Alina: Light & Shadows

Chapter 11

The cold wind lashed at my face, but it could not extinguish the fire burning inside me.

Kael walked ahead, his stride confident as he forged a path through the bare trees and rugged trails.

We had left the forest behind, but the feeling of being followed never left me.

Every shadow seemed alive, and I knew that somewhere, Seline was watching, patient, waiting for the right moment.

The mountain path grew steeper, the sharp, slippery rocks beneath our feet making every step a tremendous effort.

I couldn’t help but wonder if it was the power of the shadows that was weakening me, if every meter we covered brought me closer to my end.

“We can’t stop,” Kael said without looking back. “The longer we waste, the stronger the shadows become.”

I looked at him from behind, irritated by his coldness. He seemed to know everything, as if he had already walked this path.

But despite his confidence, there was something different in his movements, as if he were hiding something.

An shadow not only over the mountains, but also over him.

“Kael,” I said, trying not to sound too insecure. “What awaits us at the temple? What do you really think we’ll find there?”

Finally, he stopped, turning to face me. His eyes were as dark as the shadows I had learned to control.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, his voice quieter than usual. “No one has ever returned from the temple with answers. But I know it’s the only place we can try to break the curse.”

His words brought no comfort, but they were all I had.

We continued walking in silence, the mountains closing in around us, as if they were observing us, judging our steps.

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The closer we got to the summit, the more desolate the landscape became. There was no trace of life left: no trees, no animals, only rocks and wind.

The sky above us darkened, a sign that night was near. But it wasn’t just the natural darkness that unsettled me.

I felt the shadows inside me stirring, more alive than ever, as if they knew we were about to approach something significant.

Suddenly, Kael stopped abruptly, raising a hand. “There’s something here.”

I froze, my breath held. I looked around, trying to understand what he had sensed.

At first, I saw nothing—only rocks and shadows stretching with the last light of day.

But then I heard it.

A whisper, almost imperceptible, mingling with the wind.

“Alina…” The voice was the same I had heard that night. Seline.

“It’s happening again,” I said, my heart pounding in my chest. “The voice… it’s calling me.”

Kael looked at me with concern. “Don’t listen to it. It’s just an illusion. The shadows are trying to confuse you.”

But it wasn’t just in my head. The shadows around me moved, slowly wrapping themselves around my feet like invisible snakes.

I felt their strength growing, and along with them, my mind began to falter. For a moment, it seemed the landscape around me was changing, distorting. The mountains appeared to fade, replaced by a darker, older place.

“Kael…” my voice trembled. “What’s happening?”

He quickly stepped closer, grabbing me by the shoulders. “You must resist, Alina. This is what they want. They’re trying to break you before you reach the temple.”

I closed my eyes, trying to focus, but the voices kept whispering. And then, in a flash, everything became clear. The shadows weren’t just trying to confuse me.

They were showing me something.

I opened my eyes wide. “It’s not an illusion,” I said, pulling away from Kael. “It’s a memory.”

Kael looked at me, confused. “What are you saying?”

“The shadows… they’re showing me a memory. Not mine, but Seline’s.” I stared into the space in front of me, where I could now clearly see a tall female figure cloaked in dark veils.

Her eyes sparkled with an unnatural light, and her hands moved in slow, fluid gestures, as if she were weaving invisible spells.

“Seline…” I whispered.

Kael took a step back, his expression serious. “Alina, whatever you’re seeing, it’s not real. You have to close that door before it’s too late.”

But I couldn’t tear myself away. It was as if I were trapped in that memory, dragged back to a distant time. The figure of Seline was moving closer, and with her, the shadows grew denser, heavier.

Then, everything stopped. The shadows vanished, and Seline’s figure disappeared like fog blown away by the wind. But not before whispering one last thing:

“Come to me, Alina. Only I can free you.”

I was left breathless, as if her words had stolen the air from my lungs. I fell to my knees, exhausted, my heart racing wildly.

Kael knelt beside me, gripping my shoulders.

“Don’t let her manipulate you. We have to move forward, and you must stay with me, Alina. Don’t let the shadows overwhelm you.”

I nodded weakly, but I knew something inside me had changed. Seline was no longer just a distant threat.

I could now feel her closer than ever, as if her presence were seeping into me, occupying a space I never wanted to grant.

As we rose to continue our journey, I felt the weight of her words pressing down on me. Only she could free me. But at what cost?

Night was falling, and the temple was still far away. But as we ventured deeper into the mountains, I knew that the real danger was not outside, but within me.