Chapter 168 CHAPTER 168

Chapter 168 CHAPTER 168
The climb back down the ridge felt longer than it had that morning. The mountain air had grown heavier, thick with a tension Elara could not shake. Raven led the way, her steps quick. She had not spoken much since preparing the ritual site, but Elara could feel the shift in her; it was a quiet, steady determination layered over the fear she still carried. Even though she had a moment of doubt, Elara trusted her. She was not only her mother's best friend, but she was Elara’s Aunt, and above all else, family came first.

Elara looked down at Talia as she thought about family. Talia was walking between Elara and Kaelan, her small hand wrapped tightly around Elara’s fingers. This moment was going to define the rest of her life, and Elara knew that even if it all went wrong, as long as she survived, they would get through it.

The Elders were waiting for them at the sanctuary entrance. They stood close together, their expressions tense. The silver‑haired witch stepped forward first, her eyes flicking to Talia with a mixture of sympathy and fear. “Is the place ready?” she asked.

Raven nodded. “Yes. It’s far enough from the chamber that Circe’s magic won’t interfere.”

The wolf Elder exhaled slowly, relief softening his features. “Then let’s go.”

Kaelan stepped forward. “Stay close. Darius and Lyra, you stay at the back, we will lead the front.”

“On it,” Darius replied.

The group began the ascent back toward the ritual site. The Elders followed quietly, then halfway up the ridge, the vampire Elder paused. “It feels quieter.”

Raven slowed beside him. “The chamber reacts to you all. Now that it’s farther away, it’s settling; you will feel a difference.”

When they reached the clearing, the ritual circle glowed faintly in the morning light, the symbols Raven had drawn shimmering with a soft, steady energy. The Elders stopped at the edge of the circle, their expressions shifting from fear to awe.

The silver‑haired witch whispered, “It feels… safe.”

Raven stepped into the centre, her posture steady. “That’s the point. Circe’s magic cannot reach us here. The extraction must be done in a place she never touched.”

The wolf Elder swallowed hard. “And you are certain you can do this?”

Raven hesitated, not out of doubt, but honesty. “I can try. And I will give everything I have to make it work.”

The vampire Elder nodded slowly. “Then we trust you.”

Elara felt a swell of emotion at the words. These three strangers were trusting them with their lives, after everything they had been through, which can’t have been easy. Not that any of this is easy.

Raven gestured for them to step inside the circle. “We’ll begin once everyone is in place.”

The Elders moved carefully, each taking a position at one of the inner points Raven had marked. Talia stood just outside the circle, her hand still in Elara’s, her eyes wide with fear.

Elara knelt beside her. “You don’t have to go in. You can stay with me.”

Talia shook her head. “I want to help. I don’t want them to be scared.”

Elara’s heart tightened. “You are helping.”

Raven looked up, her voice gentle. “Talia, you’ll stand with Elara for now. Once we extract the magic from the Elders, we can finish it by extracting yours.”

Talia nodded, though she pressed closer to Elara’s side.

Kaelan and Darius took positions at the outer boundary, ready to intervene if anything went wrong. Lyra hovered near the herbs she had scattered earlier, while Saphira stood beside Raven, just outside the circle, offering support if she needed.

Raven closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. “I’m going to begin stabilising the circle. Once it’s steady, we’ll start the extraction. I shouldn’t need help with this part, but I will for extracting the seed from Talia.”

“We are here and ready, just say the words,” Saphira said, giving Elara a nod, a silent agreement.

Elara felt the air shift as Raven’s magic rose, a soft, shimmering pulse that spread outward like ripples in water. The symbols along the circle brightened, glowing with a clean, steady light. The Elders stiffened as the magic touched them, but none stepped back.

The witch Elder whispered, “It feels… warm.”

The wolf Elder nodded. “And alive, but in a good way.”

“Not like her.” The vampire Elder closed his eyes.

Raven’s voice was soft. “Good. That means it’s working.”

Elara watched her closely. Raven’s magic flowed with a grace that was almost beautiful, controlled, deliberate, nothing like the violent, consuming force Circe had wielded. It wrapped around the Elders gently, as though asking permission rather than taking.

But beneath the beauty, Elara could feel the strain. Raven’s shoulders trembled slightly, her breath hitched, and her magic flickered once, then steadied again.

Saphira stepped closer, but not entering the boundary. “Raven?”

“I’m fine,” Raven whispered. “Just… adjusting.”

Elara wasn’t convinced, but she didn’t interrupt. Raven needed focus, not doubt. The circle brightened again, the glow intensifying as Raven anchored the final lines of the ritual. The air hummed with energy, vibrating through the stone beneath their feet.

Then Talia gasped.

Elara turned instantly, looking down at her. “What is it?”

Talia’s eyes were wide, glowing faintly with the same soft light that pulsed through the circle. “It’s… It’s pulling. I can feel it pulling.”

Raven’s head snapped up. “The seed is responding.”

The Elders stiffened, fear flickering across their faces. The witch Elder whispered, “Is that supposed to happen?”

“Yes,” Raven said, though her voice was tight. “It’s recognising the ritual. It knows we’re trying to separate it.”

Elara held Talia close. “You’re safe. I’ve got you, fight it, fight the pull.”

But Talia shook her head, her breath coming faster. “It’s different. It’s… stronger.”

“Stronger how?” Raven’s eyes widened.

Before Talia could answer, the ground trembled beneath them, and the circle flared as the symbols brightened, and Talia cried out, clutching her chest as a surge of magic burst from her skin.

Elara fought through the blast and grabbed her, pulling her close, shielding her with her body. “Talia!”

Raven stumbled back. “It’s evolving too quickly.”

The flare intensified, swirling around Talia in a violent, shimmering wave of light that crackled with raw, unstable power.

Lyra shouted something as she tried to reach them, at the same time as Kaelan lunged forward, but the force of the flare pushed them both back.

The Elders cried out as the magic struck the circle, rattling the stones, shaking the ground. Raven’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp and terrified. “Elara, hold her! Don’t let her go!”

Elara tightened her grip, even as the magic burned against her skin. “Talia, breathe. Stay with me.”

But Talia’s eyes were glowing brighter now. The flare surged again, bigger, stronger, and more powerful than anything Elara had ever felt. This was a lot stronger than any of her flares before.

As the light swallowed the circle, the mountain answered with a deep, echoing roar from somewhere far beneath them.

Something had awakened.

And it was coming.