Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

81. Lupus the Unchained

Against the flaring pain that throbbed over her scalp, as well as the pit of emptiness clouding where her Core should have been, Elaine sprung up again, sitting up straight with her arms in front of her. What last she'd seen of Kliff, well, the boy had been laying face first in the ground with the horrible warlock calling himself "the Void" towering above him like a snickering shadow.

Looking at him now, elements of a previous magical engagement lingered over him, most noticeably his tanned face—despite the smile that suggested that he was otherwise fine—was marred faintly by tiny bruises, none of which bled, but they were deep enough to where Elaine could see red skin boiling underneath.

Other than his missing tie—burned off by his flames, more than likely—his school uniform was more or less intact. In fact, discounting a few scorch marks, the fabric looked just as it had been before they even began their exam, though Elaine suspected that had to do with the uniform's reparation enchantment.

Glancing down, Kliff reached for something beside him and handed it to her gently, Elaine's eyes shot open with astonishment. It was her wand, the ordinary commoner's wand rolling out of his fingers and to her outstretched hands. "One of those Serpent Fang bastards took it after you fell unconscious," Kliff said. "Figured you'd make better use of it, now that you're back to yourself."

Elaine took her stare off of it and slowly looked back at him, her brows pinching together with confusion. "'Back to myself'?"

Kliff paused for a moment, his brow furrowing as a weary sigh slipped from his lips. He gestured subtly behind her, drawing her attention to the desolate scene beyond the clearing. In the distance, the remnants of what had once been a thriving grove of galbora trees lay in ruin. The charred remains stretched out as a smoldering path, with blackened trunks and splintered branches scattered across the forest floor. The air was thick with the acrid scent of burnt wood, a stark contrast to the vibrant life that once flourished there, now reduced to mere shadows of its former glory. The path extended far past Elaine's line of sight, making her contemplate what innocent creatures had been caught in the destruction.

Pain stabbed her in the side of her head, and Elaine instinctively shot a hand to her temple as a rapid collage of memories replayed in the darkness of her mind. She saw them, clear pictures of crimson energy frenzying like lightning bolts, of dying flames crushed underneath a warlock's heel, of concentrated light matter, rampaging through the forest, tossing fully-grown galbora trees skyward and sending a monsoon of dust pouring over everything. Just like that, as Elaine opened her eyes again, the horrid truth of what had transpired here crystallized within her.

"It...it happened again, didn't it?" Elaine glanced at Kliff worriedly, solemness in her voice. "I had a...another spell distortion." It looked as if Kliff had something he wanted to say, opening his mouth to speak only to clamp it shut and presenting her with a steady nod. "Why does this keep happening?" Elaine grunted, grabbing the sides of her head. "No, no I know why, at least, this time I do."

"It's because you wanted to protect me, right?" Kliff inquired.

"The Void!" Elaine exclaimed, remembering the mage covered in archaic runes that glowed like illuminated, rivers of blood across his skin. "Where's the Void?!" she asked, more forcefully this time, reaching for Kliff with alarming speed, grasping him by one of his shoulders. "Is he...is he..."

"Calm down," Kliff reassured her, placing a steady hand over hers. "He's long gone. Or rather, I don't think he's anywhere close by." Despite his word, Elaine watched Kliff sweep the area, eyes narrowed into a hostile if not observant glare. "If he was, I imagine he would have intervened by now. But your...your spell distortion, it saved all of our lives."