Exelia nodded, looking at the sealed circle. "Imagine what still sleeps in this forest."
Kael stared at her for a moment, still panting, his eyes catching the pale reflection of the magic dissipating in the air. "If that was just a fragment… how is it that the others are still asleep?"
"Because something greater keeps them this way," she replied, running her hand over the ground, slowly erasing the last traces of the magic circle. "A pact. A prison. Or an ancient fear that no one remembers anymore."
The silence after the confrontation was heavy, but not hostile. The trees seemed to breathe more lightly, as if freed from an uncomfortable presence. The wind blew through the branches again, carrying the damp smell of the forest and the subtle metallic aroma of black sand.
Kael struggled to his feet and looked at Chillrend. The blade was cracked at the base, small fissures running like frozen veins. "Damn it..."
