Chapter 122: The Warning of the Stranger
Melissa’s POV
There was silence in the air.
My heart was racing as I stood motionless, gazing at the location where the stranger had disappeared.
Who was he?
He knew my name, but why?
The ashes at my feet were moved by a burst of wind, and then-he was back.
In front of me.
With my heart pounding, I took a step back. With his hand clutching the hilt of his sword, Kane stepped protectively next to me.
“Who are you?” I made a demand, trying to keep my voice calm.
His hood was dropped by the stranger.
His complexion was as pale as worn parchment, and his face was haggard. My chest constricted when I saw the grief in his deep silver, faintly glowing eyes.
“My name is Cassius,” he introduced himself. “And I’ve been waiting for you.”
Kane tensed. “Waiting?”
Cassius never took his eyes off mine. “Yes.” He let out a sigh as though the entire world were pressing down on him. “I can see.” I have witnessed this conflict. I’ve witnessed its demise.
I gasped.
Had he seen it?
I looked from Cassius to Kane and back again. “Then you know we won.”
Slowly, Cassius shook his head. Melissa, you put an end to the conflict. But the war did not end because of you.
A shiver went up my back.
“No,” I said. “You’re not correct. Darius has passed away. He has lost his troops.
I couldn’t interpret Cassius’s expression as he scrutinized me. “Do you think war is measured by bodies alone?”
I felt a flood of doubt wash over me after hearing his comments.
With a strong voice, Kane stepped forward. “If you know something, say it clearly.”
Cassius dimmed his silver eyes. “What I saw in my visions did not end with Darius’s fall.”
I balled my fists up. “What do you mean?”
Cassius let out a slow breath. Melissa, I noticed you. I witnessed your inner strength. And I witnessed the following step.
All around us, the wind howled.
“What comes next?” I said.
Cassius fixed his gaze on mine.
A worse thing than Darius. And it’s waking up already.”
The world seemed too weighty and too narrow.
I gave a headshake. “No. That isn’t feasible.
Cassius kept a close eye on me. “You feel it, don’t you?”
I took a deep breath. “I sense… something. But that’s all in my head.”
“Is it?” Cassius’s head cocked. “Or is it the truth you refuse to see?”
Kane tightened his jaw. “Melissa, we don’t have to listen to this.”
However, I did.
I was forced to.
Because I knew in my heart that he wasn’t telling lies.
Cassius stepped forward, his voice low. “Darius had nothing to do with the fight. He was only the start. His fall is not the end of the prophecy; it is your fall.
My blood froze.
“What?”
Cassius let out a breath. “You have more power than you realize. It is still evolving. And it will devour you if you are not careful.”
I gave a headshake. “No. That is not going to occur. I’ve struggled too much to let myself go now.
“You think you have a choice?” Cassius sounded almost melancholy. Melissa, you’re not understanding. This has already started.
A thick stillness descended around us.
My hand was squeezed by Kane’s. He said, “She’s stronger than you think,” with a tone of subdued rage. “And she won’t let anything control her.”
Cassius looked at me for a while. “I hope you’re right.”
I stared at him, my heart racing. “Cassius, tell me the truth. What’s next?
He paused.
Then he said the words that made me shudder in sheer terror.
Melissa, you have three days. It takes three days for it to awaken.
My breath caught. “It?”
Cassius gave a nod.
“The true darkness,” he said to himself. “And this time… you won’t be able to stop it alone.”
As though whispering the reality I didn’t want to hear, the wind howled.
The conflict had not ended.
It was only getting started.
Even though the distant fire was crackling, the cold that was creeping in on me was not relieved by its warmth. Cassius’s words pressed like an indestructible weight against my chest, clinging to my mind like a dark shadow.
Three days.
Before something worse than Darius woke up, I had three days.
What exactly did that mean, though?
With his fists clenched and his jaw taut, Kane paced next to me. “This is insane. A war recently ended. And he’s warning us that there will be another conflict soon?
I looked over at him. “Kane-”
“No, Melissa.” There was resentment in his loud voice. “You’ve already made too many sacrifices. You barely made it through the battle with Darius, and now you’re expected to face an even more formidable foe? How much more can you provide?
I was deeply affected by what he said.
How much more was required of me?
I had no idea.
However, what option did I have?
I said, “I must do this.”
His golden eyes are dark with emotion, and Kane combed through his hair. “What if he’s right, Melissa?”
I blinked. “Right about what?”
His tone became softer. “Your strength. Isn’t it still expanding?
I paused.
Since he was correct.
I sensed it.
Something was stirring within me even now. A more powerful, wilder, and unpredictable force than before. It waited and watched, whispering at the corners of my consciousness.
Kane said, “Melissa,” in a softer tone. “I’m afraid.”
I gazed at him. “Are you afraid?”
He gave a quick breath. “Yes.” He took a stronghold of my hand. “Not of whatever is on the way. Not of another conflict. I fear that I will lose you.
I gasped.
I said, “You won’t lose me,” but I wasn’t even positive that was true.
Kane looked into my face, something I couldn’t identify filling his gaze. Then he said in a low voice, “Are you sure about that?”
I didn’t know how to respond.
With his glittering eyes fixed on the gloomy horizon, Cassius stood at the edge of the ruins. There was an uncanny quietness in the night air that made my skin tingle.
“Three days,” he repeated. “You have nothing else.”
I took a deep breath. “What if I don’t succeed?”
Cassius’s eyes returned to mine. “After that, all of your hard work and sacrifice will be for nothing.”
Beside me, Kane tensed up. “Explain the challenges we face.”
Cassius let out a breath. “The wounds from the conflict with Darius are deeper than the land itself. He may no longer have authority, but what about the darkness that gave rise to him? It remains persistent.
I balled my hands into fists. “Then we demolish it.”
Cassius smiled sadly at me. “If only things were that easy.”
Abruptly, the wind changed.
The air became dense.
I whirled, feeling it-a presence.
There was a visitor.
A lone guy stood in the distance, past the battlefield’s remains.
Observing me.
I felt cold.
Kane also took notice. Reaching for his sword, he moved ahead of me. “Who is present?”
The figure remained still.
Didn’t say anything.
However, I sensed it-the same strength I had before felt. It was the identical sensation Cassius had forewarned me of.
Three days.
I had three days.
And whatever was on the horizon…
It had already arrived.