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He knew as well as I that his pledge to protect me, no matter the cost, meant he didn’t have to follow my orders when my life was on the line otherwise.
“We have to face them,” I said, and I held the two shards of Anto’skar in my outstretched hands. “Follow me.”
I stepped out from around the tree, the others on my heels.
Onshev’s sneer sent a cold shiver down my spine. “Did you really think you could escape me, Lorik?” he called out, the venom in his voice palpable.
Madison tightened her grip on my arm.
I could feel her body pressed up against mine, providing comfort against the morning’s chill.
The scent of hay was still strong and mixed with the faint undercurrent of sweat and fear.
The sounds of the surrounding forest seemed distant, muffled by the tension that filled the air.
Smiling confidently, I slowly raised my hand, revealing the shimmering crystals.
The Anto’skar seemed to pulse with a life of its own, reflecting the soft sunlight in myriad colors.
Onshev’s eyes widened with greed. “Hand those over, Lorik. They’re worth more than you can imagine.”
But I had other plans.
I met his eyes, and he must have seen the determination in them as his expression of victory faltered. “The fog has come,” I said.
I smashed the two crystals together.
An ear-piercingly sharptingechoed through the clearing, a note so pure and intense that I could feel it in my bones.
Then, chaos erupted.
Instead of the spark, which would have sprung forth from striking two flint rocks together, a swirling storm of fog billowed out from the impact site.
In mere seconds, the world transformed.
Thick, oppressive fog hissed from the two shards, consuming the entire wood instantly.
Visibility was limited to just a few feet in any direction.
The smell was otherworldly — a mixture of burnt ozone and an undercurrent of something sweet and cloying.
It was so dense that I could feel its moist touch on my skin, sticking to me as if trying to seep into my very pores.
What truly turned the situation from bizarre to nightmarish were the red-eyed monsters.
The moment the fog enveloped us, the creatures were there.
They appeared out of nowhere, their glowing eyes piercing the dense haze.
Madison’s sharp intake of breath beside me mirrored my own horror.
Aznai muttered a curse, even his voice trembling.
Onshev’s earlier confidence was gone, replaced by panic.
His cries for order went unheeded as his men scattered in all directions, trying to escape the creatures.
Utilizing the chaos, I grabbed Madison’s hand and pulled her with me. “Stay close,” I urged as we tried to navigate through the disorienting fog.
