Chapter 160 CHAPTER 160

Chapter 160 CHAPTER 160
The forest was quiet again.

The flare had shaken the trees, rattled the ground, and left the air humming with the aftertaste of magic. Now, the silence felt fragile, like it could happen again any second.

Elara sat with her back against a fallen log, Talia curled tightly against her chest. The girl hadn’t let go since the flare ended. Her small hands were fisted in Elara’s shirt, her face pressed into her shoulder, her breaths uneven and shaky.

Kaelan sat close on Elara’s right, one knee bent, one hand resting lightly on Talia’s back. His expression was tight, jaw clenched, eyes still sharp with the panic he hadn’t fully shaken.

Saphira knelt on Elara’s left, smoothing Talia’s hair with a gentleness that made Elara’s throat tighten. Raven stood a few paces away, scanning the treeline, her magic still faintly glowing from the containment work she’d done.

No one spoke for a long time.

Talia’s sobs had faded into small, hiccupping breaths. Elara kept her arms wrapped around her, rocking her gently, whispering soft reassurances whenever Talia’s grip tightened.

Eventually, Raven approached, her steps slow and careful. She crouched in front of them, her expression soft. “How’s she doing?”

Elara brushed a hand down Talia’s back. “Shaken. Exhausted. Scared. And everything in between.”

Talia’s voice was muffled against her chest. “I didn’t mean to… I didn’t want to…”

“I know,” Elara whispered. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Kaelan leaned in slightly. “You scared us, but not because of what you did. Because we didn’t want you to get hurt.”

Talia sniffed. “I scared myself.”

Saphira stroked her hair. “Magic flares when it’s frightened. You were overwhelmed. That’s all.”

Raven nodded. “And it’s going to happen again.”

Elara stiffened. “Raven!”

Raven lifted a hand gently. “I’m not trying to frighten her. But she deserves the truth. And so do you.”

Talia shifted, lifting her head just enough to peek at Raven through damp lashes. “It’s going to happen again?”

Raven’s voice softened even more. “It may not be like this one, it could be different. But yes, the seed is entering its next stage.”

Elara felt Talia tense. She tightened her hold. “What do you mean, the next stage?”

Raven sat down fully, folding her legs beneath her. “The flare tonight was the first sign that the seed is beginning to root deeper. It’s trying to anchor itself in order to grow.”

Kaelan’s jaw tightened. “How fast will it grow now?”

“A lot faster,” Raven said. “The closer we get to the Elders, the more it will react. It senses them.”

Talia’s breath hitched. “It… it knows where we are going?”

“In a way,” Raven said. “It recognises the magic ahead, and it is partly afraid of being severed, and excited to be whole.”

Elara’s stomach twisted. “So it’s fighting for the outcome it wants best.”

“Yes,” Raven said softly. “But that doesn’t mean Talia is dangerous. It means she’s carrying something that doesn’t want to die.”

Talia’s eyes filled again. “I don’t want it. I don’t want any of this.”

Elara kissed the top of her head. “I know. And we’re going to fix it.”

Kaelan shifted closer, his voice low and gentle. “You’re not alone in this, Talia. Not for one second.”

Talia looked at him, really looked, and something in her expression softened. She leaned slightly toward him, still clinging to Elara but seeking his presence too.

Kaelan’s eyes warmed. He placed a hand over hers, gentle and careful. “See? Still here. Still not scared.”

Talia let out a shaky breath. “You should be.”

Kaelan shook his head. “Not of you.”

Raven watched the exchange with a small, approving smile. “She trusts you both. That will help.”

Saphira nodded. “She needs a good support system. You two are her strongest.”

Elara felt a swell of emotion, it was fierce, protective, and totally overwhelming. “What do we do next?”

Raven’s expression grew serious. “We keep moving. We keep her calm. And we prepare for more flares.”

“How many are we likely to encounter?” Kaelan asked.

“Three stages I suspect,” Raven said. “Tonight was the first. The next will be stronger. The last… will be the most dangerous.”

Talia whimpered, burying her face in Elara’s chest again.

Elara stroked her hair. “We’ll handle it. All of us.”

Saphira squeezed Elara’s shoulder. “You’re not doing this alone.”

Raven nodded. “We’ll take shifts. No one sleeps too deeply. If she flares again, we’ll be ready.”

Kaelan looked at Talia. “And if you feel anything, anything at all, you wake us. Even if it’s small and ends up being nothing.”

Talia nodded. “Ok, I promise I will.”

“She needs rest. All of you do.” Raven stood.

Saphira rose too. “I’ll take first watch with Raven.”

Kaelan shook his head. “I’m not leaving them.”

Saphira gave him a knowing look. “I didn’t say you had to.”

Kaelan stayed exactly where he was.

It took a long time for Talia to fall asleep again.

She curled between Elara and Kaelan, her head on Elara’s chest, her hand gripping Kaelan’s sleeve. Elara hummed softly, stroking her hair until her breathing evened out.

Kaelan didn’t move the entire time.

When Talia finally drifted off, Elara exhaled slowly, exhaustion settling deep in her bones.

“You should sleep too,” Kaelan murmured.

“I will,” Elara said. “Just… not yet.”

Kaelan hesitated, then shifted closer, lowering his voice. “You scared me.”

Elara blinked. “I did?”

“When you collapsed.” His jaw tightened. “I thought… for a second I thought we lost you.”

Elara’s breath caught. “Kaelan…”

He shook his head, looking away as if embarrassed by the admission. “I know you’re strong. I know you can handle yourself. But seeing you fall like that…” He swallowed. “I’ve never felt fear like that.”

Elara reached out, brushing her fingers against his hand. “I’m sorry, I’m here and I am not going anywhere.”

He looked at her then and something unspoken passed between them, warm and steady in its intensity.

“I love you more than anything, I cannot lose you,” he said quietly.

Elara’s heart stuttered.

For a moment, the world felt still. The fire crackled softly. Talia breathed gently between them. Raven and Saphira murmured quietly at the edge of the clearing.

Kaelan’s hand turned beneath hers, fingers brushing her palm.

Elara didn’t pull away. She let her fingers curl around his, their hands fitting together in the small space between them.

Kaelan’s breath softened. “We’ll get her through this.”

“We will,” Elara whispered.

“And you,” he added, voice low. “I’ll get you through this too.”

Elara felt warmth bloom in her chest. “I couldn’t do this without you, you know.”

“And I wouldn’t let you do it without me.” He replied.

Elara leaned her head lightly against his shoulder. “I love you too.”

Kaelan didn’t move for a long moment.

Then he rested his cheek against the top of her head.

Elara closed her eyes, letting herself breathe him in, the warmth, the safety, the quiet promise in the way he held her hand.

For the first time since the journey began, she felt something other than fear.

Hope.