Elowen POV
The castle was not a prison.
It was a living thing.
A creature of stone and darkness that watched me with unblinking eyes.
The moment I realized Lyra was dead, I knew the truth.
Kael had killed her.
Or at least, the world wanted me to believe he had.
And if he could kill someone I cared about…
Then he could kill me too.
The courtyard where Lyra fell was still cold, still stained with the memory of her last breath. I could not stay there. Not when Kael was still alive and breathing and smiling like nothing had happened.
I stood, trembling, and made my choice.
I would leave.
I would escape.
I would run far away.
And I would never come back.
I walked through the corridors as if I was a ghost, moving in silence, because I knew the castle would notice. The walls listened. The stones remembered.
I didn't care.
I had never felt so alive as I did in that moment—when the need to survive overrode every fear.
I passed the training hall where Kael's guards were still practicing. I saw their eyes turn toward me. Some recognized me. Others didn't.
I didn't stop.
I kept moving.
My mind raced.
Where would I go?
Outside the castle walls, the world was unknown. I had been trapped inside for weeks, but I knew there were forests beyond the castle, and villages, and perhaps people who would help.
Maybe.
Maybe not.
I reached the gate.
The iron bars were cold beneath my fingers.
The seals were still intact.
I looked up at the sky.
A thin strip of moonlight cut through the darkness.
I closed my eyes and breathed in.
Then, without thinking, I reached for the band on my wrist.
The seal flared.
Not in pain.
In anger.
It burst.
The energy tore through me like a storm.
I stumbled back.
My vision blurred.
My heart pounded.
And then the gate unlocked.
The seal had recognized my need.
It had opened the way.
The gate swung open.
I didn't hesitate.
I ran.
I ran into the night, into the cold wind that smelled like rain and freedom.
Behind me, the castle alarms rang out like a scream.
I didn't stop until the walls were far behind me.
Until the castle was only a dark silhouette on the horizon.
Until my lungs burned and my legs shook.
I collapsed in the forest, hiding in the roots of an old tree. My body was shaking, and I couldn't tell if it was from fear or from the surge of power that had just escaped.
I had no idea what I was now capable of.
But I knew one thing.
Kael would come after me.
He always did.
And I would not be able to outrun him forever.
That thought made my chest tighten.
And then I heard it.
A voice.
Soft. Calm. Not human.
"Run, little one."
I froze.
The sound came from the shadows, but the voice was close.
I stood, slowly, heart pounding.
A figure stepped out of the darkness.
A woman.
Tall, cloaked, her face hidden under a hood.
Her eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight.
She looked like a shadow that had taken human form.
I took a step back.
"Who are you?" I whispered.
The woman's gaze held mine.
"Someone who knows what you are," she said. "And what you are not."
My throat went dry.
"I'm not… a monster," I said, trying to sound brave.
She smiled, but it was not kind.
"No," she said. "You are not."
The air around her shimmered with power.
It was different from Kael's.
It felt… older.
"Are you here to kill me?" I asked, voice shaking.
The woman tilted her head.
"No," she replied. "I'm here to offer you a choice."
"A choice?" I repeated, confused.
The woman stepped closer, and I could see the faint silver symbols etched into her skin, glowing like runes.
"Your power is sealed," she said. "But it is not gone."
I swallowed hard.
"How do you know that?" I asked.
The woman's eyes narrowed.
"Because I can feel it," she said. "Like a heartbeat beneath the stone."
I stared at her.
"What do you want?" I asked.
The woman's smile faded.
"I want you to understand what you are," she said. "And I want you to understand the danger you're in."
My hands trembled.
"I already know," I whispered. "Kael is the danger."
The woman's eyes flashed.
"Kael is not the only danger," she said. "He is just the closest."
My breath caught.
"What do you mean?" I demanded.
The woman's voice dropped to a whisper.
"There is a cult," she said. "A group that wants your power. They killed Lyra to make you run."
My blood ran cold.
"Lyra is dead," I whispered.
The woman nodded. "And you will see the truth soon."
I shook my head, tears streaming down my face.
"No," I said. "No, I won't. Kael did this."
The woman's gaze softened, just slightly.
"Believe what you want," she said. "But if you want to stay alive, you need someone who understands the magic you carry."
I stared at her, shaking.
"And you are that someone?"
The woman stepped closer and placed a hand near my wrist.
The air around her crackled.
"I am a mage," she said. "And I am very interested in what you can do."
I backed away, fear rising again.
"I don't trust you," I said.
The woman's eyes gleamed.
"Good," she said. "You shouldn't."
Then she turned and vanished into the darkness as quietly as she appeared.
I was alone again.
But I was not safe.
Not anymore.
Because now I knew there was something hunting me.
And Kael was not the only one.