Echoes of the Core

Chapter Ten: The Silent Escape

Aeris stirred in her restless sleep, her mind clouded with exhaustion. But the dream shifted suddenly, and an unsettling chill crawled over her. The warmth of her comforting visions faded, leaving behind a thick, suffocating darkness. Her pulse quickened as a scene unfolded—vague and hazy at first, but rapidly sharpening into something far more real.

She saw a group of robed figures gathered in a cold, dimly lit chamber. Their faces were shrouded in shadow, but their voices echoed, low and urgent. Though she couldn't hear their words, she could feel the tension radiating from them. The weight of their judgment pressed against her chest like an iron hand.

Something terrible was coming.

Then, one word cut through the air, searing into her mind.

Death.

Aeris's heart dropped, the finality of the sentence sending a shiver through her. She could barely breathe as the vision shifted—she was no longer watching from afar. No. Now she was in her cell, as she had been before, trapped, alone. The footsteps echoed down the corridor, closer and closer. They were coming for her.

And then it all went black.

Aeris jerked awake, her breath caught in her throat. For a moment, the vision clung to her, the terror still gripping her like icy chains. Sweat dampened her skin, her pulse racing, and she blinked rapidly to shake away the nightmare. But as her eyes adjusted to the dark, something was off. She could sense it immediately.

Her cell door... it was open.

Aeris sat up slowly, heart hammering in her chest. The heavy iron door, always sealed tight with ancient magical wards, now stood slightly ajar. The faint glow of the runes that once shimmered on its surface had faded into nothingness. And outside, lying slumped against the walls, were the guards—unconscious, their bodies motionless.

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the scene, unable to comprehend how this had happened. Had they come to execute her? Was this some kind of trick? Her thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and fear, but deep down, she knew this wasn't the council's doing.

This was something else. Something far more powerful.

The presence. The same one that had been watching her, guiding her, comforting her in the darkest moments of her captivity. The one she had felt in her bones, that had shown her glimpses of things beyond her understanding.

And now, it had freed her.

Aeris stood, her legs trembling beneath her, barely able to process what was happening. The guards—the ones who were supposed to be immune to magic—they had been rendered unconscious without a fight, without so much as a sound. The door, locked with spells designed to hold even the most powerful witches and wizards, was now open. Whoever—or whatever—had done this wielded a kind of magic she had never seen before.

It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once.

Magic like this wasn't supposed to exist. To be able to manipulate reality from a distance, without causing destruction, without drawing attention... it defied every law of magic she had been taught. There were no spells to unlock doors cast with ancient wards. No lessons that taught how to knock out someone with a mere thought. Whoever this presence was, they possessed knowledge far beyond the bounds of her world.

The air around her hummed with energy, and for a moment, Aeris hesitated. She glanced down at the unconscious guards, her thoughts racing. Was this a trap? Could she really trust the presence that had been guiding her? What if it was just like the others, leading her into danger, manipulating her when she was at her most vulnerable?