The rain had passed by morning, leaving the forest damp and glistening. The first day's travel had left Kaelis stiff and sore, but the exhaustion was nothing compared to the mental tension that never left her side when Vaelor was near. He had allowed her to rest only briefly before dawn, and now she walked silently behind him, each step careful, each breath measured.
The canopy overhead still filtered light in narrow shafts, and the smell of wet moss and stone was almost suffocating. Every rustle in the undergrowth made Kaelis' hands twitch toward her weapon, but Vaelor moved ahead as if the forest itself parted for him.
"You move too cautiously," he said suddenly, his voice echoing in the damp air.
Kaelis blinked. "I am cautious," she replied, keeping her tone steady. "This is enemy territory."
Vaelor glanced back, his red eyes catching the faint light, an unreadable expression on his face. "Do you think the Dragon King fears caution?"
"I… don't know," she admitted.
"That is your first problem," he said softly. "You think too much. Fear is a tool, Kaelis, not a weight."
Kaelis' heart skipped. He had called her by name, not a formal title. Something about the simplicity of it made her pulse tighten. She did not look at him as he strode ahead. Instead, she focused on the uneven terrain, forcing her feet to obey her body.
By mid-morning, the path became treacherous. Jagged rocks, slick from the rain, forced Kaelis to stop several times to regain balance. Vaelor, moving as though over smooth ground, occasionally turned to offer a brief, mocking remark.
"You stumble too easily," he said lightly as she nearly tripped on a loose stone.
"I am not stumbling," she muttered, frustration flashing in her eyes. "I'm navigating carefully."
"Yes," he said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, "carefully enough that a child could follow you. But you call yourself the strongest of your clan?"
Kaelis' jaw tightened. "I've survived things you wouldn't believe."
"And yet here you struggle to keep pace with me." He slowed slightly, walking beside her now, his gaze sharp. "Tell me, Kaelis… do you find that frustrating?"
She hesitated. His proximity was unsettling. The warmth from his cloak and the subtle scent of him—something faintly metallic and spicy—made her pulse quicken. "I am focused," she said finally, trying to regain control of her voice.
Vaelor smirked faintly. "Focused. That is one way to put it. Another is… terrified. Terrified you might fail me before the Dragon King even notices you exist."
Kaelis swallowed, anger and embarrassment swirling together. "I will not fail."
"I hope not," he said softly, his eyes glinting with something dangerous. "Because I choose to bring you with me, Kaelis. Not the others. Only you. And I expect… enjoyment along the way."
Her breath caught. "Enjoyment?"
"Yes," he said, voice low, teasing. "Even fear can be… enjoyable, if one knows how to wield it."
For the rest of the morning, Kaelis said nothing. Her mind replayed his words in a loop, mixing irritation with a strange awareness that she felt something unfamiliar when he spoke so casually, so personally.
By midday, they reached the edge of a cliff overlooking a river that ran white and frothy between jagged rocks. Vaelor stood at the precipice, hands behind his back, watching the turbulent water below.
"You'll need to swim if you fall," he said quietly.
Kaelis glared. "You think I would fall?"
"Not if I push you," he said, a faint amusement in his tone.
The teasing made her tense, but also… oddly alive. She could feel the raw edge of her emotions—fear, frustration, intrigue—all tangled together. She had faced death countless times in her life, yet there was a thrill walking beside him that no duel or assassination could ever replicate.
That evening, they made camp in a small hollow. Vaelor allowed Kaelis to light a fire, though he remained seated in the shadows, watching her silently. Every movement she made seemed under his scrutiny, and she felt simultaneously exposed and protected.
"You've been quiet," he said after a long while.
"I am thinking," she replied automatically.
"About?"
Kaelis hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "About surviving. About the Dragon King. About… this journey."
His crimson eyes glimmered faintly in the firelight. "And about me?"
Her breath caught. She had not meant to think about him, not like that. Yet the words hung in the air. She looked away, cheeks warming.
"Don't lie," he said softly, taking a single step closer. She could feel his presence now in a way that made her pulse uneven. "You cannot hide anything from me."
Kaelis wanted to deny it, to assert herself, but the truth pressed in like gravity. She could feel a strange tension, a pull that she could not name.
Vaelor leaned back slightly, smirking. "Interesting. Perhaps this journey will teach you more than just survival."
Kaelis huffed, unable to respond. She stared into the fire, trying to focus on the flames rather than the pull in her chest.
The night stretched long. Forest sounds filled the air, shadows dancing across the ground. Kaelis found herself replaying his words, the way he moved, the way his gaze lingered. She could not name it yet, but something inside her was shifting.
Sleep came fitfully. And even in her dreams, Vaelor's presence lingered—silent, powerful, impossible to ignore.
The third day began under a pale, gray dawn. Mist clung to the treetops and dampened the moss beneath their boots. Kaelis had grown accustomed to Vaelor's effortless stride, though she could feel her muscles burning with fatigue. Every so often, he glanced back at her, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"You've improved," he said softly, voice carrying easily over the quiet rush of a distant river.
Kaelis frowned. "You say that every morning."
"Perhaps," he replied, "but the truth remains unchanged."
She tried to ignore him, focusing on each step over jagged stones and exposed roots. The path led them higher into jagged cliffs where the wind bit through her cloak, and each breath was sharp in her lungs.
"You move cautiously," Vaelor said, suddenly appearing at her side, as if he had materialized from the mist. "But caution is not the same as skill. You have strength, yet you hesitate. Why?"
Kaelis tightened her grip on her staff. "Because you never let me forget that one wrong step can kill me."
"Perhaps I enjoy reminding you," he said, eyes glinting with amusement. "Or perhaps I enjoy watching you test yourself."
Her pulse quickened, and for a moment, she wondered if he was teasing or observing—both at once, as he always did.
Hours passed. They moved through narrow passes and shallow rivers, and the forest grew darker, denser. Strange sounds echoed in the undergrowth, creatures she could not identify stirring in the shadows. Vaelor never faltered, never slowed, and Kaelis could feel herself drawn closer to his rhythm, trying to match his ease.
At one point, when the path narrowed to a cliffside trail, Vaelor stopped and turned to face her.
"You've kept up," he said, voice low. "Do you feel it yet? The pull of what comes next?"
Kaelis met his gaze, unsure what he meant. "You mean the Dragon King?"
"Yes," he said simply. "But not only that. The journey. Fear. Desire. Anticipation. All of it shapes us. You feel it, don't you?"
Her breath hitched. He had a way of speaking that made everything he said feel like it belonged only to her. She nodded, barely.
"Good," he said, stepping closer. "Because you are mine in this. You will see it through with me, beside me."
Her heart skipped. The intensity of his words, the closeness, made her cheeks burn. She wanted to deny it, but her pulse betrayed her.
That night, they found a small cave to shelter from a sudden downpour. Vaelor allowed her to settle near the fire, the flickering light casting shadows on the walls. He remained close, silent at first, observing her with those sharp, crimson eyes.
"You are thinking," he said after a long while.
"I am resting," she replied, though her gaze betrayed her racing thoughts.
"Resting," he repeated, stepping closer until their shoulders nearly touched. "Resting with thoughts of me, perhaps?"
Kaelis stiffened, heat rising in her chest. She did not answer. He leaned in closer, the faint warmth of his presence pressing against her.
Before she could react, he leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers in a brief, deliberate peck.
Time froze. Kaelis' mind spun. Conflicting emotions tore at her—shock, anger, and something deeper she could not yet name. She pulled back sharply and slapped him across the cheek, her hand trembling.
"You…" she began, voice shaking, "how—"
Vaelor tilted his head, crimson eyes gleaming, unbothered. "I see."
Her chest tightened. She remembered Ruria—Ruria had begged him to spare her, had saved her life. Ruria's trust, her love, weighed heavily on Kaelis' conscience. She felt guilt clawing at her, sharp and cold.
And yet… beneath that guilt, something else stirred. Her pulse, her breath, even the way her heart thudded when he looked at her—it all contradicted her reason. She had betrayed no one physically, but in that moment, part of her felt as though she had.
Vaelor's lips curved faintly, reading the conflict in her expression. "Confused," he murmured. "Guilt and… curiosity. Desire. That is natural."
Kaelis looked away, fighting the surge of emotions she could not yet name. She could not allow herself to give in—not now, not yet. And yet, a part of her wanted to lean closer, to feel it again, to see if the warmth behind his eyes was real.
The night stretched on. Rain tapped against the cave roof, wind whistled through the trees outside, and Kaelis sat near the fire, her thoughts in turmoil. She could not reconcile her loyalty to Ruria with the inexplicable pull she felt toward Vaelor.
She pressed her hands into her lap, staring into the flames. The warmth of the fire seemed trivial compared to the warmth of her racing heart.
And in the shadows, Vaelor remained—watchful, patient, unyielding, knowing exactly what he had stirred.
The journey was not over. The Dragon King awaited. And Kaelis' heart would not remain simple and obedient for long.
She did not speak. She did not move. She simply sat there, trembling, caught between duty, loyalty, and something far darker she refused to acknowledge.
The chapter ended with her pulse still thrumming in her ears, a storm of guilt and desire raging inside her, unresolved, waiting for the battle to come.