Elira paced the confines of their makeshift camp, her boots grinding against the gravel-strewn ground. The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the worried faces of Viktor and Lila. Their expressions mirrored her own turmoil—Kieran’s absence was a weight none of them could ignore.
She stopped abruptly and turned to them. “I’m going after him.”
The statement was met with silence at first. Viktor leaned against a tree, arms crossed, his brow furrowed. Lila, seated on a fallen log, tightened her grip on her bow but said nothing.
“Elira,” Viktor began cautiously, his voice low and firm, “you heard what Kieran said. He made a choice. We can’t undo it by rushing headlong into danger.”
Her silver-blue eyes flashed in the firelight. “And I suppose we’re just supposed to accept that? To leave him with the Dominion and hope for the best?” She shook her head, her voice rising. “I won’t. I can’t.”
“None of us want to leave him,” Lila said, her tone measured. “But storming into a Dominion stronghold without a plan? That’s suicide.”
Elira’s fists clenched. “So what do you suggest? We sit here and do nothing while they… while they—” Her voice broke, and she turned away, struggling to compose herself.
Viktor straightened, his face softening. “Elira, we’re all grieving. But running off without thinking won’t help Kieran. We need time to figure out what we’re up against.”
“We don’t have time!” she snapped, spinning to face him again. “Every second we waste is a second closer to them breaking him—or worse.” Her gaze darted to Lila, seeking support. “You agree with me, don’t you?”
Lila hesitated, her green eyes flickering to Viktor before returning to Elira. “I… I understand why you feel this way. But Viktor’s right. If we’re going to do this, we need to be smart about it.”
Elira’s shoulders sagged. For a moment, she looked utterly defeated, but then she straightened, her expression hardening with resolve. “Fine. Then we’ll make a plan. But I’m going, with or without you.”
A tense silence hung in the air. Viktor pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly. “You’re impossible, you know that?”
“Impossible or not, I’m going,” Elira said flatly. “So decide—are you with me or not?”
Lila sighed, standing and slinging her bow over her shoulder. “You know I’ll always have your back. But we’re not doing this recklessly.” She glanced at Viktor. “What about you?”
Viktor stared at Elira for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he pushed away from the tree and walked to her, his gray eyes steady. “You know I can’t let you go alone.”
Elira’s lips twitched into a small, grateful smile, though her eyes still shimmered with unshed tears. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Viktor said dryly. “I’m only agreeing because I’m not letting you get yourself killed. Now, let’s figure out how we’re going to pull this off.”
---
The rest of the night was spent huddled around the fire, sketching out a plan on a scrap of parchment. Viktor took the lead, mapping out possible routes and weighing their limited resources. Lila provided insights into Dominion patrol patterns, drawing from her experience as a scout. Elira listened intently, her mind already racing ahead to the moment she would see Kieran again.
“The stronghold is here,” Viktor said, pointing to a jagged mark on the map. “It’s heavily fortified, surrounded by patrols, and probably teeming with soldiers inside. Getting in will be the easy part compared to getting out.”
“We’ll need a distraction,” Lila added. “Something to draw their attention while we slip through the defenses.”
Elira nodded. “What about the cursed forest to the east? The Dominion avoids it because of the creatures that live there. If we can lure some of them toward the stronghold…”
“That’s risky,” Viktor said, frowning. “We’d be putting ourselves between the Dominion and those creatures.”
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Elira said firmly.
“Of course you are,” Viktor muttered. “You and your noble sacrifices.”
Elira shot him a glare but didn’t respond. Instead, she turned to Lila. “Can you make it work?”
Lila considered the question, her gaze thoughtful. “It’ll take some doing, but I think so. I’ll need bait—something strong enough to draw the creatures but not so volatile that it attracts the entire forest.”
“I can help with that,” Elira offered. “My magic—”
“No,” Viktor interrupted sharply. “You’ve been pushing yourself too hard. If your curse flares up again—”
“I’ll handle it,” she said, cutting him off. “Kieran needs us, Viktor. I won’t hold back now.”
He looked at her, frustration and concern warring on his face. Finally, he sighed and nodded. “Fine. But if things go sideways, we pull out. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Elira said, though the determined set of her jaw suggested otherwise.
---
By dawn, the plan was set. The trio broke camp and began their journey toward the Dominion stronghold. The air grew colder as they traveled, the landscape shifting from rolling hills to jagged cliffs and shadowed valleys. The cursed forest loomed in the distance, its gnarled trees shrouded in a perpetual mist.
Elira couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that settled over her. Every step brought them closer to danger, but it also brought them closer to Kieran. That thought kept her going, even as exhaustion gnawed at her.
“Are you sure about this?” Viktor asked quietly as they paused to rest near the edge of the forest.
Elira met his gaze, her expression unwavering. “More than anything.”
He nodded, though his concern was evident. “Just… don’t do anything reckless, okay?”
She managed a faint smile. “Recklessness is your specialty, remember?”
Viktor huffed a quiet laugh, but the tension between them lingered.
Lila returned from scouting ahead, her face grim. “The Dominion’s patrols are closer than I expected. We’ll have to be extra careful.”
Elira nodded. “Then we stick to the plan. No matter what happens, we don’t stop until we find him.”
Lila hesitated, then placed a hand on Elira’s shoulder. “We’ll get him back. Together.”
As the three of them ventured into the cursed forest, the air grew thick with an unnatural stillness. Shadows danced in the corner of their vision, and faint whispers seemed to echo from the trees. But Elira pressed on, her heart set on the path ahead.
Kieran had sacrificed himself for them. Now, it was her turn to fight for him.