Chapter 124: Kane’s Search
Melissa’s POV
In Kane’s deserted tent, I stood motionless, staring at the bloodstained patch on the floor. The roar of the wind outside was not as loud as the pounding of my heart in my chest.
He had left.
My arm was touched by Lydia. “We don’t yet know what happened, Melissa.”
I balled my fists up. “I am aware of what took place. He was taken by something. Or worse, he went off by himself.
Lydia was silent for a moment. “If he contracted the infection…”
I gave a violent shake of my head. “No. Kane is powerful. He would resist.
She let out a sigh. “That is my concern. He might no longer even recognize himself if he is battling something we don’t comprehend.
I forced my voice to remain steady as I swallowed hard. “I’ll remind him then.”
Lydia’s face grew softer. “This cannot be done by you alone.”
“I’m not by myself,” I said. “You’re mine. Zephyr as well.
Then Zephyr entered, his expression gloomy. The trails go far into the woods. However, something is… awry.
I tensed up. “I don’t get you, What do you mean?”
Zephyr paused. Kane’s footprints aren’t the only ones, there are other prints. I think He’s carrying something else.
A shiver ran down my back.
I then stood up straight. “We’re pursuing him immediately.”
Lydia took one look at the blood on the floor. “What if he isn’t the Kane we knew, what if something has really changed?”
I looked her in the eye and spoke without flinching. “Then, under any circumstances, I will bring him back mark my words.”
It was darker than normal in the forest. With their gnarled branches pointing skyward, the trees towered over us like silent guardians. It grew colder as we descended farther, as though the warmth of life had been drawn out of the atmosphere.
Zephyr crouched close to a clump of splintered branches, his gaze keen. “He tracks in two different directions.”
I scowled. “That isn’t logical.”
Lydia went pale. “Unless something is guiding him away and something else remains to divert our attention.”
We fell into a thick quiet.
I gripped my dagger tighter. “We must act quickly else it will be too Late.”
Zephyr gave a nod. “If we split up and track differently, we’ll cover more ground.”
I paused. Time was against us, yet it was risky to split up.
Lydia put her hand on my arm. “We’ll track him down, Melissa trust me.”
I made myself take a breath. “Take caution.”
Zephyr nodded reassuringly and disappeared into the trees. Lydia turned away, and I was left standing by myself looking carried away for a moment.
With my heart pounding, I turned into the forest’s deepest area.
Somewhere out here was Kane. I was going to track him down.
The air grew heavier as I moved more into the woodland. Around me, a weird energy buzzed and pressed like invisible hands against my flesh.
Then I caught sight of him.
With his back to me, Kane stood in the clearing ahead. His head was slightly cocked, as though he were listening to something that only he could hear, and his big shoulders were tight.
I felt a wave of relief. “Kane! Kane!”
He remained still.
I took a step closer, gasping for air. “That’s me, Melissa. I located you.
He turned slowly.
My blood became icy.
His eyes had turned from warm and bright to a deep, cold, unnatural darkness. His neck was lined with dark veins that pulsed with an unnatural substance.
“Kane?” My voice faltered.
He just stared at me for a while. Then he lunged without warning.
I had hardly time to respond. Aiming for my throat, his hand sprang out. With my heart pounding, I turned away.
“Stop, Kane! Stop!” I sobbed.
He didn’t respond.
He clenched his fists, his breath ragged, and I staggered back, staring. His entire body shook, as though he were struggling with an internal force, something trying to take more of him.
“It’s me, Kane,” I begged. “You are familiar with me.”
He clenched his jaw. “I no longer know anything.”
His voice had a nasty undertone, but it was still his. There’s a problem.
My eyes were scorched by tears. “You do.” You are familiar with me. You are familiar with us.
He tightened his jaw. His hands shook. Then, for a split second, I had a glimpse of the real Kane, ensnared in the shadows.
However, it vanished as swiftly as it appeared.
Something like pain twisted his face. Then his sword came up.
“Melissa,” he said to her. “Leap.”
With its tip aimed right at me, Kane’s sword’s icy blade shone in the moonlight.
My heart was thumping in my chest as I stood motionless.
“Kane,” I said in a whisper. “This is not something you want to do.”
He tightened his hold on the hilt. He breathed raggedly and unevenly. “I-” He halted, violently shaking his head.
I briefly believed he was emerging from whatever force had carried him. However, his demeanour stiffened and his eyes darkened again.
I could see the Kane I knew drifting away.
In my ears, my pulse thundered. “I won’t abandon you.”
He tightened his jaw. “You will then pass away here.”
He charged before I could respond.
His blade sliced through the air where I stood, and I just managed to evade in time, rolling across the ground.
“Stop, Kane!” I pleaded.
He didn’t.
I gasped for air as I stumbled to my feet. He circled me like a predator, every step he made planned.
My vision was obscured by tears. “I’d rather not fight you.”
He paused. Only for a moment.
And I saw it at that instant. The internal conflict. The conflict.
Then he spoke the words that made me shiver, as though something had cracked.
“You ought to have fled.”
He then made a lunge.
Everything turned dark.