The lost girl and the Falling stones

Chapter 11: A Whirlwind of Secrets the bond

The forest loomed dark and silent as Catherine, Jake, and Faelor made their way from the cavern, each step heavy with the weight of what had just occurred. Though the light of the stones had driven back the darkness, its echoes remained—whispers in the wind and shadows that lingered just out of sight.

The memory of the darkness's pulse tugged at Catherine's heart. She couldn't forget how it had seemed to reach into her very soul, testing her strength and resolve. Now, every creak of the trees and rustle of leaves made her skin prickle with unease.

"Are you sure this will hold?" Jake asked, his voice low but tense. His eyes stayed on Catherine, full of concern.

"The binding is strong," Faelor replied, his tone even but far from reassuring. "But strength alone does not guarantee safety. Others will feel the shift in power. They will come."

Catherine tightened her grip on the pouch of stones. "Who will come? And what will they do?"

The tall guardian fixed her with his glowing silver gaze. "Hunters of the void. They are not like us. Their forms shift, their hearts beat with hunger, and they do not rest. They will seek the stones, for they are drawn to their power as moths to flame."

A chill ran down Catherine's spine. "So, they'll come for me."

Faelor nodded. "Yes. They will sense the bond you share with the stones. If they take them, they will turn the light into a weapon of shadow. The world would be lost."

Jake's hand gripped the hilt of his sword. "Then we fight them."

"Courage is noble," Faelor murmured, "but knowledge is a sharper blade. She must learn to control the power, or it will destroy her from within."

Jake's expression hardened. "She's stronger than you think. She's already proven that."

Catherine looked between them, her heart heavy. "What do I need to do?"

"Learn to command the light without letting fear guide your hand," Faelor said. "You have tamed the stones, but you are far from mastering them. It will take time."

A howl broke the air—long, deep, and filled with pain.

Catherine's heart leapt. "Sable!"

Without hesitation, she ran, her feet barely touching the ground as she raced through the forest. She didn't stop when Jake shouted after her, nor when Faelor whispered a warning into the wind. Her only thought was of the wolf who had been her protector, her family.

She found him in a clearing, his black fur glistening under the pale light of the moon. Blood darkened his side, a deep wound gaping along his flank. His golden eyes met hers, and she saw both pain and defiance within them.

"Sable," she whispered, her voice breaking as she knelt beside him. She pressed her hands gently against his wound, feeling the warmth of his life slipping away.

A soft growl escaped his throat, and his gaze flicked beyond her.

The clearing grew colder. Shadows thickened, twisting into a figure that stepped from the darkness like smoke given form. Its eyes burned with a red glow, and claws sharp as daggers glistened in the moonlight.

"You…" it hissed, its voice like dry leaves scraping stone. "The guardian of light… how fragile you are."

Catherine rose slowly, her heart thundering. "Who are you?"

The creature's smile stretched wide, revealing too many teeth. "A whisper of what lies beneath. A storm of shadows. Your end."

Before she could move, it lunged.

Its claws slashed toward her throat, but she fell back just in time, landing hard on the ground as the air rippled with its foul breath.

Jake burst into the clearing, his sword a flash of silver as he drove it between the creature's ribs. Shadows screamed, writhing around the blade, but the creature twisted away with inhuman speed.

"You fight in vain," it sneered. "The darkness cannot be cut."

"We'll see about that," Jake growled.

The creature swirled, its form dissolving into smoke before reforming behind him. Claws raked across his arm, drawing blood. Jake gritted his teeth and swung again, but it slipped away, laughing as it danced around them.

"Catherine!" he shouted. "Use the stones!"

Her hands trembled as she fumbled for the pouch. The stones pulsed with warmth, their light calling to her. She closed her eyes, reaching deep within herself for the spark of power she had felt before.

The creature sensed the change and turned toward her, its eyes narrowing. "No… you do not know what you awaken."

Light flared as she drew the first stone. It burned in her palm, a beacon against the encroaching shadows. The creature screamed, its form twisting and shrinking as the light struck it.

"More!" Jake urged, his blade slicing through the darkness to hold it back.

She drew the second stone, its light joining the first in a blinding arc. The creature writhed, its shape flickering as if caught between this world and another.

With a final burst of will, she brought forth the third stone. The clearing blazed with radiant power, threads of light weaving together to form a barrier around the shadow-being.

"NO!" it shrieked, its voice dissolving into nothingness as the light consumed it.

When the last of the darkness vanished, the forest grew still. The stones dimmed, their glow fading into gentle warmth.

Catherine collapsed to her knees, her breath coming in gasps. Jake knelt beside her, his hand on her shoulder. "You did it."

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with fear and wonder. "I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this."

Faelor stepped from the shadows, his expression grim. "You must. The storm has only just begun."