Storms of Destiny
Chapter 20: Shadows and Secrets
The Embarkers moved in a tight formation through the winding corridors of FrostBane Isle, their steps synchronized by the silent understanding that whatever lay ahead, they would face it together. The oppressive cold gnawed at their bones now—not just a chill of temperature, but something deeper. Something wrong.
The ice seemed alive with whispers, and each step felt like trespass.
Kaiden trailed a few paces behind Pol, eyes scanning the glinting walls. "There's something unnatural about this place," he muttered, his breath fogging the air.
Pol cast a look over his shoulder, his straw hat low over his eyes. "You mean besides the fact that it's a giant frozen death maze crafted by the Order of Eclipsia?"
Kaiden smirked faintly, the expression gone as quickly as it came. "Fair point."
Ahead, Sorin and Nira had slowed to inspect a set of symbols carved into the icy walls—sharp etchings that pulsed faintly with an eerie internal glow. Light seemed to bend around them, dancing like mist around fire.
"These markings..." Sorin whispered, his gloved fingers brushing the grooves. "They're ancient. But I've seen something like this before."
Royuko stepped forward, arms crossed. "Where?"
Nira narrowed her eyes. "In records. EL Clan manuscripts. These symbols resemble the ones tied to the SoulSnatchers."
The word hung in the cold air like a curse.
---
The Origins of the SoulSnatchers
Silence followed, thick and uneasy.
"The SoulSnatchers," Sorin said, stepping back, "were beings born from shadow and spirit. They don't just control the soul—they feed on it."
Kaiden's jaw tensed. "Sounds parasitic."
"Not exactly," Sorin replied. "It's more… symbiotic. Among their own, they thrive together. But to outsiders?" He shook his head. "They prey. They devour."
Nira's voice came next, low and steady. "Zephyr El Veyrion of the EL Clan was said to have elevated the SoulSnatcher bloodline. He didn't just feed on souls—he sculpted them. Turned them into weapons."
Sakani scoffed, pacing along the wall. "And we're walking straight into whatever mess they left behind?"
Pol's expression hardened, eyes narrowing beneath the brim of his hat. "If that's what we're up against, we don't walk—we fight."
For a long moment, no one said anything.
Then Arlen broke the silence with a crooked grin. "Well… guess we better win, huh?"
---
The Shadow Castle
Far beyond the reach of the icy tunnels, beneath a sky without stars, the Shadow Castle loomed—its towers jagged like the fangs of a beast. The very air around it pulsed with ancient, malevolent energy.
Inside, the great hall was a cathedral of silence. Black marble floors stretched beneath pillars that seemed carved from pure void. The air was thick with dread.
Darlos Varion, once the 51st Captain of the Grand Fleet of Eclipsia, knelt on trembling knees. His armor was scorched, dented—his pride shattered alongside it.
"My lord…" he choked out, head bowed. "I… I failed you."
A sound, so soft it barely touched the air, rippled through the hall.
Then—obliteration.
With impossible speed, Zephyr El Veyrion appeared before him. One moment, Darlos knelt. The next, his body exploded into ash and blood, vaporized by a single motion.
The silence returned, broken only by the drip of red from Zephyr's hand.
He stood tall—cloaked in obsidian silk, his long white hair cascading like liquid moonlight. Crimson eyes gleamed in the dimness as he turned and stepped slowly back toward the throne, every footstep echoing like a war drum.
"Disappointment," he said, voice like ice cracking under pressure, "is unacceptable."
He sat upon the dark throne, hands folded calmly as if nothing had transpired.
Around him, the shadows shifted—watching. Waiting.
And far beneath, the Embarkers unknowingly walked toward the eye of the storm.
Next In Chapter 21:Shadows In The Ice