Whispers of Worlds Beyond: A Series-Chapter 52: Fire and Arrows [3]

The air in the dome shifted. One moment, the dense forest was alive with the soft rustle of leaves and the distant chirping of birds; the next, everything plunged into an unnatural darkness.

Aiden froze, his fire flickering uncertainly in his palms as the familiar surroundings of the dome melted away into pitch black.

"What’s going on?" Aiden asked, his voice tense. He glanced toward Ivara, barely making out her silhouette through the dim glow of his flames.

Ivara turned her head sharply, her bow half-drawn. "I don’t know," she said, her voice hushed. Her sharp eyes scanned the void around them. "The dome doesn’t just... do this."

Aiden nodded, his senses on high alert.

"This isn’t normal," he muttered.

Then, the smell hit them.

The stench of blood hung thick in the air, metallic and nauseating. Ivara recoiled, pressing a hand to her nose.

"What... what is that?"

Aiden’s stomach churned. "Blood."

The oppressive darkness seemed to press closer, and with it came a chilling silence that made Aiden’s skin crawl. It wasn’t just the absence of sound- it was as if the forest itself had stopped breathing.

"I don’t like this," Ivara muttered, stepping closer to Aiden. Her voice was unusually tense, a sharp contrast to her usual confidence.

"Neither do I," Aiden admitted.

And then, faintly, a sound broke the silence.

Clap.

The noise was slow, deliberate, echoing eerily through the black void.

Clap. Clap.

Aiden’s fire flared instinctively, casting a faint glow that illuminated the figure standing just ahead of them.

He was tall and impossibly pale, his sunken eyes glinting red in the dim light. His clothes were dark and tattered, blending into the shadows as if he belonged to them.

"Who’s there?" Aiden demanded, stepping in front of Ivara protectively.

The figure smiled, his lips curling in a way that was both amused and predatory. "Finally," he said, his voice smooth and low. "I’ve been waiting for this."

Ivara’s knees weakened as she took a shaky step back. Her hand instinctively gripped Aiden’s arm, her other still holding her bow. "We need to get out of here," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Hey. You okay?" Aiden whispered back, his eyes fixed on the figure.

"He reeks of blood," Ivara said, her voice trembling. "He’s not human. We need to find the exit. Now."

The pale man took a step forward, his movements unnervingly graceful. "Oh, don’t run," he said, his tone almost mocking. "The fun is just about to begin."

Aiden’s flames surged to life.

"Stay behind me, Ivara," he said, his voice steady despite the pounding of his heart.

Ivara hesitated for a moment before nodding, her bowstring taut as she aimed an arrow at the figure.

Without warning, the man lunged. He moved so quickly that Aiden barely had time to react, throwing up a wall of fire between them. The flames roared to life, forcing the figure to stop, but only for a moment.

The man’s hand shot through the flames, grabbing Aiden by the wrist. His grip was like iron, unyielding and cold. Aiden winced, his fire flickering as the man’s presence seemed to drain the energy from him.

Ivara fired an arrow, her aim as precise as ever. The projectile struck the man in the shoulder, but instead of staggering, he simply turned his head to look at her. With a chilling smile, he pulled the arrow free, the wound closing almost instantly.

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"Is that all you’ve got?" he asked, his voice dripping with disdain.

Aiden wrenched his arm free, stumbling back as he reignited his flames. "What are you?" he demanded.

The man tilted his head, his red eyes glinting. "That’s a question for another time."

Ivara fired another arrow, this one glowing faintly with magic.

It zipped through the air with deadly precision, but the man dodged it effortlessly, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

He lashed out with his hand, striking Ivara’s bow and sending it flying from her grip. She barely had time to react before he kicked her in the chest, sending her sprawling to the ground.

"Ivara!" Aiden shouted, surging forward. He unleashed a torrent of fire, the flames roaring as they enveloped the man. For a moment, it seemed like the attack might work.

But then the fire dissipated, and the man emerged, unharmed and smirking.

"Impressive," he said, his tone almost approving. "But not enough."

He moved toward Aiden, his movements fluid.

Aiden threw everything he had at him- fireballs, walls of flame, even a desperate explosion of heat that left the air shimmering- but nothing seemed to faze the man.

Ivara struggled to her feet, blood dripping from a cut on her forehead. She summoned a dagger from her belt and charged at the man, her movements quick and precise.

The man turned to face her, his expression almost bored. He caught her wrist mid-strike, twisting it until she cried out in pain.

"Persistent, aren’t you?" he said.

Aiden took the opportunity to strike, his fire flaring brighter than ever as he aimed a punch at the man’s side. The flames struck with a deafening crack, forcing the man to release Ivara and stagger back slightly.

Aiden and Ivara stood side by side, panting and bloodied. "We can take him," Aiden said, his voice firm.

Ivara nodded, though her grip on her dagger was shaky. "We have to," she said.

But the man recovered quickly, his smile widening as he looked at them. "I almost feel bad about what’s coming next."

He moved faster than ever, a blur of motion that neither Aiden nor Ivara could fully track.

Aiden barely managed to block an incoming strike with a wall of fire, but the man’s other hand lashed out, striking him in the chest and sending him sprawling.

Ivara lunged at the man with her dagger, but he caught her wrist again, this time twisting it until the weapon clattered to the ground. He struck her in the side, and she crumpled to the ground, clutching her ribs and gasping for air.

"Ivara!" Aiden shouted, his voice raw with desperation.

The man turned to him, his red eyes gleaming.

Aiden forced himself to his feet, his flames flickering weakly around him. He summoned everything he had left, pouring all his energy into one last attack. The fire roared to life, forming into a massive inferno that surged toward the man.

For a moment, the dome was illuminated by the intense light of the flames.

And then, just as suddenly, the flames were gone, snuffed out as if they had never existed.

The man stood unharmed, his smile colder than ever.

Before Aiden could react, the man closed the distance between them, his hand wrapping around Aiden’s throat.

Aiden gasped, his vision blurring as the man’s grip tightened.

"I’ve finally found you," the man said, his voice low and almost triumphant.

Aiden’s heart seemed to stop as the man’s next words echoed in his ears.

"Aiden Chase."