Chapter 32

32

ARIA

T he cold stone of the infirmary wall seeped through my clothes as I sat huddled outside, waiting for news about Lydia. The chill seeped into my very bones, a physical manifestation of the fear and uncertainty that gripped me. Chris and Zephyr flanked me, their presence a small comfort in the face of our shared anxiety. The corridor was eerily quiet, the usual bustle of the Keep muted in the aftermath of the attack. The silence felt oppressive, as if the very air was holding its breath, waiting for news.

My dragon, still small but now alert and watchful, was curled up in my lap. Its warmth did little to ease the chill that had settled in my bones since watching Lydia fall from the sky. I stroked its scales absently, the repetitive motion helping to calm my frayed nerves.

"Zephyr," I whispered, my voice cracking as I broke the tense silence, "will the fae healers be able to help her completely?" The hope in my voice sounded fragile even to my own ears.

Zephyr's face was grave as he shook his head. The seriousness in his expression made my heart sink before he even spoke. "Fae healing magic doesn't work quite like that, I'm afraid. It can accelerate natural healing and stop immediate threats like bleeding out, but..." He trailed off, his eyes fixed on the closed infirmary door.

"But what?" Chris pressed, his voice hoarse with worry. The tension in his body was palpable, like a coiled spring ready to snap.

Zephyr sighed, the sound heavy with resignation. "But it can't instantly heal severe injuries. The healers likely saved her life by stopping the bleeding, but surgery will be her only option for full recovery now."

The weight of his words settled over us. I clutched my dragon closer, seeking comfort in its steady heartbeat against my chest. The reality of our situation crashed over me anew – we were in a war, and wars had casualties. The thought that Lydia might have been one of them made me feel sick.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor, and we looked up to see Elowen approaching. Her usual grace was marred by a slight limp, and a nasty gash marked her cheek. Despite her disheveled appearance, her eyes were sharp and alert as she surveyed us. The sight of her, battle-worn but standing, was both reassuring and terrifying – a reminder of what we'd faced and what might still be coming.

"How are you all holding up?" she asked, her voice gentle but tinged with exhaustion.

Zephyr managed a weak smile. "We're okay. It's good to see you made it through, Elowen. Were there... were there any casualties?" The question hung in the air, heavy with dread.

A shadow passed over Elowen's face, and my heart clenched with fear. "Yes," she said softly. "Eirian was taken."

"What?" The word burst from my lips before I could stop it, shock and disbelief coloring my voice. "How?"

Elowen's gaze met mine, filled with a mix of sorrow and determination. "He was fighting alongside his newfound dragon. They were both seized by a shadow creature and pulled through the rift before we could reach them."

The news hit hard as my heart sank. Eirian, with all his power and knowledge, taken by the Void. It seemed impossible, unthinkable. If even he could fall to the darkness, what hope did the rest of us have?

"Is he... is he still alive?" Chris asked.

Elowen's face tightened with pain. "We can't confirm that. The Void is beyond our sight. We can only hope."

The uncertainty of Eirian's fate hung over us, a grim reminder of the power we were up against. The Void wasn't just a threat – it was a force that could snatch away even the mightiest among us in the blink of an eye.

"He was the only one we lost," Elowen continued, her voice steadying with effort. "But his loss makes our mission even more critical. We must train our dragons with renewed vigor. More Dracarians have arrived at the Keep – high-borne and soft-bloods alike – to bolster our defenses. We'll be ready if another attack comes."

As the shocking news sank in, the infirmary door swung open. A Dracarian healer stepped out, his face weary but his eyes bright with cautious optimism.

"Lydia has pulled through," he announced. "Her own accelerated healing, combined with the fae magic, saved her life. She's still unconscious, but she will recover. She just needs rest now."

Relief washed over me, so intense it made me dizzy. Chris let out a shaky breath beside me, and I felt Zephyr's hand squeeze my shoulder. The news was a beacon of hope in the darkness that had settled over us.

Elowen thanked the healer, who added, "She's unlikely to wake until tomorrow. You should all get some food and rest. It's been a trying day."

We nodded, the adrenaline of the past hours finally giving way to bone-deep exhaustion. As we made our way towards the dining hall, my legs felt like lead, each step an effort. The events of the day played on repeat in my mind – the terror of the attack, the fall of Lydia, the loss of Eirian. It all seemed too much to process.

Was Eirian even alive? What had become of him?

Elowen had remained with the healer after sending us on our way, promising to let us know once Lydia woke.

I shuddered, a chill prickling across my skin as the air before us shimmered and darkened. A shadow creature materialized, its form writhing and undulating in a way that made my stomach churn. The sight of it, here in what we thought was a safe haven, sent a fresh wave of terror through me.

"Run!" Chris snarled as he stepped in front of me, his dragon roaring as it launched into the air.

I spun around, only to come face-to-face with another shadow creature.

No.

Before I could even cry out, I felt its cold, insubstantial grip close around me, and then I was being pulled away. My dragon screeched, clinging to my shirt as we were both dragged into the darkness. The cold of the Void seeped into my very being, a chill that went beyond the physical.

"Aria!" Chris's anguished cry echoed in my ears as he shifted, his wolf form lunging towards us. The desperation in his voice tore at my heart. Zephyr's hands glowed with magic, his dragon joining the fray with a burst of wind. But their efforts seemed futile against the overwhelming power of the Void.

I reached out desperately, my fingers brushing Zephyr's for a brief moment before the darkness engulfed me completely. The last thing I saw was Chris's wolf eyes, wide with terror and fury, before everything went black.

The void swallowed me whole, a suffocating darkness that seemed to press in from all sides. My dragon's warmth against my chest was the only reminder that I wasn't alone in this terrifying nothingness. Fear unlike anything I'd ever known gripped me. This wasn't just darkness – it was the absence of everything, a void so complete it threatened to erase my very existence.

As consciousness began to slip away, one thought echoed in my mind: This was what Eirian must have experienced. And now, like him, I was being dragged into the heart of the Void. The realization brought with it a new level of terror.

The darkness deepened, and I knew no more. My last conscious thought was a desperate plea – for Chris, for Zephyr, for anyone to find me. But as the void claimed me, even that hope began to fade, replaced by the terrifying certainty that I was now at the mercy of a force beyond our understanding.