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Chapter 428
~Zara’s POV~
I gasped awake.
The air around felt thick, suffocating, like sothing was pressing down on my chest. My heart pounded so hard I thought it would burst through my ribs.
"Zara!"
Kaid’s voice was sharp with urgency. His hands gripped my shoulders, steadying . My breath ca in ragged pants as I blinked, struggling to pull myself out of the nightmare that had swallowed whole.
"Wake up. It’s not real," he said firmly, his eyes locked onto mine.
I swallowed hard, trying to ground myself, trying to separate reality from what I had just experienced.
It had felt so real—the mist, the voice calling my na, the presence shifting around like shadows whispering through my bones.
Kaid studied for a mont before reaching into his bag and pulling out my water bottle. "Drink."
I took it without question, my fingers trembling as I tipped the cool water into my mouth. The liquid soothed my dry throat, but it did little to calm the unease still curling inside .
Kaid sat back, watching carefully. "What went wrong?" I hesitated and he sensed it imdiately. "You had a nightmare," he continued. "Care to share?"
I clenched the water bottle in my hands. My first instinct was to dismiss it, to pretend it had just been my mind playing tricks on . But sothing about it felt too real. Too... important.
So, I told him.
Kaid listened in silence, his expression unreadable as I recounted the mist, the way my na had echoed through it, the presence I had felt moving toward , and the warning in its voice.
When I finished, he exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I guess it’s just your worry concerning the next trial we have to face."
I nodded slowly. "I guess so... but it felt so real."
Kaid arched a brow. "Don’t tell you’re thinking of pulling out and not crossing through the fog?"
I blinked, then scoffed, shaking my head. "Obviously not."
He smirked. "Say it with your full chest."
Despite everything, a small smile tugged at my lips. "I will cross the Forbidden Fog no matter what."
Kaid grinned, then pushed himself to his feet before offering a hand. "That’s what I thought. Now, co on. We’ve wasted enough ti."
I let him pull up, brushing off the dirt from my clothes. My body still ached, but the determination in my chest burned hotter.
It was ti for the next step.
~The Forbidden Fog~
It did not take us long to reach the entrance to the forbidden fog. The path leading into the fog was barely visible, and the swirling mist stretched endlessly into the horizon.
It wasn’t normal mist—it moved like it was alive, shifting in unnatural patterns, whispering as it curled around the jagged rocks.
"The Forbidden Fog. A place where lost souls wander, unable to cross into the next realm. They are drawn to the living, hungry for warmth, for life. You must not—under any circumstances—look them in the eyes. If you do, they will latch onto your soul."
Siona’s warning echoed in my mind, making my skin prickle.
Kaid walked ahead of , his posture tense and his head tilted slightly as if he was already sensing the danger around us.
I inhaled sharply. "We stay close. No matter what, we don’t separate."
Kaid nodded. "Agreed."
And then, we stepped inside, barely keeping our eyes fully open.
The mont we crossed into the mist, the temperature dropped. My breath ca out in visible puffs, and a shiver ran down my spine. The silence was deafening, thick, pressing against my ears.
We moved carefully, each step asured, each breath shallow. We thought it would be easier than the Serpent Crane if we stuck together like this, but we were so wrong, nd then the world shifted.
The ground beneath my feet seed to stretch, twist—one second Kaid was right beside , and the next, he was gone.
I froze. "Kaid?"
There was no answer. I did not know if the fog had swallowed him but panic slamd into , and I forced it down. I shut my eyes imdiately, rembering Siona’s warning.
"You must not—under any circumstances—look them in the eyes."
I clenched my fists. "Kaid!" I called sharply.
Still, there was nothing. Damn it.
I took a deep breath and moved forward, keeping my eyes shut, relying on my other senses. My hands brushed against the cold air, searching, feeling and then I heard it.
"Zara."
A chill ran down my spine. It wasn’t Kaid. The voice was older, softer, filled with sothing ancient and knowing.
"Zara... child, you have finally co."
My heart slamd into my ribs. A presence was near . Close, far too close for my comfort. Hovering.
I forced my breathing to remain steady, but every nerve in my body scread at to run.
"Do not be afraid."
The air around thickened and shifted, and I felt warmth—gentle, familiar warmth—brush against my skin followed by a cold sensation all at once.
"You cannot see , child, for if you do, you will be lost."
My fingers twitched. "Who are you?" I whispered.
A pause was followed by a response that seed to knock the breath out of for a minute. "Your great-grandmother."
I sucked in a sharp breath. Impossible. She was dead. Had been dead for decades.
I didn’t know if it was wise to speak to her or believe her words but sothing about what she said made .
"You carry the blood of the first-born Sage Witch, Zara. The power that rests within you is older than you know. But it is not yet awakened."
My throat was dry. "I don’t understand."
"You will. In ti."
I clenched my fists. "How do I find Kaid?"
Silence.
"He is fighting his own battle." A sick feeling curled in my stomach. "You must reach the end of the fog, Zara. If you do, you will awaken what sleeps within you."
I hesitated. "And if I don’t?"
"Then you will remain in the fog, forever lost."
A sharp gust of wind blew past , and suddenly, the warmth vanished. "Please wait. Tell , how do I stop the witches? How do I stop Shadow Clave from tearing our world?"
"Look within you and you shall find the answer."
That was all I heard in my head, and suddenly I was alone again.
I swallowed hard, taking a step forward—blindly but carefully. "Kaid," I whispered, moving deeper into the unknown, hoping, praying he doesn’t get lost like .
"At the very least, Kaid is strong. He’ll make it," I encouraged myself and kept walking.
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~Kaid’s POV~
The mont the mist swallowed , I knew I was in trouble. I couldn’t see. I couldn’t hear Zara.
The fog was disorienting, twisting around , ssing with my senses.
I clenched my fists, focusing on my inner energy, reaching for the power buried deep in my core, reaching for my wolf.
When a deep voice called out to . "Kaid."
I stiffened. That voice. I knew that voice all too well. It was the sa voice that replayed in my dream.
No, no, no.
"My son," the voice whispered again, softer this ti. "It has been so long."
My body locked up. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. I turned away, my breath unsteady. "You’re not real," I growled. "You died."
"And yet... here we are."
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