Page 25 of Fated

Ash and Calyx began walking toward the forest behind the building, so I followed.

We moved along an unmarked path, my nerves so frayed that I barely noticed the sting of the branches and rocks under my bare feet.

The forest was alive with sound, each one amplifying my anxiety. The snap of a twig underfoot, the caw of a crow in the distance, even the soft chirp of birds seemed deafening.

But it was the sound of my breathing, erratic and uneven, thundering the loudest in my ears.

After what felt like an eternity, Ash and Calyx slowed their pace, stopping in front of a massive rock formation. I stood there, half-expecting Calyx to pull out a wand and cast some elaborate spell. Instead, Ash simply waved his hand over the boulder.

To my shock, the solid rock shimmered and shifted, revealing a stone door embedded in it.

It was real; every horrible thing I had learned was true.

And now, I stood at the door between worlds, staring down my own fate. Suddenly, without warning, a crushing weight settled on my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs. Each breath was a struggle, shallow and frantic as panic clawed its way in. The forest around blurred and spun, the world distorting as wretched thoughts attacked from every angle. Despair and terror consumed my mind, dragging me toward the edge of something dark and unrelenting.

Then, just as abruptly as the panic had come, it vanished.

My chaotic thoughts snapped back into focus, and the spinning world stilled.

Ash’s hand, I realized, was pressed lightly against my back and with it, the crushing weight eased. Was this another magical ability he was using on me or just another side effect of the magic compelling me to stay close to him? I didn’t care. All that mattered was the fragile sense of comfort his presence offered, and I clung to it with everything I had.

Savoring the relief of oxygen bathing my lungs, my eyes shifted toward Calyx’s puzzled look.

“We are going to stay at an outpost tonight, where we will contact Agidius. Tomorrow, it will be a two-hour trip to the castle,” Ash said, his voice soothing, almost soft.

“Agidius?” I asked.

“The king,” Ash clarified.

With that, the weight lifted from my back entirely, and my trembling eased. So, death wasn’t waiting for me on the other side of that door, at least not tonight.

Calyx reached for the door, casting another curious glance our way.

He shoved it open, stepping into the darkness beyond. I followed, Ash’s hand still resting on my back, guiding me forward. As I took a step inside, it felt as though my body was being stretched, as if passing through a vacuum of space. There was an unnatural silence, and I was unsure how to explain it, but it felt as though time didn’t exist here, in this place.

A warm, fuzzy sensation flowed through my body, rendering me as if weightless and floating. I took another step and felt the vacuum expel me, sound and time coming rushing back.

We were still somewhere very dark, but ahead, the darkness gave birth to a warm golden light from the palm of Calyx’s hand; it was in the shape of an orb. Ash stepped away from me to join Calyx, and the moment he left my side, my body recoiled from the sudden absence of his touch.

The glowing orb in Calyx’s palm rose above us, casting light on the surrounding space, while Ash and Calyx worked together to move a stone, revealing an entrance.

Once they had it open, I stepped out of the small cave and into a much larger one where the lovely glow of moonlight filtered in through an opening above.

It had only been midday where we had just come from, and now it was some time at night.

The air here felt different, crisp, cool, almost purer than I was used to—cleaner.

I took a large breath, letting it fill my lungs, and my mind felt sharpened, my body energized, almost as if I had just awoken from the longest, deepest sleep.

With that single breath of air, every nerve ending in my body exploded with life. A surge of something like adrenaline rushedthrough my bloodstream. I caught both Ash and Calyx observing me, studying my reaction closely.

“Feels like coming home, doesn’t it?” Ash said.

I couldn’t help but feel sad as I realized it did indeed feel like coming home.

Chapter 7

Ash and Calyx pushed the boulder back into place, and with a simple wave of his hand, Ash sealed the entrance shut once more.

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