Chapter 136 The fall

Chapter 136 The fall
~ Lyra's POV ~

“You'll be fine. Don't think too much about it,” Kael tried once again to calm me down, but instead of reassuring me, the concern growing on his face only made me more uneasy.

“No, you don't understand,” I shook my head and shifted restlessly in my seat. One moment I found myself leaning away from him and the next moving closer without even realizing it. I could not seem to sit still.

An uncomfortable tension had settled inside me and refused to leave.

“This is not just about the weakness. I sense danger. It's weird. I have never felt like this before, but I strangely know exactly what I am feeling. Something is not right.” I tried my best to explain the sensation crawling through me even though I barely understood it myself. The feeling was unfamiliar, yet at the same time it carried a certainty that made it impossible to ignore.

Every instinct inside me seemed to be screaming a warning, and no matter how much I tried to reason with myself, that warning only grew louder.

As I continued speaking, a sudden urge rose within me. It came without warning and with such force that I barely had time to register what was happening.

Before I could stop myself, my hand shot forward and pressed firmly against Kael's chest. The moment my palm made contact, words spilled from my lips. They flowed effortlessly, forming a spell I knew with absolute certainty I had never learned before.

Kael jolted slightly beneath my touch. His body stiffened for a brief second before relaxing again. When the spell ended, he lowered his gaze to my hand and then looked back at me, one brow lifting in question.

“What is that?” he asked.

“Protection, I think,” I answered immediately after removing my hand from his chest.

The answer surprised me as much as it surprised him. Just moments earlier, I would not have been able to explain what I was doing. Yet the second the spell ended, the knowledge appeared inside my mind as naturally as breathing.

“Protection from what?” he asked again.

“I don't know from what and I can't explain why I did it. I think I was compelled to,” I admitted honestly.

The explanation sounded ridiculous even to my own ears, but it was the truth. I had not made a conscious decision to cast that spell. Something inside me had simply acted.

Kael continued studying me carefully.

“Compelled by whom?” he asked.

“I don't know,” I answered, and this time my frustration was impossible to hide. “I'm not sure. I don't understand what is going on with me.” I rubbed at my forehead before looking at him again. “Are you all right?”

“I guess,” he sighed. “My heart shook really badly for a second, but I'm good now.”

His answer brought me some relief, although not nearly enough to settle my nerves completely.

“Alright,” I murmured. “I'm going to keep my hands to myself now so I don't keep using magic on you without your permission. I'm sorry.”

The apology slipped out automatically. I remembered very clearly how much he disliked having magic used on him unexpectedly, and despite my confusion, I still felt guilty for casting something on him without asking first.

“Don't apologize,” he said immediately. His expression softened and he reached over to squeeze my hand reassuringly. “Just stop stressing yourself so you can get better on time. Stress will only delay your recovery.”

This time I simply nodded instead of arguing. Normally I would have insisted that something was wrong and continued trying to explain myself, but the spell had drained even more of the little strength I had left.

Whatever energy remained inside me seemed to have vanished the moment those unfamiliar words left my mouth. Even speaking suddenly felt exhausting.

I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. The vehicle continued moving steadily along the road while silence settled around us once again.

I intended to rest only for a moment. Just enough to ease the throbbing discomfort behind my eyes and gather enough strength to remain awake for the remainder of the journey.

Unfortunately, my body had other plans.

The exhaustion overtook me almost immediately, and before I knew what was happening, sleep claimed me completely.

I had no idea how long I remained asleep.

One moment everything was quiet and peaceful, and the next a violent jerk ripped me from my slumber. The force of it snapped me awake so abruptly that my heart leapt into my throat. My eyes flew open instantly and every trace of sleep vanished as I struggled to understand what had just happened.

“What is going —” I began to ask, but the words died in my throat before I could finish them. The moment my eyes focused on what had forced our vehicle to come to an abrupt stop, every other thought vanished from my mind.

“Ironfang warriors,” Kael said, his voice laced with confusion as he stared through the windshield.

His words only deepened my own confusion. I leaned forward slightly, trying to get a better look at the group blocking the path ahead of us.

“What are they doing here?” I asked.

My gaze moved past them and around our surroundings. Only then did I properly register where we were. We had reached a forest path not too far from a waterfall. The sound of rushing water echoed faintly through the area, blending with the rustling leaves overhead. It was the last place I would have expected to encounter a group of Ironfang warriors.

Nothing about the situation made sense.

I could not understand why they would leave the pack house and travel all the way out here only to block our path. Even stranger was the way they were standing. They were not acting like warriors who had come to deliver an urgent report to their alpha. They were watching us with an intensity that immediately made me uncomfortable.

“I'm not sure,” Kael replied. His eyes remained fixed on them as his expression hardened slightly. “Stay in the car. Don't come out no matter what happens.”

The instruction left no room for argument.

Before I could respond, he opened the door and stepped outside. The warriors who had accompanied us during the journey immediately followed suit, exiting the vehicle alongside him.

I remained seated where I was, watching everything unfold through the window.

Unfortunately, the longer I watched, the less likely that explanation seemed.

As Kael approached them, I immediately noticed something was wrong.

Normally, every warrior in Ironfang lowered their head in his presence. This time, none of that happened.

They simply stood there watching him.

A chill ran through me The feeling of dread that had haunted me since waking up suddenly intensified.

Before Kael could even speak, something small landed near his feet.

For a brief moment, I did not understand what it was. Then it exploded.

A loud pop echoed through the forest, followed immediately by a cloud of foul smelling smoke that spread rapidly through the area. The fumes expanded in all directions, swallowing everything around them.

Kael staggered slightly.

Even from inside the vehicle, I could smell how awful it was.

The moment the smoke appeared, the warriors blocking our path transformed.

The sound of bones cracking and muscles stretching filled the air as one wolf after another emerged. Without hesitation, they launched themselves toward Kael.

My heart jumped into my throat.

Although Kael reacted slower than usual, clearly affected by the strange fumes, he still transformed alongside the warriors traveling with us. Massive wolves collided with one another as the battle erupted.

The fight was vicious from the very beginning.

Kael fought ferociously despite the disadvantage. The warriors beside him threw themselves into battle as well, but it quickly became obvious they were outnumbered.

The enemy wolves just kept coming.

For every one that fell, another seemed ready to take its place.

Fear gripped me as I watched the battle unfold. Seeing the fight turn against Kael became unbearable.

Ignoring his instructions, I forced myself out of the vehicle. My body still felt weak and unsteady, but none of that mattered. If I could cast even one useful spell, perhaps I could help him.

I barely managed two steps before someone grabbed me from behind..The attack happened so suddenly that I had no opportunity to react.

Strong arms pinned me in place while cold metal snapped around both of my wrists.

A sharp click followed..The restraints locked immediately, and panic surged through me.

I tried to pull away, tried to twist free. Nothing worked.

Desperation took over and I reached for my magic.

A spell formed instinctively in my mind the moment panic took hold of me. Without thinking, I attempted to cast it, hoping it would buy Kael enough time to break free and turn the situation around.

Nothing happened.

A cold wave of dread swept through me and my heart began pounding furiously against my ribs.
The metal bands locked around my wrists had completely severed my connection to my powers.

Meanwhile, the battle continued unfolding ahead of me with brutal intensity.

Kael fought like a man possessed, refusing to surrender despite the odds stacked against him. One wolf after another fell beneath his attacks, their bodies crashing against the forest floor as he tore through them with relentless determination. Even weakened and caught off guard, he remained terrifyingly powerful.

Watching him fight reminded me why he was Alpha. For several moments, hope began to stir inside me because it genuinely looked possible that he might overcome them.

But eventually the advantage of numbers began to show. The warriors surrounding him became more coordinated, more determined, and more relentless.

Three massive wolves attacked him at the same time. One crashed violently into his side, forcing him to stumble. Before he could recover, another struck from behind.

The third lunged forward immediately afterward, pinning him down before he could regain his footing. My breath caught painfully in my throat as I watched him struggle beneath them.

The moment Kael was forced to the ground, a familiar figure emerged from among the attackers and my stomach instantly dropped.

Dagan.

While the others restrained Kael, Dagan stepped forward with an unsettling calmness that made the entire scene even more horrifying.

A dagger glinted in his hand as he approached. Without the slightest hesitation, he drove the blade straight into Kael's chest.

“No!” I screamed, the sound ripping from my throat before I could stop it.

Pain exploded inside me with such force that it stole every bit of air from my lungs. Everything around me seemed to blur for a moment.

Yet somehow Kael still refused to stay down. With a furious snarl, he forced himself upright despite the injury and ripped the dagger from his chest.

But before he could regain his balance or launch another attack, one of the wolves lunged forward and slammed into him with tremendous force. The impact sent him staggering backward.

Behind him was the cliff.

“No!” I screamed again, my voice breaking as panic consumed me.

But it was already too late. Kael lost his footing completely.

His body tilted backward and disappeared over the edge before anyone could stop it.