickened with dark magic, pressing against his skin like a weight.

And then, a voice.

A whisper inside his mind. Not Seraphine's. Not the Shadowborn's.

Kael…

His vision blurred. For a moment, the battlefield vanished. He was somewhere else. A dark void, endless and suffocating.

And before him stood a woman draped in shadow, her eyes burning like dying stars.

"You cannot run from fate," she said. "You cannot fight what has already been written."

Kael's breath hitched. The Seer.

"Tell me how to break the prophecy," he demanded.

She tilted her head, studying him. Then, she smiled, a sorrowful, knowing smile.

"To break fate… you must first destroy the one you love."

Kael's blood ran cold.

The void shattered.

The Turning Point

He gasped, his vision snapping back to reality. The ruins. The Shadowborn. The battle.

But now, his hands were shaking.

The words echoed in his mind. Destroy the one you love.

His gaze flickered to Seraphine, who stood fierce and unyielding beside him, her golden eyes burning with determination.

Could he do it?

Could he sacrifice her to break fate?

The answer lodged in his throat like a blade.

The Shadowborn surged forward again, but Kael hesitated. Just for a second.

And that was all it took.

A shadowy tendril lashed out, striking Seraphine across the chest. She cried out, stumbling backward, blood blooming against her tunic.

Kael's heart stopped.

"NO!"

He moved without thinking, Solmara exploding with light as he sliced through the creature that had dared to touch her.

The ruins trembled. The obelisk pulsed.

And somewhere, in the depths of fate itself, the prophecy shifted.

The choice had begun.