XXIV

THE EAST BANK OF LAKE VERNA

FIVE DAYS LATER

The shore of Lake Verna was a line drawn between the living world and a place of legends. At its haunting brink, Kiro, Haken, Reya, Lyra, Kara, Elisia, Haelia, and the motionless form of Kael stood in tense silence. How to cross it, however, was a matter of fierce debate. Taking boats from the nearby village would save them half a day's march, but the old stories of vengeful Elven ghosts that haunted the waters made most of the group wary. Haken, Kara, and Lyra voted for the boats; the others were steadfastly opposed.

"It's too risky!" Kiro's voice was sharp with frustration, his words aimed directly at Haken, who merely rolled his eyes. "We have no idea what's out there! I would rather walk for three days than take that chance!"

"I'm not backing down, Sir Stubborn," Haken retorted, his tone laced with sarcasm. "The logical path is straight across."

Kara nodded in agreement. "He's right, you moron. Stop being such a coward!"

Lyra's silence was a betrayal that enraged Kiro all the more, for he knew exactly what she was thinking. Of all of them, she should have been on his side.

Reya released a heavy sigh, her eyes tracking the sun's descent. "Listen, I hate to burst your bubble, but we have three, maybe four, hours of daylight left. We need to make a decision. Now."

Haelia shifted uncomfortably, her keen senses sampling the air as she stared at the black, crystalline surface of the lake. Beside her, Elisia fidgeted with the collar of her tunic, her own gaze fixed on the unnerving expanse of water. In the tight, strained silence, a spark of an idea ignited in Lyra's mind.

She clapped her hands together, a sudden, bright sound in the gloom. "I have an idea!" Her abrupt enthusiasm drew the irritated gazes of the entire group. "A competition, to settle our little dilemma! Haken's plan versus Kiro's. Haken, Kara, myself, and the ever-quiet Kael will take a boat. The rest of you can start walking. First to Ravenhold wins!"

A slow smile spread across Kara's face. "Yes! And the losers have to call the winners 'Master' for a full week!"

The sisters shared a high-five as Reya grinned, nodding her approval. "That sounds like a fine idea," Elisia chuckled, as she and Haelia immediately began placing bets.

Kiro’s gaze met Haken’s, a silent, grudging acceptance passing between them. They sealed the deal with a firm, sharp handshake before Haken turned to leave.

"Kara, with me," he commanded, then glanced at Lyra. "You stay with Kael."

Kiro, fuming, had already started stomping away along the shoreline. Haken's irritation was plain to see as Kara hurried to catch up, her hand finding his. She threaded her fingers through his, and he paused, the hard lines of his face softening almost imperceptibly.

"I know we'll win," Kara whispered, her voice confident. "We have you."

Haken’s palm gently cupped her face, tilting it upward before he planted a soft kiss on her lips. A pleasant weakness spread through her legs, and she smiled, pulling him toward the village. "Well," he murmured, a hint of a smile in his voice, "if you keep distracting me like that, we'll never get the boat."

Left behind with Kael, Lyra sat with her arms crossed, pouting beside the Dragon's still form. It felt deeply unsettling to be alone with him. She didn't know what lurked beneath the lake's placid surface, nor how truly powerful Haken's binding charms were. A frigid breeze swept over the water, and she shivered. Her thoughts drifted to the dream Kael had shared with her—the one of their battle, of them flying over rolling green hills. His eyes had held such a universe of sorrow and love, and his arms had felt so strong around her. Wait... the vision hadn't shown her his eyes.

Lyra gasped. Kael was kneeling before her, his gaze locked on her own golden eyes. He had awakened from his trance. A gentle smile touched his lips. She swallowed, managing a hesitant laugh. He was undeniably handsome, she had to admit. The way his white hair, streaked with violet, fell across his brow held a dangerous allure. Still, a profound unease settled in her stomach; he was, after all, the Dragon of Might.

She was so lost in thought that his voice, when it finally came, made her jump. "Beautiful one," he began, the sound a low, gravelly rumble. "I know you do not trust me, but I fear for your safety with Kiro. He is treacherous. I can only hope you will hear the truth in my words."

The deep, gravelly timbre of his voice disarmed her completely. She even offered a shy smile in return. Kael’s answering look was one of such kindness it only amplified his beauty. He shifted closer, one bound hand rising to brush a stray lock of hair from her face. Her heart hammered against her ribs as his fingertips grazed her cheek. She felt her eyes flutter closed as he leaned in, his lips brushing hers for a fleeting, electric moment before he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. And then, the warmth was gone.

Lyra’s eyes snapped open. He was sitting in the exact same position as before, his gaze distant and unfocused. Flustered, a wild flush creeping up her neck, she scrambled to her feet. Her anger was directed inward, at the part of her that had desperately wanted him to kiss her lips, not at him. She was with Kiro! She was losing her mind. Lyra was silently thanking the gods when Haken and Kara returned with a small boat, and she jogged over to help them launch it.

The "Land Lovers," as Haelia had dubbed them, made swift but unremarkable progress along the northern shore of the infamous lake. "It's actually quite peaceful here," Elisia commented, pausing to pick a few wildflowers from the path. Haelia skipped along the water's edge, humming a light Kistune melody. Only Reya seemed tense, her gaze constantly scanning the vast expanse of the lake for any sign of the boat.

Half-listening to Haelia's tune, Kiro's eyes caught on an ancient stone pillar, half-buried in the sand. He paid it little mind, urging the group forward. But as they continued, more crumbling stone structures emerged from the landscape until they found themselves standing in the center of a deserted village that seemed as ancient as Oria itself.

Suddenly, a fierce wind erupted around them, and dark, bruised clouds swirled in to blot out the sun. A flash of lightning was followed by a deafening crack of thunder that made them all jump.

"Um, you guys…" Elisia began, her face a mask of worry. Haelia whimpered, pressing closer to her for comfort.

"The water level must have receded over the centuries," Kiro mused aloud, his eyes wide as he took in the scale of the ruins.

Reya was the first to move, drawn toward a large shrine in the village center. It was covered in ancient Elven inscriptions. The diligent Aqua Mage crouched, her fingers tracing the ancient script. As she read the words aloud, the runes seemed to ripple with a power that sent a chill down her spine. "Fascinating!" she breathed. Just as she finished, another clap of thunder rocked the earth, and a cold, heavy rain began to fall.

"Okay! I'm done! Let's go!" Elisia shouted over the rising gale.

Kiro nodded in agreement but froze, his gaze fixed on something straight ahead. "Reya," he asked, his voice tight with a dawning horror, "what did that inscription say in the Common Tongue?"

Reya translated instantly. Her voice broke when she followed Kiro's terrified gaze. "‘Come ye, Wardens, with caution nigh. For eons long, and water high. We await thee with stilled breath, to dole out thy fated death.’" From the ruined buildings, spectral Elven warriors emerged, their forms shimmering with ethereal light and blazing with ancient rage.

"Kiro!" Reya cried as their leader raised a spectral blade, giving the silent order to attack.

"Here we go!" Kiro yelled, drawing his energy sword, his normally confident eyes now shining with a desperate anxiety.

Out on the lake, Haken and the others watched as the bizarre storm materialized over the north bank. "That's odd," Haken muttered, pausing his rowing. Curious, Lyra leaned far over the side of the boat, inadvertently draping herself across Kael's lap to get a better look. She yelped and scrambled back when she found him awake, a knowing wink in his eye.

"I hope the others aren't caught in that," Kara said, her expression clouded with worry. "There's a strange energy about it."

Haken chuckled darkly. Lyra, ever quick to point a finger, rounded on him. "What did you do, Haken?"

He laughed again. "I did nothing. Time did. This Elven village was once submerged beneath the lake. Over the centuries, the water receded and exposed it. It's said that many who venture to the northern shore are never seen again."

The wind carried the distant rumble of thunder. "Are they in trouble?" Lyra asked, her voice small.

Kara closed her eyes, effortlessly reaching out with her mind. Her face paled. "They're in some ruins," she said, her voice strained. "It's raining… they're surrounded by—"

"Kara?" Lyra pressed.

As Haken touched Kara's arm, a surge of alien energy jolted through him. "What the—" he began, but his words were cut off as an unearthly howl tore from Kara's throat and her body was violently wrenched into the air. A vortex of dark energy swirled around her, whipping the wind into a raging tempest.

"What in the hell is going on?" Lyra cried out.

Haken rose cautiously to his feet, gathering his Lumen energy as he felt the oppressive presence of an ancient Elven spirit. He surmised it had possessed Kara the moment she opened her mind. He would have to teach her to shield her thoughts—if he could free her first. He conjured a small, swirling cloud and ascended toward her. A cruel smirk twisted her lips, and her eyes glowed with a malevolent crimson light. The ghost cackled and hurled a bolt of dark fire at him.

Haken deflected it with a wave of his hand. "What do you want with us?"

The spirit flew closer, its laughter a grating sound on the wind. "Revenge!"

Back on the north bank, Kiro and the others were completely encircled by the spectral army.

"So, remind me how we're supposed to fight ghosts?" Elisia asked, her voice trembling.

"These aren't ordinary ghosts!" Reya shouted, her voice straining as she fought to maintain her energy shield. "They're pure Umbra energy! And—AHH!"

The girls' screams made Kiro spin around. He watched in horror as chains of dark energy erupted from the shrine, shackling Elisia, Haelia, and Reya to the cold stone. The ghost leader rushed him. To his shock, their blades met with a deafening crackle of energy that sent him staggering backward. Encouraged, he lunged again, but the apparition was too fast. Its blade, wreathed in black power, sliced across Kiro's stomach, searing his flesh. The ghosts began an unsettling, monotonous chant.

"Let us pass! We mean you no harm!" Kiro shouted, but the chanting only grew louder. He and the others fell back against the shrine. A single, powerful voice screamed the word "revenge" on the wind just before a wave of crushing dark energy washed over him, and he knew no more.

A familiar, draconic roar jolted him awake. The spirits had ceased their attack, but their chilling chant continued. "What are they doing?" Elisia cried, straining against her chains.

Reya was listening intently. "They're repeating the inscription," she said, her brow furrowed in concentration. "But they're adding something... about 'the flood' and 'the goddess.' It makes no sense!"

"No," Kiro breathed, the horrifying details clicking into place. "It makes perfect sense. They're going to call on water spirits to drown us."

"What can we do?" Haelia yelled, zipping free from her chains with a burst of Kistune speed as she rushed to help the others.

"We have to figure out who the goddess is," Kiro said grimly.

Suddenly, Elisia pointed a trembling finger toward the sky. "Guys! Look! It's Kael—in his Dragon form!"

He was hovering over the lake, a colossal silhouette beneath two smaller figures locked in combat. Almost on instinct, Haelia used her Gale powers, and the raging winds began to calm.

"Why didn't you do that earlier?" Kiro yelled, exasperated.

Haelia just shrugged. "I didn't know I could. Meanie!"