Chapter 119: Shadows Over Wyrmwood

The next morning, a heavy fog blanketed the fortress. It clung to the towers like a warning, thick and slow-moving, as if the air itself anticipated bloodshed.

Serena stood on the eastern balcony, wrapped in her cloak, watching the gray mist roll over the forest beyond. Wyrmwood lay just past the hills, quiet and unknowable. Somewhere in that eerie silence, an enemy was moving—rogues, dark magic, unknown allies—and they were waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Footsteps approached behind her.

Kai’s voice cut through the stillness. “We’ve mobilized two squads. One leaves tonight, the other at first light. Your orders?”

Serena turned slowly. Her face bore the calm of leadership, but her eyes were restless.

“We send Elias and a shadow team first. I want them in and out before sunrise. No confrontation unless absolutely necessary. The second group follows under Theron’s command to secure the area if it's clear—or fall back if it’s not.”

Kai raised a brow. “You trust them to work together?”

“No,” she replied flatly. “But I trust they both know what’s at stake.”

He studied her for a moment, then gave a slow nod. “Very well.”

When he left, Serena remained on the balcony for a long while. The fog hadn’t lifted. Neither had the weight pressing down on her chest.

Later that day, she found herself in the training yard. Blades clashed, soldiers sparred, and the scent of sweat and metal filled the air. She needed to feel grounded—needed to bleed a little if only to remind herself she was still alive and not just some queen-shaped puppet moved by war and fate.

She grabbed a practice sword and called over one of the younger warriors. “Spar with me.”

They hesitated, glancing nervously at her rank, but she insisted. Within minutes, the clatter of steel filled the arena as Serena moved like a storm—sharp, fast, calculated. Strike. Parry. Step. Duck. Her mind emptied with each swing, until her body and instinct were all that remained.

“Impressive.”

The voice came from the far end of the yard. She didn’t have to turn to know it was Elias.

She let out a breath, tossing the practice sword to the ground. “You’re not supposed to be out here.”

“I needed air,” he said, walking over. “And to see if you were still trying to avoid me.”

Serena gave him a sideways glance. “I’m not avoiding you. I’m... prioritizing.”

“War first, emotions later?” he said with a faint smile.

“Something like that.”

They stood in silence, the tension between them thick but not suffocating. Then Elias’s voice softened.

“I need you to promise me something.”

She looked at him, wary. “What?”

“If I don’t come back from Wyrmwood—”

“Don’t say that.”

“—if I don’t,” he continued firmly, “don’t let them crown you as a symbol. Don’t let them use your grief or guilt to fuel more bloodshed. You’re more than what they want you to be, Serena. You always have been.”

Her throat tightened. “Why would you say that now?”

“Because I’ve seen what wars do to people who survive them,” he said. “They bury pieces of themselves with the dead. I don’t want that for you.”

“I’m not going to lose you.”

“Good,” he said with a small smile. “Then I won’t argue.”

As the sun dipped lower, the war room was buzzing with final preparations. Elias’s team—six trusted scouts, a mage, and two stealth-trained warriors—stood ready. Serena reviewed the last-minute logistics with Kai and Theron, her mind clicking through every possible outcome.

When Elias approached in his traveling gear, she met his gaze evenly.

“I expect you back before sunrise.”

He gave a mock salute. “Yes, my Queen.”

She wanted to kiss him. Gods, she did. But too many eyes were watching, and the battlefield was not a place for declarations.

Instead, she touched his wrist. Just enough.

“Come back,” she whispered.

Then he was gone—vanishing into the fog with his team, their footsteps swallowed by the night.

A few hours later…

The silence in the war chamber was unbearable. Serena paced, her boots scuffing the stone floor. No word yet. No signal. She checked the enchanted crystal orb that connected her to the mage in Elias’s team, but it remained dim.

Theron watched from a corner, arms folded.

“You should rest,” he said finally.

“I can’t,” she replied, not looking at him.

“He’ll be fine.”

“You don’t know that.”

“No,” he agreed. “But I know you’ll tear yourself apart if you don’t stop trying to control everything.”

She turned to him, biting back a sharp retort. But the fire in her eyes faded before it could ignite.

“I just can’t lose anyone else,” she said quietly.

Theron’s expression softened. “You’re not alone in this. Stop trying to carry the whole damn kingdom on your back.”

“I’m the Luna. That’s my job.”

“You’re also a woman,” he said, stepping closer. “One who’s allowed to feel scared. Angry. Conflicted. Even in love.”

Serena looked up at him, and for a moment, something fragile hung between them.

Then a flash of light pulsed from the crystal orb on the table.

Her heart stopped.

Kai rushed in, breathless. “The signal—it’s back. Elias’s team is alive.”

Serena’s legs moved on instinct, rushing to the orb. The magic inside shimmered and shifted, revealing an image—blurred but moving. Elias’s face appeared, bruised and bloodied, but intact.

“We found something,” his voice came through, shaky but clear. “You were right. It’s not just rogues.”

“What is it?” Serena demanded.

Elias’s face grew grim. “There’s a witch among them. A bloodbound. And she’s not just working with the rogues—she’s controlling them.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

Then he added, “She knows who you are, Serena. She’s coming for you next.”