The Path of the Necromancer

The forest seemed to close in around Liora as the figure stepped into the moonlight. She froze, her heart nearly leaping from her chest. Kael. It couldn't be—she had just seen him… no, it wasn't possible.

But there he was, standing tall and proud as if no time had passed. His striking silver-blue eyes caught the moon's glow, and his tousled black hair framed his face as he stepped toward her, the familiar weight of his sword sheathed at his side.

"Kael?" Liora whispered, her voice trembling.

He smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's been a long time, Liora." His tone was low, cautious, as though he too was unsure if he was truly seeing her or if the world itself had bent in strange ways.

Liora stumbled backward. "No, you—how? I saw you—you were dead!"

The memory of his gruesome death flooded her mind. His warm blood staining her hands. The look of confusion and pain in his eyes as he fell, fatally wounded by a monster she couldn't protect him from.

A shadow of sorrow flickered across Kael's face. "I know. I've been… I've been gone for a long time."

"But… how?" she gasped, taking another step back. "How are you standing here now? What is going on? Why—"

Kael took a step closer, his presence calming despite the chaos swirling in her mind. "I don't know how or why I'm here. But I have my suspicions." His gaze shifted to the undead army behind her, the bone warriors standing in perfect formation, unmoving, as if waiting for her command.

Liora's chest tightened. She had barely noticed them until now. The rune on her hand pulsed again, as though attuned to the necromantic energy she had unwittingly unleashed.

"Liora, what have you done?" Kael's voice was soft, almost pained, but there was no anger in it. Only concern.

"I—I didn't mean to! I didn't want this!" She lowered her eyes to the dark mark on her hand. The rune had burned itself into her skin, a permanent reminder of her newfound power. "But I… I don't know how to control it."

Kael's gaze softened. "I know you. You'd never hurt anyone, Liora. But this… this magic isn't something to take lightly. You're dealing with forces far beyond what you can understand."

Liora closed her eyes, swallowing the bitter taste of guilt rising in her throat. "I was weak. I was powerless. I had nothing… but now—" She looked up at the undead warriors surrounding her. "Now I have all this. But I don't even know how to stop it. How do I control this power?"

Kael's expression became more serious. "You have to find someone who can teach you. Someone who understands necromancy. You cannot do this alone." He hesitated before speaking again, his voice quieter this time. "You're not the first to wield such power. But most who do… they're consumed by it."

The weight of his words sank into her chest like a stone. The fear that had clawed at her from the moment she had awakened this dark magic crept up again, twisting in her gut. She didn't want to become like the others—the ones who lost themselves to the darkness. She could feel the pull already. The temptation to use her power for revenge. For control.

"I don't want to be like that," she whispered, almost to herself.

Kael's eyes softened. "You're not like them, Liora. You have a heart. And that's something they didn't have."

Her heart ached at his words, and for the briefest moment, it felt as though everything might be okay. But the truth was far darker.

Liora's power—this necromancy—was not just a gift. It was a curse, one that threatened to destroy everything she had ever cared for.

"I can help you," Kael continued. "But you have to trust me. We have to leave this place."

Liora shook her head. "I can't. I can't leave them behind. The others need me, Kael."

The undead army stood still, silent sentinels, their hollow eyes locked on her. She could feel them—waiting for her command. She had become their queen, their leader. But even as their loyalty pulsed through her, there was a sickening unease deep within her.

Kael's gaze softened with understanding. "The undead are not the answer, Liora. They cannot offer you the solace you seek. You need to understand what this power truly is. Where it comes from. And how to control it, before it consumes you."

"I don't even know where to begin," she whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek.

Kael's hand reached out, gently cupping her face. His touch was warm, grounding her amidst the storm of confusion and fear that raged inside her.

"I know someone," he said, his voice firm. "Someone who can help. An old friend of mine. A necromancer who lives on the edge of the Frostmourn Mountains. They can teach you how to harness this power… or how to rid yourself of it entirely."

Liora's mind raced. The possibility of ridding herself of this curse seemed like a distant dream. But she had to try. For her own sake. For the sake of the world.

She nodded slowly, her resolve hardening. "Take me to them."

Kael smiled gently, his silver-blue eyes filled with a mixture of hope and concern. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

Liora didn't speak. She couldn't. The weight of his words, the warmth in his eyes, overwhelmed her.

But even as they stood there, the sounds of the forest shifting around them, Liora couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.

From the darkness at the edge of the clearing, a figure stepped forward—a silhouette against the moonlit sky.

Liora's breath caught. A chill ran down her spine as the figure approached, the cold presence intensifying with every step. It was like a shadow, dark and all-consuming, its form shifting with the wind.

Kael immediately tensed, his hand moving toward the hilt of his sword.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

The figure stepped into the light, revealing itself to be a man, cloaked in tattered robes, his face hidden beneath a hood. He was older than Kael, his eyes glowing faintly with the same amber hue as the figure Liora had seen earlier.

"I see you've awakened the power, child," the man said, his voice gravelly and ancient. "And now, there is no turning back."

Liora's pulse quickened.

"What do you want?" Kael growled, his hand still resting on the sword hilt.

The man smiled, though it was not a kind smile. "I am here to offer you a choice, Liora. You can come with me, and I will show you your true path. Or… you can continue down this road, and let your power consume you, just as it did for those before you."

Liora's heart raced. "I don't understand…"

The man's smile deepened. "You will soon enough."