Chapter 5
There’s no explaining the magic or the power coursing through my veins. One moment I was stepping through the portal with Malia’s body in my arms, the next I was falling into a dark abyss and walking into the midst of the battle I left behind.
As my senses gradually return, I find myself ensnared in the chaos of the battlefield, the acrid scent of death and smoke hanging heavy in the air. The ground beneath me is hard and unforgiving, the sharp tang of blood mingling with the metallic taste of fear.
With a groan, I push forward, my muscles protesting every movement. My head throbs. The faces of my brothers flash before my eyes, their expressions etched with determination and resolve as they fought against the Shikari horde.
But now, the battlefield lies eerily quiet. The clash of steel and the roar of magic have been replaced by an unsettling silence, broken only by the distant cries of the wounded and the occasional crackle of residual energy.
My heart clenches with dread as I search for any sign of Cove and Bhodi amidst the wreckage. They were in my sight a few moments ago, I’m sure they were, their presence a source of strength and courage against overwhelming odds. But now, they seem to have vanished without a trace.
Panic threatens to consume me as I scramble to my feet, my mind racing with a thousand terrifying possibilities. Could they have been captured by the Shikari? Injured beyond recognition? Lost in the chaos of battle?
I shake my head, banishing the thoughts of despair that threaten to drown me. I cannot afford to give in to fear, not when the fate of our world hangs in the balance. I steel myself and set out to search for my brothers.
Step by agonising step, I navigate the battlefield, alert for any sign of movement or life. The ground is littered with the debris of war – broken weapons and the fallen bodies of our foe. I’ve never seen a horde of Shikari this vast before. Their numbers should be impossible, but there’s no denying the casualties surrounding me run into the thousands.
As I shuffle through the wreckage, a glimmer of hope flickers in my chest. Perhaps Cove and Bhodi managed to escape the carnage unscathed, seeking refuge through the portal. With that thought fueling my resolve, I quicken my pace, each stride bringing me closer to the possibility of reunion – the portal that will lead me back home.