Chapter 19: A Shadow’s Return
The land was wrong here.
A jagged Rift scar stretched across the earth, a deep wound pulsating with violet cracks that oozed an unnatural glow. The air smelled of burnt stone and something else—something old, something waiting.
The caravan slowed. Everyone instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons.
Sylas let out a low curse, absently twirling a dagger in his hand. "I don’t like this."
Mira crouched, flicking a loose rock into the Rift scar. It vanished.
Lirien’s expression hardened. "We’re not staying here. Keep moving."
Varyn stepped closer, his cloak shifting with the breeze. His gaze lingered on the Rift scar for just a second too long. Then—he smiled.
Kael noticed.
A knot of unease settled in his stomach.
The first screech tore through the air.
Kael’s muscles locked as the Rift scar shuddered. Then the Riftspawn emerged.
They came fast—blurred shapes of darkness, twisted bodies with burning violet eyes.
Mira reacted first, dodging low as one lunged at her, her daggers flashing as she buried both blades into its throat. The creature shrieked, its body collapsing into violet mist.
Lirien was already moving, her sword slicing clean through another before it could reach Kael. "Form up! Watch the flanks!"
Rhea rolled her shoulders, a grin flashing across her face. "I was getting bored anyway."
She spun, a throwing knife sinking into a Riftspawn’s skull before it could leap onto the wagon.
Sylas was everywhere at once, twin daggers slicing through the creatures as if he’d fought them a hundred times before. "We need to clear them fast!"
Kael gritted his teeth, his hammer heavy in his hands.
He could feel it—the Flame Unseen waiting just beneath his skin.
If he used it, the Riftspawn would burn. The battle would end in an instant.
But he couldn’t. Because Varyn was watching.
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Waiting.
And Kael knew—the moment he revealed his power, Varyn would recognize it. So instead, he swung his hammer.
He fought like he always had—before the flame, before the moons, before the power. And it wasn’t enough.
She moved through the chaos, calling orders, keeping everyone in formation. "Sylas, Mira—watch the left! Rhea, keep their numbers down! Kael, cover the rear!"
Her voice was sharp, certain.
Kael listened.
He positioned himself at the back of the caravan, slamming his hammer into an approaching Riftspawn, shattering its ribs in one clean hit.
Mira flipped over the wagon, slicing through a Riftspawn mid-air. "How many of these things are there?"
Sylas parried a claw strike, twisting his dagger into the creature’s exposed gut. "Too many."
A Riftspawn lunged at Lirien’s blind spot.
Kael moved—but she was faster.
She twisted, driving her sword through its chest before pulling back and severing its head in one fluid motion.
Kael stared. She wasn’t just holding her own.
She was leading. And the others were following her without hesitation.
Even Sylas, even Rhea.
For the first time since he met her, Kael realized—Lirien was a warrior in her own right. And she didn’t need him to protect her.
The last Riftspawn fell, dissolving into mist. The air fell still again.
Kael’s chest heaved, his grip tight on his hammer.
They had won. But something was wrong.
He turned—and saw it. Varyn hadn’t moved the entire fight.
Not a single Riftspawn had attacked him.
And in the fading Rift glow, Kael saw what no one else did. Dark fire.
A faint, flickering black flame curled around Varyn’s fingertips—barely visible, coiling just beneath his skin. And then—Varyn smiled.
Not the polite, unreadable expression he usually wore. But something twisted. A knowing, mocking smile. Like he had let this happen. Like he had been waiting. Kael’s blood ran cold.
He has power. And he’s hiding it.
Kael swallowed hard, forcing himself to breathe, forcing himself not to react. Because if Varyn had seen his hesitation, if he had noticed Kael refusing to use his power—then he already knew.
The game had changed. And now, Kael was sure.
Varyn wasn’t just a dangerous man. He was something else entirely.
The group gathered near the caravan, catching their breath.
Mira wiped blood from her daggers. "That was too close."
Sylas exhaled, flicking Rift dust from his blades. "We keep moving."
Lirien nodded. "Agreed. This place isn’t safe." Rhea leaned against the wagon, smirking. "Not bad, Lirien. Didn’t know you had it in you."
Lirien rolled her eyes. "Just stay alive next time, and I won’t have to take charge." Kael forced a chuckle, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
His gaze drifted to Varyn, who stood just outside the firelight, watching. Kael’s stomach twisted. Varyn wasn’t worried.
He wasn’t tired. He was amused. Like this fight had been nothing more than a test. Kael turned away, heart pounding. He couldn’t tell them. Not yet. Because now, he knew for certain—
Varyn wasn’t just guiding them. He was leading them toward something. Something only he understood. And Kael had no idea if they would survive it.
