Chapter 32

OLAND

The sky darkens as I grip the steering wheel, the weight of the storm ahead pressing down on me like a lead blanket. The tension in my chest is a knot that tightens with every mile I drive towards the motel where I'm almost certain now that Swyn is holed up.

I've been watching her long enough, waiting and biding my time. The promise of confrontation thrums in my veins, but it's quickly drowned out by the unnatural energy swirling around me.

The first drops of rain splatter against the windshield, irregular and heavy. I flick on the wipers, but they struggle against the deluge. This isn't just a storm; it's something else entirely—something ancient and malevolent.

A sense of foreboding wraps around me, and I grip the wheel tighter, knuckles white.

As I approach the motel, the rain intensifies, the world outside turning into a blurring smear of grey and black. The lot is nearly empty, but I catch a glimpse of Swyn's hired car.

Relief floods me, but it's short-lived; I can't shake the feeling that the storm is alive, that it's watching me.

Violet lightning forks across the sky, illuminating the twisted branches of the trees lining the road. I glance at the woods, a dark mass way beyond the motel, and a chill crawls down my spine.

The trees sway, not with the wind, but with a life of their own, and I know, deep down, that Swyn is in danger. This storm is no mere happenstance; it reeks of dark magic.

I slam my foot on the gas, urging my car forward. Each crack of thunder reverberates in my chest, a reminder of the urgency thrumming through me. I can't let anything happen to Swyn.

I park and throw open the door, bracing against the wind that howls like a beast unleashed. Rain pelts my skin, icy and stinging, and I barely make it to ten paces before a gust nearly knocks me off my feet.

Panic gnaws at me as I stagger back into the storm's embrace. The wind screams as I move towards the woods, an instinct driving me deeper into the darkness.

If Swyn is in trouble, I have to find her. The trees loom like sentinels, their twisted forms bending ominously as if urging me to turn back.

But I can't. Not now.

I plunge into the forest, the canopy above me filtering the storm's light into eerie shadows. The ground is slick with mud and I slip several times, but I press on, feeling the pulse of dark magic intensifying with every step.

It thrums through the air, a palpable force that wraps around me like an angry shroud, trying to keep away.

The storm's fury swells, thunder crashing like a warning bell. The presence of something ancient lurking just beyond my sight, feeding off the chaos, is overwhelming.

I have to stop it. I can't let it reach Swyn. Not now. Not ever.

I push deeper, focusing on the magic surrounding me, trying to draw from it, to make it work for me. A surge of energy courses through my veins, but it's not just mine.

The darkness is alive, and it fights back, clawing at my mind, whispering doubts and fears.

I stumble, the roots of the trees catching my foot. As I fall, a flash of pain shoots through my arm when I hit the ground. I look down, blood seeping from a cut on my forearm.

But I can't stop; the magic is too strong. I force myself to my feet, determination blazing in my chest.

"No!" I shout, voice hoarse against the wind. The trees respond, shuddering as if in reply. I sense a presence close by, something dark and powerful.

I grit my teeth, pushing against the pressure in my head, the suffocating dread.

Then I see it—a figure in the distance, shrouded in darkness, moving with a grace that's terrifying.

"Get away from here!" I roar, drawing on every ounce of power I have left. The air crackles with energy as I channel my magic, feeling the storm itself respond to my call.

I stagger forward, heart racing, ready to confront whatever darkness lies ahead, determined to protect the one person who has come to mean everything to me.

I take a step forward, adrenaline coursing through me, but as I do, a bolt of energy lashes out from the figure, striking me hard in the chest.

Stumbling back as pain blossoms, searing and hot, I hit the ground, my world spinning. The dark magic grips me, wrapping around my limbs like chains.

I can't give in. I have to fight.

With effort, I push myself up, vision blurring. I focus on the pain, harnessing it, turning it into strength.

I won't let it win.

I will protect my wife at all costs, even if she doesn't know it.