All Chapters of Bloodbound: The legacy of Serelai : Chapter 91 - Chapter 100

The Remnant’s warning hung over them like a storm cloud for the next three days. The land sloped downward, leading them into a vast, bowl-shaped valley, it was called the Sunken March, and it felt like walking into a giant, open grave.The air grew thick and hard to breathe. It wasn't the thin, empty air of the Wastes, but a heavy, soupy air that felt old and tired. The colours of the world were washing out, not to grey, but to a dull, rusty brown, as if everything was covered in a layer of dried blood.There were no thinnings here. Not in the way they knew them. There were no neat patches of grey. Instead, the world was just… less. The trees were skeletal, their leaves long gone, their branches twisted into claws. The grass was brittle and colourless. It was a place that was slowly giving up."This is it," Ashiel said, his voice low and tense. He pointed to a range of sharp, black mountains in the distance. "The Black Crags, that was the Shadow King's fortress, his power bled out fro

The hope from the valley stayed with them for a day, a warm ember in Liora’s chest but with every step closer to the Black Crags, the ember cooled. The land here wasn't just sick or sad; it was also beautiful. It was wrong.The grass wasn't brown or grey, it was a vibrant, unreal green, like a painting. The trees were perfectly shaped, their leaves a uniform, waxy green. There were no weeds, no fallen branches, and no animal tracks; it was too perfect, making the skin on the back of Liora’s neck prickle."It's quiet," Finn whispered. "No birds. No bugs. Nothing.""It's not just quiet," Elara said, her healer's senses on high alert. "It's sterile. There's no life here at all."The Remnant stopped, his grey robes a stark contrast to the garish green. "The corruption is evolving, it is no longer merely erasing. It is… editing. Rewriting. This is not a forgotten memory, this is a fabricated one."Ahead, nestled in a picture-perfect valley at the foot of the mountains, was a village. Its c

The cave felt different after the false Kael. The air was heavier, and the dark seemed to press in a little closer. No one slept. They just sat in the silence, listening to the wind howl outside, each of them trapped in their own thoughts.Ashiel hadn't moved from his spot against the wall. He stared at the place where the echo had stood, his face a stone mask. Liora knew he wasn't seeing the cave wall. He was seeing his brother's face, hearing that terrible, tempting offer. Just peace. Real peace.She wanted to go to him, to say something, but words felt useless. How do you comfort someone for choosing pain over a perfect dream? So she just stayed nearby, a silent presence, hoping it was enough.When the first grey light of dawn finally filtered into the cave, it was the Remnant who broke the silence."The enemy has tested your strongest bond and found it solid," he said, his voice as calm as ever. "It will not try that again. It will look for weaker points."Everyone flinched. They

They stumbled out of the mountain cave like people who had forgotten what sunlight looked like, the world outside was the same, but it felt different. The air didn’t feel thin or hungry anymore, it just felt like air. The sky was a normal, pale blue, the wind was just wind, it was the most ordinary, beautiful thing Liora had ever seen.No one spoke. There were no cheers. No shouts of victory. They just stood there on the mountainside, breathing. The silence between them was heavy, full of everything that had happened in that cave.Finn was the first to move. He sat down on a rock, put his face in his hands, and cried. Not loud, desperate sobs, but quiet, shaking tears of relief and exhaustion. Elara went to him, putting an arm around his shoulders, her own face wet.Ronan leaned on his axe, his head bowed. His broad shoulders sagged. He looked like a man who had been carrying a mountain and had just been allowed to put it down.Ashiel stood beside Liora, close but not touching. He was

The world felt softer now and the edges weren't so sharp. Liora and Ashiel walked without hurry, following old roads and animal trails. They had no destination and for the first time in their lives, they were just... living.They helped where they could, it was small work. Mending a fence for an old farmer, helping a family pull a stuck cart from the mud. Liora would sometimes sit with the elders in a village square and listen. She didn't write their stories in her journal anymore, she just listened, and in the listening and she found their memories grew stronger, as if grateful for the attention.Ashiel was changing too. The constant watchfulness in his eyes was easing, he laughed more. A real laugh, one that started deep in his chest and made his shoulders shake. He still kept his sword clean and close, but it was a habit now, not a necessity.One afternoon, they found a forgotten orchard. The trees were old and gnarled, but a few still held late-season apples, small and sour but cr