Chapter Six: Shadows Among Us
The dawn was pale and cold as Selena woke, the silver pendant heavy against her chest. Her fingers absently traced the crescent moon's curve, the white crystal still pulsing faintly alive, like her.
She could still feel the shadow seer's touch in her mind. The whisper. The warning.
Kael hadn't returned last night.
The thought sent a prickling unease through her. He'd always stayed close before. Always protected.
She pulled on her training cloak and slipped outside the chamber. The fortress was quiet, the usual morning bustle slowed by the lingering tension after the attack.
Elira was sharpening her blade near the archery range, eyes narrowing as she noticed Selena.
"You're up early," Elira said. "Kael's still not back. Neither is Varion."
Selena frowned. "Do you think it's connected?"
Elira shrugged but her fingers tightened on the hilt. "Could be. Nothing here happens by accident."
The weight of those words settled on Selena's shoulders. If Kael and Elder Varion were both missing, it could mean only one thing danger was closer than she imagined.
Selena headed toward the council hall, hoping to find answers. The door creaked open, and inside, a small group of elders were gathered, faces grim.
"Selena," one of them greeted, Elder Mira, her sharp gaze softening. "We were waiting for you."
Selena stepped in, heart pounding. "Where are Kael and Varion?"
"They were taken," Mira said flatly. "Last night, after the battle."
Selena's breath hitched. "By who?"
Mira's eyes darkened. "One of our own."
Selena's mind reeled. Betrayal from inside Blackridge itself? The thought felt like a knife twisting.
"We don't know why yet," Mira continued. "But there are whispers… someone is working with Ruvan."
The room fell silent. Selena clenched her fists, feeling the burn of anger and fear.
"We have to find them," Selena said. "Before it's too late."
Mira nodded slowly. "You're right. But this is bigger than just Kael and Varion. Whoever it is has access to our deepest secrets."
The elders turned to a large map spread on the table, marked with symbols and runes.
Selena studied it, noticing a small mark blinking near the eastern gate—a place considered sacred and heavily guarded.
"That's where they were taken," Mira said. "We believe our traitor led them through the passage."
Selena's gaze sharpened. "We have to move. Now."
Selena left the council hall, her mind racing. She needed Kael's strength but also had to prepare for the possibility that he might not be the same when they found him.
She moved through the corridors, eyes and ears alert. The fortress that had once felt like home now held shadows at every corner.
Her steps slowed outside a door etched with the symbol of the Moon Priestess a crescent moon intertwined with a wolf's paw.
The door was slightly ajar.
Selena's breath caught.
Inside, faint candlelight flickered over a mess of scattered scrolls and broken glass.
Someone had been searching. Or hiding.
She stepped in cautiously.
A whisper of silk, a shadow moving.
"Selena."
The voice was low, familiar.
Kael stepped from the darkness, his golden eyes burning with pain and something else.
"Kael?" Her voice barely a whisper.
He looked at her, face strained. "I didn't want you to find me like this."
"What happened?" She stepped forward, cautious but relieved.
He closed the door behind him and leaned against it.
"There's no easy way to say this." His voice cracked. "I've been betrayed. Not just by others… but by myself."
Selena frowned. "What do you mean?"
Kael swallowed hard. "Before I joined Blackridge, before I met you… I made a choice. A dark pact to protect this place. But it came at a price."
Selena's heart pounded. "What kind of pact?"
He pulled a small black stone from his pocket, pulsing faintly with dark energy.
"I sought power from Ruvan's followers those who serve the shadow wolf. I thought I could control it. Use it to guard Blackridge."
Selena's eyes widened. "You made a deal with the enemy?"
Kael nodded, shame heavy in his voice. "I didn't tell anyone. I thought I could handle it alone. But last night, they came for me and Varion."
He looked up, eyes blazing. "The pact wasn't a bargain it was a trap. And now they have us."
Selena stepped closer, gripping his arm. "We'll fix this. Together."
Kael gave a small, bitter laugh. "I'm afraid the darkness has already started to change me."
The weight of his confession pressed on her chest, but beneath it, a spark of hope.
"We're stronger than this," she said fiercely. "I have the white wolf blood. The oath. And you have me."
Kael looked at her, and for a moment, the walls he'd built seemed to crack.
"But we need to act fast," he said. "Before Ruvan's shadow consumes everything.
Later that day, Selena convened a small group Elira, a few trusted warriors, and two elders who hadn't yet been corrupted.
Together, they planned a rescue.
"We'll move at nightfall," Selena said, pointing to the eastern gate on the map. "Kael and Varion are likely being held in the old watchtower."
Elira nodded, eyes steely. "I'll lead the strike team."
Selena caught Kael's gaze. "I'm coming too."
He shook his head. "No. You need to stay safe."
Selena's jaw clenched. "I'm not leaving you."
Kael's voice softened. "Then we do this smart. Silent. We don't have the numbers for a full battle."
Selena swallowed her fear. "I'm ready."
As night fell, the air grew cold and thick with mist. The fortress lay quiet, shadows stretching long and dark.
Selena, Kael, and the team slipped through secret passages and side gates, avoiding patrols and traps.
The old watchtower loomed ahead, its black stone walls swallowing the torchlight.
Inside, the air was heavy, filled with the scent of earth and decay.
They found Varion chained to the wall, his eyes closed but breathing steady.
"Elder!" Selena whispered, rushing forward.
Varion's eyes fluttered open, a faint smile on his lips. "You came."
Kael hurried to break the chains with a whispered spell, the dark energy flickering as he did.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from above.
"Enemies!" Elira hissed, drawing her blade.
Selena turned, ready to face whatever came next.
A figure stepped from the shadows, cloaked and hooded.
Selena's breath caught.
The traitor.
The figure pulled back the hood.
It was Elder Mira.
Selena's world shattered.
"Why?" Selena demanded, heart breaking.
Mira's eyes gleamed coldly. "Because Blackridge must fall to rise again. Because the old ways are weak."
Kael growled low, wolf form flickering.
"You betrayed us," Selena said, voice shaking but fierce.
Mira smiled, a shadow of madness in her gaze. "I serve a higher purpose. Ruvan's vision."
Elira lunged, but Mira vanished into smoke.
Selena staggered, stunned.
Kael helped her steady.
"We've underestimated how deep the darkness runs," he said grimly.
Selena's hand tightened on the pendant.
"This isn't over."
The night swallowed them as they fled the watchtower, carrying Varion and the weight of a fractured trust.
But in her heart, Selena knew
Blackridge would never be the same.
And the blood oath she swore was only the beginning of a war that would tear everything apart.