Chapter 7 – The Gathering Storm
The wind had picked up once more, howling through the forest as if it too could sense the looming danger. Elvis stood next to Alexander, the weight of the night's events pressing down on her shoulders. The power inside her was growing, the white flame threatening to consume her at every turn. She could feel it, deep inside her chest, pulsing with an urgency that sent shivers down her spine.
"Where are we going?" Elvis asked, her voice barely audible over the roar of the wind.
Alexander's gaze never wavered from the path ahead. His jaw was set in a hard line, his brow furrowed as though the world itself were conspiring against them.
"We need to find the heart of the forest," he said, his voice low and steady. "There's an old temple there. It holds the answers to everything—the history of the flame, and the key to controlling it."
Elvis nodded, though the words barely registered. The history of the flame? The key to controlling it? She didn't know what any of it meant. All she knew was that Varion's words had stirred something inside her, a fear that she couldn't shake. She wasn't the same girl she'd been a few days ago. Her world had been turned upside down, and she didn't know who to trust anymore.
As they moved deeper into the forest, the air grew colder. The trees grew taller and denser, their gnarled branches twisting toward the sky like skeletal hands. The moon was barely visible now, hidden behind a veil of clouds that seemed to press down on them. Every step Elvis took felt heavier, as if the very earth beneath her feet was pulling her down into the darkness.
They walked in silence for a while, the only sound the crunch of leaves beneath their boots. Elvis couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, though whenever she glanced over her shoulder, the forest was empty. Her skin prickled with unease.
Finally, Alexander spoke again, his voice breaking the quiet. "You should know more about Varion. He's dangerous, Elvis. Not just because of what he knows, but because of what he can do."
Elvis turned to him, her curiosity piqued despite her fear. "What do you mean? You said he was part of your pack once. What happened to him?"
Alexander's face darkened as he glanced at her, his eyes haunted by a past he didn't want to revisit. "Varion wasn't always like this. He was once a protector—one of the most loyal members of our pack. But power changes people. The flame… it was his obsession. He believed that by controlling it, he could take over everything."
Elvis felt a shudder run down her spine. The thought of someone as cold and calculating as Varion wielding that power sent a wave of dread through her.
"But he failed," she said quietly. "That's why he's so angry, right?"
"Exactly," Alexander replied, his voice low. "He failed. And he's been trying ever since to find a way to bring the flame back under his control. When I left the pack, I thought I'd left that life behind, but I was wrong. Varion's still out there, and now, he's using you to get what he wants."
Elvis stopped walking for a moment, her heart racing. "But why me? Why does he care about me? What makes me special?"
Alexander hesitated, and for a moment, Elvis thought he wasn't going to answer. When he did, his words were heavy with unspoken truths.
"The flame chose you, Elvis. It's not just any fire. It's the last of its kind. It was created by an ancient power—something so old and dangerous that even the oldest of our kind fear it. The flame has a will of its own. It chooses who it binds to. And once it binds to you, there's no going back."
Elvis's breath caught in her throat. "So… I'm not just some random person caught in the middle of all this. I'm… I'm a vessel for this power?"
Alexander nodded, his eyes serious. "Yes. And Varion knows it. He's been searching for someone like you for years. The moment he saw the flame rise inside you, he knew you were the key to everything. If he can control you, he can control the flame. And if he controls the flame, he controls all of us."
Elvis's mind was spinning. She had known there was something more to all of this, but she hadn't expected it to be this dark, this all-consuming. She was just a girl—she didn't have the power to change the world. Or did she?
"I didn't ask for this," she said, her voice shaking. "I didn't ask for any of this."
"I know," Alexander said softly. "No one does. But now that the flame has chosen you, there's no going back. You have to learn to control it before it destroys you."
The words hit her like a slap. Control the flame? How could she? She barely understood what it was, let alone how to control it. She felt like a child playing with fire, and one wrong move would burn everything to the ground.
"Is that why you're helping me?" Elvis asked, her voice small. "To teach me how to control it?"
Alexander's expression softened for a moment, but it quickly hardened again. "Yes. But it's more than that. You're not just a vessel for the flame. You're something else too. Something ancient. You have the potential to end this war—once and for all."
Elvis stopped in her tracks, her heart pounding. "End the war? What war?"
"The war between the old guard and the new," Alexander said, his voice grim. "The war for control of the flame. And the war for the future of our kind."
Elvis's mind raced, trying to absorb everything he was telling her. She had no idea what kind of power she was holding, but she knew one thing: she couldn't let it fall into the wrong hands.
The sound of distant footsteps interrupted her thoughts. They both turned, their eyes scanning the shadows around them. For a moment, there was nothing but silence, then
"Who goes there?"
A voice, low and rumbling, echoed through the trees. Elvis's heart skipped a beat. She didn't recognize the voice, but it carried a weight of authority that made her blood run cold.
"Stay behind me," Alexander whispered urgently, his hand hovering near the dagger at his side.
The figure stepped forward, emerging from the darkness. A tall, broad-shouldered man with piercing eyes and a cloak that seemed to blend into the shadows. He was unlike anyone Elvis had ever seen, his presence commanding attention without a single word.
"You shouldn't be here," the man said, his voice sharp and cold.
"Who are you?" Elvis demanded, her fear giving way to defiance. "What do you want?"
The man's gaze flicked to her, then back to Alexander. "I'm here to ensure that the flame doesn't fall into the wrong hands. You've been warned, Alexander. Leave now, or face the consequences."
"I don't answer to you, Varion," Alexander snarled. "And neither does she."
Varion's eyes gleamed with malice. "Then we shall see, won't we?"