Chapter 11 — The Blood Orchids and Silent Resolve

The forest was quiet, save for the rustling leaves and the occasional distant call of a bird. Kael sat cross-legged against a mossy log, Lyren kneeling a few feet away, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to stabilize her magic.

Her last attempt had left black veins flickering faintly along her arms, a pulse of corrupted energy she couldn’t suppress.

Kael tilted his head lazily. “So… there’s no easy fix for this?” he asked, voice calm, almost bored.

Lyren looked down, biting her lip. “I… I don’t know. I’ve tried everything I know, but the corruption is… stronger than I’ve ever seen. It’s like the magic itself is twisted inside me.”

Kael nodded once, still observing. “It’s not just you. Someone’s messing with magic on a scale I’ve never seen before. That collar you wore? Not natural. The person behind this… they’re using demon magic, experimenting. And the worst part is they’re selling these slaves to greedy nobles like it’s a commodity.”

Lyren’s eyes widened. “Demon magic…? That’s forbidden. How… how could they even control it?”

Kael shrugged lazily. “Who knows. But they’re precise. They make the slaves dependent on the collar’s corruption so that the nobles can keep buying them. Whoever is doing this… they’re organized, smart, and dangerous.”

She swallowed hard. “Then… there’s no way to reverse it?”

Kael leaned back, watching her carefully. “Do you think there’s a way for you to control your magic, to get rid of this corruption?”

Lyren thought for a long moment, fingers brushing absent-mindedly over her arms. Finally, she spoke softly.

“There… might be a way. There’s an elven pond, hidden deep in the forest, surrounded by red orchids. The Blood Orchids. It’s… sacred. Known only to elves. The water… it cures even the strongest curses or ailments. It’s also incredibly rich in mana, so the corruption could be drawn out, neutralized. But it’s protected — elemental spirits guard it. They don’t allow just anyone near.”

Kael hummed quietly, tilting his head. “Elemental spirits, huh? Sounds… manageable.” His tone was calm, but his eyes, for the first time in a while, betrayed focus and calculation.

They sat in silence for a moment, the forest holding its breath around them.

“Here’s the thing,” Kael said finally, voice steady. “I’m thinking of telling the king everything — the slave collars, the nobles, the person experimenting with demon magic. He needs to know.”

Lyren frowned. “Won’t that… draw attention to you?”

Kael shrugged lazily, though his jaw was set. “Maybe. But I’m done sitting back. If this spreads, more people — maybe even children — will suffer. I don’t care about being lazy if it means stopping that.”

Her gaze softened. “You… really mean it?”

Kael glanced at her, his signature calm demeanor intact. “I’ve never been more serious. I’ll get you to that pond. I’ll fix this. But…” He yawned, stretching his arms behind his head. “…I’m still tired. I just want to nap after this.”

Lyren blinked, a faint smile tugging at her lips despite her exhaustion. “You’re… not what I expected, Kael Valenhart.”

“Good,” he muttered, closing his eyes for a brief moment. “Expectations are overrated.”

For the first time, Lyren felt a glimmer of hope. With Kael’s determination — calm, lazy, but undeniably lethal when needed — maybe she really could regain control of her magic.

⸻

The forest around them seemed to hum, a quiet warning and reassurance all at once. Somewhere far ahead, hidden among ancient trees, the Blood Orchids waited. And with them, the first step toward undoing the corruption.

Kael opened one eye lazily. “We leave at dawn. Don’t get any ideas about running off tonight.”

Lyren chuckled softly. “Yes… Sir Kael.”

Kael yawned again. “Good. Now sit there quietly. I’m thinking… or maybe napping.”

And as the shadows of the forest stretched longer, Kael’s quiet resolve settled into something sharper, something unyielding. The corruption, the demon magic, the greedy nobles — none of them would stand in his way.