Chapter 14: The Seer's Warning

The cliffs loomed like silent sentinels, their jagged peaks veiled in mist as Aria and Kael approached the edge of the Valley of Sighs. The air here was colder, heavier—laced with a quiet tension that made even the horses restless.

"She lives beyond that ridge," Kael said, pointing to a narrow, winding path carved into the rock. "Few dare to go there."

Aria adjusted her cloak and tightened her grip on the reins. "And yet we must."

They dismounted and continued on foot, the path too narrow and steep for the horses. Wind howled around them like distant voices crying out from forgotten memories. Aria could feel something tugging at her—the same presence she had felt in the sanctum, but now more urgent, almost desperate.

After an hour's climb, they reached a ledge where a small stone hut was nestled into the rock. Smoke curled from a crooked chimney. A raven perched on the roof turned its head and watched them with intelligent eyes.

"She's expecting us," Kael murmured.

Before Aria could ask how he knew, the wooden door creaked open.

An old woman stood there, her silver hair cascading down her back in tangled waves. Her eyes were milky-white, but she looked directly at Aria, as if she could see her better than anyone ever had.

"You carry her mark," the woman said. "Come inside."

The hut was warm and filled with strange herbs, bones, and runes carved into every surface. A circle of candles burned around the center of the room. The seer motioned for Aria to sit, then placed both hands on her temples.

A jolt of energy passed between them. Visions surged through Aria's mind—cities swallowed by the sea, towers crumbling to ash, and in the heart of it all, a crown of feathers blazing with violet fire.

The seer pulled away, breathing heavily.

"You have awakened something that was meant to stay buried," she said. "The Raven Queen chose you because you are the last thread. The balance between light and dark now rests in your hands."

"What does that mean?" Aria asked.

"It means," the seer whispered, "that those who once served her—The Hollowed—will come for you. They are already moving. Drawn to your light like moths to flame. And if they reach you before you are ready…"

The candles flickered violently, casting wild shadows.

"…the world will burn."

Kael stepped forward. "Then tell us how to stop them."

The seer turned her gaze to him, her expression grave. "You don't stop them. You endure them. Only by enduring can she become what she was meant to be."

Aria stood, her voice steady. "Then tell me what I need to do."

The seer reached into the folds of her robe and pulled out an obsidian dagger, its blade inscribed with runes that pulsed faintly.

"Take this. When the time comes, you will know who must bleed."

Aria took the dagger, her fingers trembling. It was light, too light for the weight it clearly carried.

Outside, thunder rumbled across the cliffs. Storm clouds gathered in the distance.

The Hollowed were coming.