Chapter 13 - A Mother's Fear
For a few terrifying seconds, nobody moved.
The battle that had consumed the clearing seemed to fade into the background as every eye fixed on Jason.Silver light still lingered in his eyes.Not bright enough to blind.
Not powerful enough to shake the earth.
Yet it was enough.
Enough to make hardened warriors hesitate.
Enough to make ancient enemies nervous.
Enough to make Elena Ravencrest's heart sink.
Jason stood in the middle of the ruined clearing, breathing heavily. His head felt as though it might split apart at any moment. Images continued to flash through his mind faces he didn't recognize, cities he had never visited, voices speaking names he had never heard before.None of it felt real.
And yet none of it felt imaginary either.
That frightened him more than anything else.
The silver glow slowly faded, His vision cleared.
The forest returned,The sounds of battle returned.
The smell of blood and broken earth returned.
Most importantly, the feeling of being Jason returned.
For a moment, he simply stood there, trying to steady himself.
Then he heard footsteps, He looked up.
His mother was running toward him.
Elena crossed the clearing without hesitation, ignoring the danger around her. The moment she reached him, both hands grabbed his face.
Her fingers trembled,Jason froze.
His mother rarely showed fear.
Even when life was difficult, she always found a way to remain calm, Now she looked terrified.
Not of the enemy,Not of the battle, Of losing him.
Her eyes searched his face desperately.
Jason.
The single word nearly broke her voice.
Jason immediately understood, She wasn't checking for injuries.
She was checking if he was still himself.
A lump formed in his throat.i'm here.Elena closed her eyes.
For a brief moment, relief washed over her features.
Then she pulled him into a tight embrace.
Jason hadn't been hugged like that since he was a child.He stood there awkwardly at first.
Then his arms slowly wrapped around her.
The battle, the mysteries, the fear everything faded for a moment, There was only his mother.
The woman who had sacrificed eighteen years protecting him.
The woman who carried secrets she hated keeping.
The woman who had spent the entire night watching her worst fear become reality.
When she finally stepped back, her eyes were slightly red, You scared me, Jason managed a weak smile, Trust me i scared myself.
A faint laugh escaped her despite everything.
The sound disappeared almost immediately.
Because reality was waiting.
Across the clearing, the masked leader remained motionless.
His soldiers had stopped advancing.
Not because they wanted to.
Because they were uncertain,Something had changed.
The confidence they arrived with was gone.
Jason noticed it now.
Several warriors kept glancing toward him.
Others were looking at Darius.
Nobody seemed eager to continue the fight.
The silence stretched.
Then the masked leader slowly exhaled.
Interesting.
His voice carried easily across the clearing.
Very interesting.
Kael tightened his grip on his sword.You're leaving?The man smiled,Not today.
His gaze shifted toward Jason, But this changes things, The statement unsettled everyone.
Especially Jason.
The masked leader took another step forward.
Moonlight reflected against the silver mask hanging loosely from one hand.
For the first time, Jason noticed how tired the man looked, Not physically,Mentally.
Like someone carrying the burden of centuries.
The realization was disturbing.
Because it made him seem human.
And human enemies were often more dangerous than monsters.
The man's eyes remained fixed on Jason.
You know what the worst part is? Nobody answered.
You still believe you're fighting for your future.
A strange sadness entered his expression.
When in reality, you're fighting against your past.
Jason frowned ,The words felt deliberate.
Like a warning hidden inside an insult.
Before he could respond, Darius stepped forward.
The massive guardian planted his spear into the ground.
The impact echoed through the clearing.
Enough.
The simple word carried tremendous authority.
The masked soldiers visibly tensed.
Their leader merely smiled, Still loyal after all these years, Always.
Darius' answer came without hesitation.
Something flickered across the masked leader's face, Regret.
The emotion vanished so quickly Jason almost missed it.
Then the man looked toward Elena.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
An uncomfortable silence settled between them.
Finally, he nodded, You did well.
Elena's expression immediately hardened.
Don't.
The single word carried years of bitterness.
The masked leader accepted the response without argument, Jason noticed that too.
Every interaction seemed to hint at a history nobody was explaining.
Another secret,Another mystery.
The realization was becoming exhausting.
The masked leader eventually looked back at Jason.
The next time we meet, things will be different.
Jason didn't like the certainty in his voice.
What does that mean? A small smile appeared.
It means your enemies aren't the only ones searching for you.
Before Jason could ask another question, the man raised a hand.
His soldiers immediately began retreating.
No arguments.No hesitation.
One moment they surrounded the clearing.
The next they were disappearing into the darkness.
Within seconds, only their leader remained.
The forest wind stirred his cloak.
For a long moment, he simply watched Jason.
Then his gaze shifted toward the northern horizon ,Toward the mountains.
Toward the place where all of this began.
His expression darkened.
He's waking up faster than expected.
Jason felt a chill,Who?
The masked leader looked at him one final time.
When he answers that question himself...
Pray you're strong enough to survive it.
Then he stepped backward.
The darkness swallowed him completely.
Gone, Just like that, The battle was over.
Yet nobody celebrated, Nobody relaxed.
Because every person in the clearing understood the same thing,This wasn't a victory.
It was a warning, The enemy had found them.
And next time, they would come prepared.
Jason looked around the clearing, Broken trees.
Bloodstained earth,Exhausted warriors.
The remains of a battle fought because of him.
For the first time since the Awakening Ceremony, he understood something clearly.
His old life was over.
There would be no return to normal.
No return to the quiet cottage.
No return to pretending he was an ordinary outcast from the Blackfang Pack.
Whatever was happening had grown too large.
Too dangerous.
And whether he wanted it or not, he stood at the center of it.
As that realization settled in his chest, Kael suddenly stiffened.
His eyes moved toward the northern sky.
A moment later, Darius did the same.
Then Elena, Jason followed their gaze.
At first, he saw nothing,Then his blood ran cold.
Far beyond the mountains, hidden among the clouds, a colossal shape was moving.
Not flying,Walking.
Something impossibly large was crossing the distant peaks.And with every step it took
The ground beneath their feet trembled.
