Chapter 148: Stormward Bound
Chapter 148: Stormward Bound
The wind at the coast wasn’t gentler—it was different. Where the mountains whispered secrets in the cold, the sea screamed them with salt and fury.
Three days had passed since the shattered monolith in the Crown of Ice, and we hadn’t slowed down. There was no time to rest. The vision had left me with more than just a mark—it left a feeling of urgency that curled like smoke in my lungs.
We needed to get to Stormward—the southern coastal province of the old wolf empires, now nearly abandoned. Its cliffs were carved from obsidian. It was the place from my vision. And if we were right, the last gate would be built there.
We rode day and night. Logan and Daria scouted ahead with a small group of Silverpine warriors, while Alec, Seris, and I led the central party. Behind us, dozens more traveled on foot, bringing supplies, magic wards, and everything we had left.
The closer we got, the stranger the air became. Not unnatural—but anticipating, like a storm holding its breath.
⸻
By the time we reached the outer edges of Stormward, the skies had darkened. Clouds churned above the cliffs, and the sea below roared with a restless energy.
We paused on a high ridge overlooking the coastline. My heart beat faster the moment I saw it: a circle of obsidian stones half-buried in the sand near the cliff’s edge. The last gate wasn’t complete yet, but the foundation had been laid.
Alec stood beside me, his expression grim.
“They’re preparing to open it here.”
I nodded. “The gate will awaken the Hollowed One fully. If they complete this one… we may not be able to stop him.”
Seris muttered a string of protective runes under her breath, her hands glowing with magic. “The ley lines here are strong. Too strong. The Fangborn didn’t pick this place by accident.”
“Then we finish it before they do,” Alec said.
⸻
That night, we set up camp half a mile from the gate.
The warriors were tense—pacing, sharpening weapons, casting glances over their shoulders. We were all waiting for the first sign of battle.
Alec and I sat by the fire near the command tent. Neither of us spoke for a long time.
Finally, I broke the silence.
“When this is over… when the gates are destroyed… what happens to us?”
He turned his gaze toward me, his jaw tightening. “You mean you and me?”
I nodded, afraid to look up.
Alec exhaled slowly. “I’ve spent months chasing after you, trying to fix what I broke. I never stopped loving you, Evelyn. But I also understand if… after everything… you can’t see a life with me anymore.”
I met his eyes. “I never stopped loving you either, Alec. But love wasn’t the only thing broken. You didn’t believe me when I needed you most. And now, I carry a power I don’t fully understand.”
He reached over and took my hand. “Then let’s figure it out. Together. No more running. No more silence.”
His thumb brushed over the scar on my palm—the one left by the cursed pendant.
My pulse raced.
“I’m scared,” I whispered.
“So am I.” He leaned in, pressing his forehead to mine. “But I’d rather face the end of the world with you than live in one without you.”
⸻
Later that night, in the safety of our tent, we didn’t speak of war or seals or gods. We held each other like it was the first time—desperate and tender. A slow, aching dance of rediscovery.
When his lips found mine, everything else melted away. There was no cold, no prophecy—only him. Only us.
And when he finally pulled me close beneath the furs, I felt something I hadn’t in a long time.
Hope.
⸻
Morning came fast.
We stood once more on the cliff, looking down at the obsidian stones. The Fangborn had arrived.
A half-dozen cloaked figures moved among the pillars, their chants carrying faintly on the wind. Magic shimmered above the stones—runes that twisted the air.
Logan appeared behind us. “They’re summoning already.”
Seris cursed. “They’re using blood anchors. That’ll accelerate the ritual.”
“We need to break the circle,” I said, stepping forward.
Alec grabbed my arm. “We do it together.”
The final battle had begun.
And I wasn’t just Evelyn anymore.
I was the Seal-Bearer.