Kael and Bella sat together in the dimly lit room, their eyes fixed on Rosalie, who was lying peacefully in her crib. But the calm was a deceptive one. Beneath the surface, Bella could feel the weight of the situation growing heavier with every passing moment. Rosalie’s condition was deteriorating, her tiny body growing weaker with each breath. Esmera’s spell had taken root, and it was slowly draining the life from their daughter.
Desperation gnawed at Bella’s insides, and she knew they couldn’t wait any longer. They needed answers. They needed help. And there was only one person they could turn to.
“Kael,” Bella said quietly, her voice tight with emotion, “we need to summon Eryon.”
Kael’s gaze flicked to her, his expression shadowed with a mixture of fear and determination. He hadn’t wanted to rely on Eryon. The powerful mage had always been a wild card, someone whose methods were unpredictable, but right now, they had no choice. They needed something, anything, to save Rosalie.
“We don’t have a choice,” Kael agreed, his voice low and strained. “If anyone can help, it’s him.”
Bella nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. She couldn’t allow herself to break down now, not with Rosalie’s life hanging in the balance. Her baby needed her to be strong. To fight. For both of them.
Kael stood and moved toward the center of the room, where an ancient ritual circle was drawn on the floor. It had been prepared for moments like this, when they needed to summon someone with knowledge and power far beyond their own.
Bella watched in silence, her heart racing. She couldn’t look away from Rosalie, her little face so peaceful, so innocent. How could something so dark be taking her life away? It didn’t make sense.
Kael began to chant, his voice steady and clear, words flowing from him in an ancient tongue that Bella didn’t understand. She didn’t need to. She could feel the power of the magic filling the room, the air growing thick with energy.
As the last word left Kael’s lips, the room fell into silence. The air seemed to hum with anticipation, and for a brief moment, Bella wondered if they had made a mistake. Would Eryon be able to help them? Or was this another wild hope, one that would leave them empty-handed?
And then, with a flash of light, Eryon appeared.
He stepped into the room, his long, dark robes swirling around him like shadows. His eyes were as sharp as ever, his face unreadable. Bella had never been entirely sure of Eryon’s true intentions. He wasn’t someone you could easily trust. But right now, he was their only hope.
Kael stepped forward, his expression urgent. “Eryon, we need your help. Rosalie—she’s sick. Esmera’s magic is poisoning her. Can you do something?”
Eryon’s eyes flicked to Rosalie, and he knelt beside her crib. His sharp gaze softened just slightly as he examined the baby, his fingers hovering over her tiny form. Bella’s heart ached with every second he spent in silence, unsure of what he was sensing, whether he had the answers they needed.
Finally, Eryon spoke, his voice calm but carrying a heavy weight. “There are traces of dark magic here. It’s faint, but it’s present. Esmera’s spell has been designed to drain the child’s life force, piece by piece. It is slow, insidious—silent, like a poison.”
Bella felt her blood run cold. She had known it was bad, but hearing Eryon confirm it in such stark terms made it all the more real. Her stomach twisted in agony as she looked down at Rosalie, so fragile, so small.
“Can you stop it?” Kael’s voice broke through her thoughts, filled with desperation. “We’ll do anything. We’ll pay any price. Just tell us how to save her.”
Eryon stood up and turned to face them, his expression unreadable. “To counteract this spell, you need a source of magic that rivals the dark power Esmera used. Only something that strong can break her grip on the child. And finding such a source… will not be easy.”
Kael clenched his fists. “We don’t care. We’ll do whatever it takes.”
Eryon’s gaze shifted to Kael, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You must understand, the magic you seek is not just a simple counter. It requires immense power, and the cost… is not something you can predict. It will change you. It will leave a mark.”
Bella felt a chill run down her spine. “What do you mean? What will it cost?”
Eryon didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he stepped toward the door, his voice echoing in the silence. “The only person who might know how to stop this… is far from here. I will need to go. I will return with the answers, or not at all.”
Kael stepped forward, urgency in his every movement. “How long will you be gone?”
Eryon hesitated for a moment, his eyes darkening. “I cannot say. But I swear, I will return with a solution. I will not allow this to continue.”
Before either Kael or Bella could respond, Eryon turned and left the room, the door closing softly behind him. The silence that followed was deafening.
Bella’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched the door close. She felt a sudden, suffocating fear take hold of her. What if Eryon didn’t return? What if they were left to face this curse alone, with no way to save Rosalie?