The Crimson Legacy (In Progress)

Chapter 19: The Wandering Archer

—

Deep within the Coven's lair, the air was thick with the lingering scent of burning herbs and the low murmur of dark incantations. Tall, twisted candles cast flickering shadows on the cold stone walls, and a foreboding silence blanketed the chamber like a shroud.

A swirl of black smoke materialized in the center of the room, coiling like a living thing before solidifying into a kneeling figure. Rose gasped for breath, her normally confident expression replaced by a look of shaken fear. She had barely made it back—barely escaped from what she had witnessed.

From his elevated chair, Viktor watched her, his cold eyes narrowing in interest. He leaned forward, fingers steepled under his chin. "Rose," he intoned, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. "You look... shaken."

Rose lifted her head, still gasping as if the memory alone had stolen the breath from her lungs. "I—I saw her." she stammered, her voice trembling. "Shade... she used the Zenith Form."

Viktor's lips curved into a slow, dark smile. His eyes gleamed with something like amusement—or perhaps hunger. "Did she now?" he murmured, almost to himself. "How fascinating."

Rose managed to gather herself, regaining some of her composure. "What should we do?" she asked, almost hesitantly, as if she feared the answer. "If she's capable of reaching that level of power—"

Viktor held up a hand, silencing her with a single, dismissive gesture. "We don't need to fight her." he said, his voice a low, rumbling purr. "Not anymore. Now that I've discovered something within the Tome."

From her cloak, Rose pulled out the Tome of Eldrid. Its ancient cover seemed to shimmer with a dark, iridescent light, the writings whispering secrets only Viktor could decipher. She handed it to him, and Viktor accepted it with a reverence that bordered on worship.

Rose waited for further instructions, but her silence was interrupted by a harsh laugh. Zephyr emerged from the shadows, his smile mocking as he regarded her with open disdain. 

"Pathetic." he drawled, shaking his head. "So the great Pyromancer couldn't even handle a half-dead girl."

Rose's eyes flashed with fury, but Viktor spoke before she could retort. "Enough, Zephyr." he said coolly, putting down the Tome on the table with a decisive gaze. "I have a new mission for you."

Zephyr's smile faded, replaced by a look of wary curiosity. He straightened, his mocking demeanor giving way to something more serious. "What mission?" he asked, all traces of amusement gone from his voice.

But Viktor only smiled, his gaze shifting to the darkness beyond the chamber, as if already contemplating the next move in his elaborate game.

—

In the dense, moonlit forest, Clara moved with practiced stealth, her senses alert despite the exhaustion settling deep in her bones. It was already night, and the forest was alive with the quiet sounds of rustling leaves and distant nocturnal creatures. Clara could hear her own breathing, steady and measured, as she carried Zoe on her back. The girl had fallen asleep hours ago, her small body exhausted by the day's journey and the emotional weight of the past events.