The first morning in the dead city was strange. The sun had risen in the sky, but its light still reflected off the stone walls, creating a faint golden reflection. Elena had spent the entire night helping the awakening people. The magical heat of her hands was still palpable, but the exhaustion in her body was forcing her to give up.
The seraph, who had been guarding the city walls all night, came down. Despite the exhaustion, there was a triumphant calm on his face.
"Elena, we must leave," the seraph said in a low voice, approaching her. "Kavian has arranged for the horses. The path to the 'Black Valley' is long, and we must cross the first checkpoint before sunset."
Elena nodded. She took one last look at her new subjects. The people were looking at her with hopeful eyes. She was no longer just a traveller, she had become the guarantee of their survival.
The three of them—Elena, Seraf, and Kaviyan—mounted their horses and rode out of the city's grand gate. As they rode away from the city, the greenery faded and the ground turned a dark brown and then black. This was the effect of the 'Dark Valley,' where waves of magic were creating a heaviness in the air.
"It is said of this valley that the winds here talk," Kaviyan said, breaking the silence. His spear was tied to his horse, and its silver bell still made the same faint sound. "The Blood Eagle has set a web of clouds here that makes travellers forget their way."
Seraf placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. "We will not forget the way. Elena's light will lead us straight to her castle."
Elena was silent, feeling the energy shifting within her. As they neared the dark valley, the light from his ring grew brighter and bluer. It was a sign that the enemy's magic was now clashing with his.
As dusk fell, they camped near a mountain cave. Kaviyan took charge of guarding from afar, while Seraph and Elena sat by a fire inside the cave. Elena's face glowed like a holy goddess in the glow of the fire.
"Seraph," Elena said suddenly. "What if we lose this war? What if I fail to live up to the hopes of all these people?"
Seraph answered, looking into the fire. "Losing is the fate of those who fight only for the throne. You are fighting for your people. Elena, I have seen many wars in my life, but I have never seen such a sparkle in the eyes of anyone as you have."
He took Elena's hand in his. "When we were in the valley, you were just my Elena. Now you are a queen. But remember, there is only one person in this entire world who knows the little scared girl hidden behind your soul. And I will never leave that girl alone."
Elena rested her head on the seraph's shoulder. At that moment, a loud scream echoed outside the cave. It was the sound of a bird, but it contained an element of human suffering.
"The Blood Eagle's spies have arrived," Kavian's voice came from the mouth of the cave.
The atmosphere outside the cave had suddenly become heavy. The tension in Kaviyan's voice told her that the enemy outside was no ordinary one. Elena felt the blue light on her ring flickering like an alarm bell.
"Elena, follow me!" The seraph drew his sword. The ferocious gleam in his eyes had returned that only appeared when he was ready to protect his queen.
As they emerged from the cave, they saw a storm of clouds in the sky that had taken the form of a giant bird. The Blood Eagle's spies were not mere birds, but rather 'shadow hunters' made of dark magic, with wings as hard as iron and beaks as sharp as daggers.
"They want to stop us from entering the valley," Kaviyan waved his spear in the air. "They are hiding behind the clouds; we must bring them to the ground!"
Suddenly, a large shadow descended from the sky with lightning speed. The clash of its wings created such a wind that Elena's feet were blown away. The seraph quickly grabbed Elena by the waist and jumped to the side, exactly where they had stood a few moments ago, a deep crack had appeared in the ground.
"Seraph, their numbers are increasing!" Elena cried. She saw that hundreds of those 'blood eagles' were hovering on the mountaintops, their red eyes glowing like embers in the darkness.
Elena tapped the magic within her. She realised that defence alone would not be enough. She raised both hands to the sky. "Oh, ancient stars of Arya, if I am your heir, grant me the power to tear apart these clouds!"
Golden rays shot out from the royal symbol on her forehead and formed a pillar and penetrated the clouds. A painful scream echoed in the air. The magical birds that had been hiding in the clouds now burned and began to fall down.
Seraph took advantage of this opportunity. Like a frozen hunter, he fell on the fallen shadows that had not yet completely disappeared. Each blow from his sword was destroying these shadows forever.
Kavian rang the silver bell of his spear, the waves from which paralysed the hearing of these birds. "Queen! We must reach the edge of this valley; this is only an obstacle, the real test is ahead!"
They mounted their horses again and began to run quickly in the darkness. Looking back, Elena realised that those 'blood eagles' were still chasing them, but now an element of fear had arisen between them.
During the journey, Seraph walked exactly at the same pace as Elena's horse. "Elena, I've never seen the magic you showed today. You're pushing your limits."
Elena replied with a tired smile. "Limits are only for those who are afraid. The only thing I'm afraid of now is losing you."
Seraph looked at Elena, the love in his eyes like a torch even in the darkness of this dark valley. "I've learned to die, Elena, but I'll never learn to leave you."
They had now reached the part of the valley where the leaves were black and the air smelled of burning iron. This was the border of General 'Bloody Eagle's empire.
The atmosphere changed colour as they crossed the border of the Black Valley. The trees here were not like ordinary trees; their trunks were twisted and black as charred flesh, and their branches seemed like long fingers waiting to grab anyone who passed by. Instead of grass on the ground, there was a black ash that made a strange sound under the horses' hooves.
"Control your senses," Kavian warned, stopping. He struck his spear on the ground, causing a slight ripple. "The silence here is dangerous. This forest will speak to your ears things you never want to hear. This is the psychological trap of the 'Bloody Eagle.'"
Elena felt that as they entered the deepest part of the forest, whispers began to echo in the air. These sounds were not the rustle of the wind, but clearly recognisable voices.
"Elena... why did you leave us alone?" A voice came that was exactly like her father's. "You are not a queen, you are just a burden..." Another voice whispered venom in her ear.
Elena put her hands to her ears, but the voices were coming from inside her mind. Her horse began to neigh restlessly. Seraph quickly brought his horse closer to Elena and supported her.
"Elena! Look at me!" Seraph's voice came like a bolt of lightning, cutting through the whispers. He took Elena's face in his hands. There was a determination in his eyes that pulled Elena back to reality. "These voices are lies. They are only fueling your fear. Close your eyes and focus only on the beating of my heart."
Elena placed her hand on Seraph's. She felt Seraph's courage coursing through her own veins. She took a deep breath and released a light golden wave from the mark on her forehead that spread around them in a circle. At the touch of this light, the black branches that were moving towards them like snakes burned and retreated.
"We don't have to stop here," Kavian said, spurring his horse. "If we stop here for even a moment, this forest will swallow us up."
As soon as they reached the centre of the forest, a huge shadow descended from the sky. It was the same 'blood eagle', but this time it was not alone. Behind it were dozens of small birds of prey, with black blood dripping from their beaks.
Seraph raised his sword and beheaded two of the approaching birds with a single blow. "Elena, you must find the 'Black Root' at the centre of this forest. As long as that root is intact, these birds will continue to be reborn!"
Elena sharpened her vision with the help of magic. She felt a black, foul-smelling energy rising from under the ground. "There it is! Under that old tomb!" He pointed to a deserted and broken tomb marked with a black serpent.
Kaviyan took up his spear. "I'll keep these hunters busy, you two finish off that root!"
Seraph and Elena rushed towards the tomb. As they approached, the ground cracked and thick, thorny roots emerged from it and entangled Seraph's feet. Seraph slashed at them angrily, but the roots were as hard as iron.
"Elena, your time is now!" Seraph shouted as he was entangled in the entanglement of those roots.
Elena gathered all her strength. She placed her ring on the tombstone. "With the light of Arya, I erase this darkness!"
An explosion shook the entire forest. The golden fire spread deep into the roots, and a human scream rose from the entire forest, as if the earth itself was screaming in pain. The 'blood eagles' that had been hovering in the air began to fall to ash one by one.
When the smoke cleared, the seraph was free. He looked at Elena, gasping, and scooped her into his arms. "You did it, Elena. You broke the spirit of this forest."
Elena rested her head on his chest. "We did it together, seraph."
But Kavian's face was still serious. He pointed to the red light shining on the distant horizon. "This is only the first watch. The 'blood eagle's' main fortress is on the top of this mountain, and he now knows that the queen is coming."
After the tomb exploded and the black root turned to ash, a silence fell over the forest that was even more oppressive than the terrifying whispers of the past. The smoke was slowly clearing, but the air still smelled of burnt magic. Elena, still in Seraph's arms, felt the mark on her forehead fade, as if he had expended too much of his energy.
Seraph supported her and sat her down on an old, moss-covered rock. He noticed that Elena's hands were shaking. "Elena, you've used too much power. You need to rest."
"We don't have time, Seraph," Elena said, taking a deep breath. Her voice was shaky, but her determination was still the same. "That red light... It's calling to us. Kavian said this was only the first watch. If we stop now, the enemy will have a chance to regroup."
Kavian, who had been surveying the land in the distance, turned back. The eyes hidden behind the mask on his face were now more intense. "The Queen is right. But this part of the Black Valley is no longer what it was centuries ago. The soil here now demands blood."
He dug his spear into the ground, revealing an old silver chain with the marks of Arya's old guards. "This is where Arya's last loyalists made their last stand against the Black Serpent. Their spirits still wander here. We must ask their permission to proceed."
The seraph looked at his sword. "Permission? Are we to make a deal with the ghosts now?"
"This is not a deal, Seraph," Elena said, rising. She could feel the chain calling to her. "This is a Covenant. These people are not dead, they are just waiting for a voice that can comfort them."
Elena walked over to the chain and touched it. As her fingers touched the cold metal, a blue wave rippled through the entire forest. Suddenly, dozens of transparent heavels appeared around them. These were the soldiers who had given their lives protecting their queen. Their faces were sad, but as soon as they saw the royal insignia on Elena's forehead, they all knelt together.
"We will not block your path, our queen," a faint voice echoed like a gust of wind. "But remember, the palace of the 'Bloody Eagle' is not above the clouds, but beneath your own illusions. What you see is not true."
With that, the heavels dissolved into thin air one by one, leaving behind them a clear path that led straight to the top of the mountain.
The seraph held Elena's hand. "Under illusions? What could that mean?"
"That means our greatest battle will be with our own eyes and ears," Elena replied resolutely. "Come on, Seraph. The time for the 'Bloody Eagle' is over."
They mounted their horses again and set off on the new path, where the moonlight was now clearly visible. But they did not know that on the mountaintop, the 'Bloody Eagle' was watching them through its great window, and in its hand was a mirror that could make a man's worst dreams come true.
As the climb up the mountain became more difficult, the cold air began to bite into the bones. Elena felt that as they went up, a strange fog was rising from the ground that was not an ordinary fog. This fog shone like silver and in it a person could see his own reflection.
Seraph brought his horse very close to Elena. His breathing was rapid, but his eyes were only on Elena. "Elena, whatever they say, don't listen to these monsters. That 'blood eagle' wants to break us not physically, but mentally."
Elena nodded silently, but her heart was trembling with an unknown fear. Suddenly, a huge silver door appeared in front of them, unguarded, but its surface shone like a mirror. As Elena approached it, a figure stepped out from inside the mirror.
This figure was not that of an enemy, but it was Elena herself. But this was not the Elena who had just been riding the horse; the mirror Elena was wearing a crown of black serpents and her eyes were as red as blood.
"Are you running away from me?" the mirror Elena said sarcastically. Her voice was exactly like the real Elena, but it was full of venom. "You came to be queen? You will only bring destruction. Look behind you... All these people will die because of you, just like your parents died."
"Today's story will make your hair stand on end! How did you feel when you saw Seraph's true form? Will Elena be able to accept him?
This thrilling 2000-word chapter is just for you! Give Power Stones and tell us in the comments: Was Seraph's serpent form better or his human form?"