The cave’s icy breath wrapped around Nara, biting into her skin, yet it couldn’t extinguish the lingering heat of the fire she had summoned—wild, fierce, and utterly alien. Outside, the storm raged, thunder rolling through the skies like the drumbeat of a distant war. But inside, the cave pressed in on her, still and dark, as if holding its breath.
Her hands trembled, the memory of the fire clawing at her senses. It had been so sudden—blinding, feral, and all-consuming. She could still feel it pulsing beneath her skin, like a storm echoing within her. For a moment, she wondered if it would ever leave.
“Is it gone?” she asked, her voice breaking the silence. She hated how small she sounded, but fear coiled tight in her chest.
“For now,” Elden replied, his tone steady but low, as if the darkness itself were listening. He stood near the cave entrance, dagger drawn, his eyes scanning the forest beyond. The flashes of lightning painted his sharp features in stark relief. “But the darkness doesn’t give up easily.”
Nara clenched her fists, trying to stop her hands from shaking. “What <i>is</i> this darkness?” she demanded, her frustration bursting forth like the storm outside. “You keep talking about it like it’s alive, like it has some personal vendetta against me. What does it want? What am I supposed to do?”
Elden turned to her, his expression softening. He hesitated for a moment, as though weighing his words carefully. “You’re a Guardian, Nara. Whether you want it or not, you’ve inherited more than your mother’s courage—you’ve inherited her fight.”
The mention of her mother made Nara’s breath hitch. “My mother?” she asked, her voice trembling. “What does she have to do with this?”
“She was a Guardian too,” Elden said gently. “She fought to keep the darkness at bay for years. Guardians like her—and like you—stand between the light and shadow, keeping this world in balance. Your bloodline carries the Weave’s connection. That’s why the darkness is after you. It knows what you are.”
Nara shook her head, the weight of his words pressing down on her. “She never told me,” she murmured, her voice cracking. “She never said anything about Guardians or the Weave. She just... she just wanted me to be safe.”
“She was trying to protect you,” Elden said, stepping closer. “Guardians are always targets of the darkness. She must have hoped you’d never have to face it.”
Nara’s frustration flared again, sharp and sudden. “But I <i>am</i> facing it! And I don’t know what I’m doing! That fire—it felt like it was going to consume me. What if it takes more than the shadows next time? What if it takes <i>me</i>?”
Elden’s eyes met hers, steady and unyielding. “The Weave doesn’t want to take you, Nara. It’s a part of you, just as much as your fear, your anger, your courage. The fire wasn’t trying to consume you—it was waiting for you to claim it.”
Nara looked down at the charm in her hand, its smooth surface warm against her palm. “It doesn’t feel like mine,” she whispered. “It feels... dangerous. Like it’s too big for me.”
Elden’s gaze softened, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know how it feels to be afraid of the Weave,” he said, his voice low. “I wasn’t much older than you when the darkness first came for someone I loved. My sister.” He paused, his jaw tightening as a shadow passed over his face. “I tried to fight, but I didn’t understand the Weave. I couldn’t control it. If I’d known then what I know now...” He trailed off, his eyes hardening. “Maybe I could’ve saved her.”Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
The grief in his voice cut through Nara’s anger, leaving only silence between them. For the first time, she saw him not as the stoic figure who had dragged her into this nightmare but as someone who had already lost too much.
“I won’t let that happen again,” Elden said, his voice quieter now. “I won’t let you face this alone.”
Before she could respond, the air in the cave shifted. A chill swept through the chamber, cutting to the bone, and the faint hum of the Weave brushed against her senses. Nara froze, her breath catching.
“Do you feel that?” she whispered.
Elden nodded, his dagger rising slightly. “Stay close,” he murmured, his voice sharp. “We’re not alone.”
The hum grew louder, sharper, weaving itself into a haunting melody. Nara closed her eyes, letting the sound wash over her. The warmth of the fire flickered faintly in her chest, and she could feel the Weave pressing against her mind, urging her to listen.
“It’s like... singing,” she murmured, her voice barely audible.
Elden’s gaze snapped to her, surprise flickering across his features. “You can hear it?”
She nodded slowly. “It feels... alive. Like it’s trying to tell me something, but I don’t know how to understand it.”
Elden’s expression shifted, approval mingling with concern. “Your connection is strong. Stronger than I thought. The Weave is calling to you, Nara. It’s trying to guide you.”
Before she could ask what he meant, a low, guttural chuckle echoed from the cave’s entrance.
“You can’t hide forever, Guardian,” a voice hissed, cold and mocking.
Nara’s eyes flew open, and she spun toward the sound. A figure stood silhouetted against the storm, their form cloaked in shadow. As they stepped into the dim light of the cave, Nara’s blood ran cold.
The figure was tall and gaunt, their hooded cloak shrouding most of their face. But what little she could see was enough to fill her with dread: jagged teeth glinting beneath the hood, and eyes that burned with a sickly green light.
“Your flames flicker like hers did,” the figure sneered. “Bright, but fragile. The shadows consumed her, and they’ll consume you too. It’s only a matter of time.”
Nara’s heart pounded, the words striking her like a physical blow. “What do you know about my mother?” she demanded, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear.
The figure chuckled, their grin widening. “Oh, I know plenty. She was brave, just like you. But bravery wasn’t enough to save her.”
Elden stepped forward, his dagger gleaming. “Enough,” he said, his voice cold and sharp. “If you think you’ll take her, you’re mistaken.”
The figure’s grin widened. “Take her? No. I don’t need to take her. I just need to break her.”
Tendrils of shadow surged from the figure’s outstretched hand, writhing like living snakes. Nara felt a wave of fear crash over her, but alongside it came something else—anger.
The warmth in her chest ignited, a steady pulse that grew stronger with each breath. She clutched the charm tightly, its edges pressing into her palm, grounding her in the chaos. At first, the fire was a fragile flicker, trembling in her hands. But as the shadows surged closer, something inside her shifted—a memory of her mother’s quiet strength, her laughter, her love.
The flicker blazed, roaring to life with a golden brilliance that flooded the cave with light.
The figure hissed, their shadows recoiling, but they didn’t retreat. Instead, they lashed out, their tendrils colliding with Nara’s flames in a burst of heat and shadow.
Elden darted forward, slicing through one of the tendrils with his dagger. “Focus, Nara!” he shouted. “The Weave is yours—use it!”
Gritting her teeth, Nara pushed back against the shadows, the fire in her hands blazing brighter with every heartbeat. For the first time, the power didn’t feel alien. It felt like hers.
The figure snarled, their form flickering as the light engulfed them. “This isn’t over,” they spat, their voice echoing as they dissolved into the shadows. “The darkness will claim you, Guardian. It always does.”
The cave fell silent once more, the storm outside a faint rumble.
Nara lowered her hands, the flames flickering out, and let out a shaky breath. She turned to Elden, her eyes wide with a mixture of relief and disbelief.
“I did it,” she whispered.
Elden nodded, a faint smile breaking through his seriousness. “You did. But this is just the beginning.”
As the storm raged outside, Nara clenched the charm in her hand, her resolve hardening.
The darkness had tested her, but it hadn’t won. Not this time. Yet, deep in her heart, she knew this was only the first of many battles to come.