The trees shook harder as the masked Seer lifted his hand.
Leaves fell like rain.
The ground trembled under Kael's feet.
Lira grabbed Kael's sleeve tightly.
"Kael… something is coming."
"I know," he said, pulling her behind him.
The Blood Oath Knights pointed their swords toward the Seer.
The leader shouted,
"Stay where you are! The Emperor wants the girl alive"
The Seer cut him off.
"You won't live long enough to take her."
The knights bristled with anger.
Kael stepped forward.
"Why did you come? What do you want from us?"
The Seer didn't look at him.
He simply pointed at the earth.
A deep, heavy noise rose from below…
like a giant heart beating under the soil.
Lira's eyes widened.
"Kael… is that—?"
Kael clenched his jaw.
"Yes. It's the Devourer."
The knights heard it too.
Their formation broke for the first time.
Some stepped back.
Some hesitated.
The leader yelled,
"Stand your ground! It's just a beast!"
The Seer finally turned his masked face toward them.
"No… it is older than a beast."
The ground cracked.
One knight lost his balance and fell to a knee.
Another shouted, "Captain, what do we do?!"
Kael positioned Lira behind him, palms open, ready to use his shadows.
"Lira," Kael whispered, "stay close to me. Don't run."
Lira nodded, shaking.
"I won't leave you."
Cracks spread through the forest floor like black veins.
The growling rose again closer… louder… hungry.
The masked Seer spoke calmly:
"You have only seconds. Make your choice."
The knight leader lifted his sword.
"We fight it! Hold steady"
The ground split open beneath his feet.
A massive black claw shot upward, grabbing the knight and pulling him down in a single, brutal motion.
Lira screamed.
Kael pulled her back with both hands.
The remaining knights panicked.
"FORMATION BROKEN!"
"RETREAT!"
"THE THING IS UNDER US MOVE!"
The Seer looked at Kael and Lira.
"Now. Follow me if you want to live."
Kael didn't trust him… but staying here meant death.
He grabbed Lira's hand.
"Come on!"
They ran.
The forest around them collapsed as the Devourer forced its way upward.
Huge pieces of earth exploded into the air.
Trees fell like toys.
Kael shielded Lira with his body as they ran through the shaking ground.
"Kael watch out!" Lira cried.
A tree was about to fall on them, but the Seer flicked his wrist
A blast of wind knocked the tree aside.
"Keep moving!" the Seer shouted.
Behind them
Red eyes opened again from the ground.
Huge, glowing, furious.
The Devourer was rising.
Kael pulled Lira as fast as he could.
"We're almost there!" the Seer shouted.
"To where?!" Kael yelled back.
"To a barrier the Devourer can't cross!"
But before they could reach safety
The Devourer's head burst out of the ground, massive and monstrous.
It roared so loudly the entire forest shook.
Lira stumbled from the shock.
Kael caught her but lost his balance.
They both fell to the ground.
The Devourer slammed a claw down toward them.
Kael wrapped Lira in his arms
But the claw stopped an inch from their bodies.
The Devourer hesitated.
And the Seer whispered from behind them:
"The creature doesn't want to kill you…
It wants your bond."
Kael felt a chill run down his spine.
Lira grabbed his shirt, terrified.
"Kael… what do we do…?"
Kael pulled her close.
"We don't let it take us."
The Devourer roared again
and charged.