Chapter 17
A Bond Forged in Darkness
Their love is tested through the ritual. Whether it strengthens their bond or binds them irrevocably to the Wendigo's fate, the connection between Elara and Kael is forever changed.
The air in the hidden clearing still hummed with the residue of the ancient ritual, a low thrumming that vibrated not just in Elara’s bones, but deep within her soul. The symbols etched into the earth, once glowing with an ethereal light, had faded to faint scars, mirroring the permanent marks now seared onto her heart. Beside her, Kael stood unnervingly still, his usual intensity amplified, his gaze fixed on the dying embers of the sacred fire. He was a study in controlled power, a storm held precariously at bay.
Elara watched him, her breath catching in her throat. The ritual had been meant to sever the curse, to release him from the gnawing hunger that had haunted him for centuries. But as she looked at him now, at the raw vulnerability that flickered in his eyes, she knew it had done something far more profound. It had bound them. Not with chains, but with something far stronger, something woven from shared fear, desperate hope, and a love that had bloomed in the darkest of soils.
"It's done," Kael’s voice was a low rumble, rougher than usual. He didn't look at her, his gaze still locked on the dying fire. "The ritual… it did not break the curse, Elara. Not entirely."
Keep reading "A Bond Forged in Darkness"
Open the same story in AIBookCraft. Later chapters may require an active subscription.
Free on iOS & Android · No signup to read