SHATTERED REALM: FORGOTTEN ECHOES

From within the fog, the only sign that life remained was the small glow of marks on Mozrael's body.

Right beside her was Aramith, who was desperately searching for a way to escape.

They hadn't been able to hear Lynnor's announcement, so they had no idea all the others had escaped.

"I may not be able to see you, but my pet can smell you in the fog!"

Aramith forced his breaths to stay steady, though fear kept swelling inside like an animal that wouldn't obey.

It was hard to tell which direction Elira's voice came from.

And that was when the massacre began.

The beast moved like a snake, consuming the wolves wherever it passed.

And worse yet, its movements didn't follow a specific pattern.

It just snaked through randomly and disappeared, consuming without leaving a trace.

For the first time, Aramith was truly afraid, and the fear clouded his mind, making it impossible to think.

His eyes darted around, and anytime the creature appeared and disappeared, his head jerked in its direction, as if he could do something about the situation he was in if he could pinpoint its location.

Every time it consumed his wolves, he felt the loss of a part of himself.

It didn't hurt, but the hollowness and the way it couldn't be prevented disoriented him greatly.

I can't do this. There's no escape.

He quietly accepted his fate, letting his quickening pulse drown out any sound.

How am I supposed to—

Wake up!

The voice in his mind was jarring, familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time.

Who's that? Mai?

His question was ignored.

If you're awake, help her. The voice purred softly, different from Mai's voice.

He couldn't place the voice, but he was glad it cleared his mind.

Who are you? He asked again, but the voice was gone.

He stopped dwelling on it and focused on the matter at hand.

Quickly, he traced the rope and grabbed Mozrael's hand.

"Mozrael."

"..."

He squeezed her hand and shook her. "Mozrael."

She finally woke up from the trance and squeezed back.

Yet, the fear was still strong. He could feel it in the way her hand trembled.

It was strange how the fear induced by the beast was very strong on her, but weak on Aramith. It was as if it was meant to target her.

His mind was clear; he could think, but no way of escape came to mind.

It's getting closer, he realized.

Use me!

It was the same voice from before, and this time, it didn't just come as a voice but as a command.

He understood.

The thought just landed in his mind, and he moved without a second's hesitation, stepping before Mozrael and shifting to wolf form.

He grabbed the rope in his jaw and flung Mozrael onto his back.

By then, only twenty-six wolves remained

Suddenly, flashbacks of when he first dealt with the wolf came to mind.

What appeared clearest in his mind was the moment he had to force himself to remain human.

And then—

Do it!

It exploded outward!

The same thick darkness from when he fought for control over the wolf.

But this time, he was in control.

The darkness overshadowed the fog, spilling out till it covered a large area.

Yet, it could only cover a tiny fraction of what the fog had consumed.

This space was safe though—for him and Mozrael.

On his back, Mozrael couldn't breathe properly and was slowly losing consciousness, an effect of his darkness.

He could sense the darkness and knew one thing.

The beast isn't entering.

It was either wary of the darkness, or something else made it stay away.

His only problem now was how he could escape before Mozrael's condition worsened. He hadn't studied the effect his darkness had on people that much.

IF YOU LET HER DIE, I WILL MAKE SURE YOU CEASE TO EXIST.

Another voice.

But this one was deeper and more powerful.

It was none other than Agaboz.

But Aramith had never heard the great dragon's voice before, so he couldn't know.

I WILL HELP YOU. DO WELL NOT TO DISAPPOINT

Help?

Without warning, a bright blue flame shot up from Mozrael's back, twisting till it formed a dragon's head—a projection made by Agaboz.

FOLLOW ME.

The voice boomed in Aramith's head once again.

The head arced down and shot through the darkness and into the fog, forming a tunnel of fire.

Aramith looked at the swirling flames, hesitant, but sure it was safe. What urged him to move on was the shallowness of Mozrael's breathing.

He darted into the tunnel, running as fast as he could.

And the moment he was inside, it sealed behind him.

He glanced a few times at Mozrael, who remained still on his back.

As he reached halfway, the heat licked at his fur, but it was better than the chill Elira left in his spine

"Where do you think you're going?!"

It was almost like she heard his thoughts and appeared right next to the tunnel, chasing him.

She reached out for him, but the flames burned a finger off.

She disappeared after that, though with a nasty frown.

When he reached the end of the tunnel, he noticed Mozrael's breathing getting stronger. The tunnel of fire dispersed into thin air, and Agaboz's projection flew into the sky, then duplicates formed.

They shot down and twisted forward, flattening the place into a desert of ash.

At the center of it all stood Elira, untouched and unbothered by the flames.

Beside her was the creature that had been chasing them.

It was the first time he saw its true form, and the first thing he noticed was how much larger It was than he thought, and the fact that it wasn't a snake at all.

It was an obsidian lizard towering above them with spikes from its nose to the back of its head, and eight eyes arranged in two rows on either side of the spikes.

It blinked unevenly and licked its nose with its black tongue.

Standing next to it, Elira looked like a child.

"So you've escaped the fog and cleared this place. What do you think that changes? You're still easy prey to me."

She was right. Nothing had changed.

The lizard could still easily get them.

All Elira had to do was give the command, and they'd be dead.

"Who sent you here?" Aramith asked, but he was desperately looking for a way out.

"You seem to think you're in your last moments, so you want to die knowing who wanted you dead?" Elira paused and shook her head.

"You're mistaken. I was sent to capture you, not kill you. And I'm not the only one who wants you. As for her," she pointed at Mozrael.

"I have nothing to do with her, so I'll kill her," she finished.

Aramith growled, but his mind highlighted something she said.

I'm not the only one who wants you.

Elira shook her head. "You'll be benefiting from this anyway, so decide whether you'll kill her yourself or let me kill her. There's no escape, especially now that my pet here has your scent."

Benefitting? How?

"I prefer it if you do t harass my students," a calm voice from the side spoke.

They both turned to see Father Ilthane standing there like he was casually conversing with a children's bully.

Aramith felt a little relief.

Elira smiled.

"You're always sneaking up on people. That's not very nice."

"Blame yourself for not paying attention to your surroundings," he replied.

"I know you, Father Ilthane. But do you know me? No, do you remember me?" She asked, smiling like she found a dirty secret.

"Elira, roommate of Kesha and Mozrael, and the one who spread rumors about other students to confuse," he said calmly.

Elira frowned. "That's not a nice thing to say." Fury burned beneath her smirk. How long had he known? She refused to ask.

"Your own decision to be a terrible student gave you that reputation." He said, then turned to Aramith and Mozrael.

"Are you two injured, Aramith?"

Aramith shook his head.

"Ignoring me?" Elira scowled.

"I came here for my students. Don't be confused," he replied

"I guess I'll kill you first!" She jumped onto the lizard with a bloodthirsty expression.

"Go!" She commanded.

The lizard licked its nose and slapped its tail on the ground three times

Aramith didn't see it move as it shot at Father Ilthane. All he felt was a strong gust of wind that whipped past them.

Just before Elira and her lizard hit him, the space before Ilthane rippled, and the lizard, together with Elira, were swallowed.

Meanwhike, all Aramith saw was that they were there, and in the next second, they disappeared.

As for where she ended up, only Ilthane knew.

Aramith looked around, preparing for a surprise attack.

"Very well, now that that is taken care of, I have to ask you a question, Aramith."

Aramith quickly turned to Ilthane.

Taken care of? Did that mean Elira was gone?

Ilthane looked calm, but Aramith saw the seriousness in his eyes.

"Tell me, what is your attribute?" He asked.

Aramith's heart skipped a beat and he took a step back.

I was careless.

"You don't manipulate any elements, and though you certainly look like someone with the damned attribute, you are not one. I compared you to others, just that I couldn't help but notice your attribute isn't any of those."

He knows.

Aramith didn't answer. He couldn't answer.

No lies could get him out of this.

I can't tell him my attribute.

"And it seems she doesn't just control fire."

He knows about Mozrael too?

Ilthane paused, waiting for an answer, but Aramith stayed silent, even contemplating whether escaping would be better.

"It seems you're still shaken from this attack." He walked to Aramith.

"We'll be leaving here. And when you're well rested, I'll take my answer from you."

A portal appeared before them.

"Follow me in. We'll be safe there. I have one tutor I'll be putting you under till I get my answers. She said she knows you.

That has to be Lynnor.

"As my student, I will keep you safe," he added.

Should I run? Where else will I go if I run? Many are targeting me.

Once again, he was unable to decide his own fate and was only controlled by circumstances.

Ilthane walked through, and after a moment of hesitation, Aramith followed.

As the portal sealed behind him, a lingering fear clung to his chest — the feeling that trouble was bound to follow.