Page 66 of Favored By the Stars

I struggled against the bindings that held me captive in this nightmare, wishing I could wake up.

"You are not strong enough to leave this dream unless I want you to," she taunted, moving closer until her breath chilled my very soul.

I wanted to scream, but no sound emerged, only silence enveloped me as I stood frozen before an embodiment of dread and corruption that threatened everything I held dear.

The Void Dragon Empress laughed as she stood in front of me, her presence suffocating and intoxicating all at once. I felt the ground beneath me tremble as the sound echoed, reverberating through the void like a sinister melody. Shadows swirled around her, whispering my darkest fears, and I struggled to break free from their grip.

"Why do you fight so desperately for her?" she cooed, tilting her head in mock curiosity. "Does she not wear the mark of doom?"

"No!" I shouted, rage surging through my veins. "Senara is stronger than you think! She will never succumb to your darkness!"

"Stronger?" The Empress's voice dripped with disdain. "What do you know of strength? You cling to her like a crutch, blinded by love. But tell me, when the weight of destiny falls upon her, who will be left standing?"

Images flickered in the darkness, Senara trapped beneath an endless weight of shadows, screaming for help while I stood powerless. My heart pounded in my chest as despair gripped me tighter.

"You think you can protect her?" The Empress leaned closer, and I felt a chilly breeze brush against my skin. "She will never escape her fate. You cannot shield her from the truth."

I clenched my fists, teeth grinding together. "You don't know what she's capable of."

"Capable?" Her laughter sliced through the silence like a blade. "You are deluded, Thorn. Her power is a beacon, an invitation to darkness."

With a wave of her hand, the shadows shifted again, revealing a twisted landscape where sunlight dared not touch. Feral creatures crawled out from every crevice, each one bearing Senara's face twisted into an expression of torment.

"Look at what she could become," the Empress whispered seductively. "The Eclipse Child, her power harnessed for chaos instead of harmony."

"No!" My voice broke as I stepped forward into that nightmarish scene. "I won't let that happen!"

But as I reached out toward Senara's shadowy form, it shifted away from me, vanishing into the swirling abyss.

"You see?" The Empress taunted. "You are too late."

I roared in defiance; every ounce of my being rebelled against this nightmare reality she painted before me.

"Get out of my head!" I screamed.

But the shadows only thickened around me, a blanket woven from doubt and fear that threatened to swallow me whole. The Empress's gaze bore into mine, piercing and unyielding.

"I will show you just how fragile your precious bond truly is," she promised with a sinister smile that twisted my stomach into knots.

And then everything shattered around us, a cacophony of darkness collapsing inward as visions blurred and swirled in chaotic rhythm, one that was too fast for me to understand and when it was over, it left only heavy silence in its wake.

I jolted awake, heart racing, the remnants of the Void Dragon Empress's words still echoing in my mind. The thicket around us felt stifling, shadows pressing against the edges of my vision as I struggled to shake off the lingering dread. Senara lay beside me, her face calm in sleep, but I could see the tension etched in her features.

I brushed a hand over my face, fighting back the fear that threatened to consume me. The visions had felt so real, her shadow twisted and tortured under that wicked gaze. No matter how hard I tried to push it away, doubt gnawed at me like a relentless beast.

The sound of rustling leaves broke through my thoughts. I tensed and turned toward the noise, instincts kicking in. Wyn stirred beside Senara.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered, scanning our surroundings.

She nodded slowly, eyes wide with concern. "Something's out there."

"Volker!" I hissed, hoping he was still keeping watch and hadn't already suffered a gruesome death at the hands of whatever was stalking us.

He emerged from behind a nearby tree, his expression serious. "I sensed it too." He gestured toward a flicker of movement deeper in the thicket. "It's getting closer."

My grip tightened around my sword hilt as I rose to my feet. "Get Senara up."

Wyn hesitated, but moved swiftly to nudge Senara awake. As she stirred, I glimpsed confusion and pain cross her face before recognition set in and her features smoothed into a mask.

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