73

73
Princess Elowen Starfire.

The taste of blood was still in my mouth.
Even after victory, even with our enemies dead, the air remained heavy, saturated with pain, fear, and corrupted magic.
I had finished extracting all the magic from Aric's arm so that it wouldn't spread. When there was little dark magic left, I was able to help with precision; thankfully, I acted quickly. I got up and held out my hand to Aric, who took it and thanked me with a warm smile.
“Let's keep going!” I said, following the others through the tunnel. We were all exhausted, but we were still standing strong.
Each step we took deeper into that dark base seemed to drag us into a nightmare. Aric was wounded; even though I had helped him with the wound on his arm, there were others; the cut on his rib was still bleeding, and yet he refused to rest. We would take care of those wounds later, but what reassured me was that he was still standing and that it wasn't anything serious.
Other wolves also staggered wounded, but no one complained. We were all driven by the same force: to find Aeloria. My little sister.
The corridor divided in two; that place looked more like an ancient cave than a military post. Roots were fixed on the ceiling, the floor was moist and slippery, and a smell of rot mixed with mold hurt every breath. The silence was broken only by our heartbeats and our cautious steps.
Aric looked at me; his golden eyes, though tired, were alert.
“Let's split up,” he said, his voice hoarse. “It's faster. If we find anything, we'll shout.”
I nodded, so focused on Aeloria's thoughts that I barely noticed Render approaching, his eyes half-closed and his breathing rapid.
“I'll go with her,” he declared. “The princess knows her sister's energy better than anyone.”
Aric hesitated for a second, as if he wanted to say something, then just nodded.
“Be careful, Elowen.”
His eyes remained on mine for a moment, much more than I expected; he seemed worried and did not want to leave there. For a moment, I almost stopped breathing; my eyes were fixed on his. I wanted to run to him and hug him, but there was no time. I just lowered my head slowly and turned my back and followed Render down the hall to the right, feeling my heart beat strongly.
The other soldiers who had caught up with us were behind me, along with some wolves.
My feet slipped on the muddy ground, my dress torn from the previous battle caught on twisted roots. But I didn't stop; I couldn't stop.
“Aeloria...” I whispered her name like a prayer. “Listen to me... I'm coming...”
Render walked ahead, his muscular body on constant alert. He didn't speak, but I knew he was as worried as I was.
The corridor extended to the left side; there was a door there. Render opened it, and we saw there was a large space there, illuminated by a strange blue light, which seemed to come from crystals embedded in the walls. The air there was denser, as if corrupt magic permeated each particle. My hair floated for a moment, as if the air vibrated with black energy.
That's when I saw her.
“Aeloria!”
My scream echoed off the walls.
My sister was there, in the center of that strange place, floating a few centimeters above the ground, surrounded by black chains made of magic. His eyes... were open but empty, a dark purple glow covering his blue iris. His golden hair was stuck, totally messy, and his skin, which was so clear, now seemed lifeless, almost pale as wax.
“No...” I whispered, my heart sinking. “No, no, no...” My heart ached; it was racing, tight, and broken.
I ran to her, ignoring Render's warnings, ignoring the danger pulsing in that place.
“It's Elowen, Aeloria. Your sister!” I shouted. “It's me! I'm here! I came to get you out of here, my girl...”
But the answer did not come in words.
It came in power.
My sister's body trembled, and a circle of dark magic rose beneath her feet. Before I could react, a bolt of black energy was fired at me. I only had time to raise a water shield, which exploded into steam upon impact.
“She's casting magic!” Render shouted behind me, pulling me by the arm. “She's under some kind of spell, princess!”
“I know!” I growled, breaking free and running back to her. Another spell came, this time magical thorns that sprouted from the ground and nearly pierced my legs. I jumped out of the way, falling to my knees, my heart pounding.
“Aeloria, it's me! You have to fight this!” I begged, my voice breaking. “You're strong; you can do it!” I said, feeling tears welling up in my eyes.
But she didn't hear me.
Or worse, she heard me and couldn't react.
The magic controlled her, manipulating her body like a puppet. She raised her hands again, and now the power came stronger, more cruel. A gust of dark wind cut the side of my arm, opening a deep gash. I groaned in pain, retreating.
“She'll kill you if you continue!” Render said, preparing to intervene.
“No!” I shouted. “Don't touch her! She's my sister!”
But I didn't know what to do.
The curse that imprisoned her was dark ancient, unlike anything I had ever faced. I couldn't attack her; I couldn't even get close to her. Every time I tried, she reacted more aggressively, as if some part of her was still fighting against the control, and it hurt her more.
Tears began to roll down my face violently.
Another bolt of energy struck the wall behind me, causing pieces of stone to fall. Render pulled me back again.
“If we don't get out of here, she'll kill you without meaning to!”
But I couldn't move; I couldn't leave her there; she was my sister. Even in that state, even with her eyes clouded by black magic, she was my Aeloria.
And then I did the only thing I could do.
I raised my head and shouted:
“ARIC! RONNIE! SOMEBODY! Help. WE FOUND HER.”
My voice echoed like thunder through the cave, echoing through the corridors, breaking the silence of that place. I kept screaming until my throat burned.
“ARIC.”
Even with the pain and the fear, I kept going.
Because my sister was still alive.
And I wasn't leaving there without her.