บททั้งหมดของ The Witch's Demon Mate: บทที่ 41 - บทที่ 50

The forest finally thinned, leaving Kael and Aria at the edge of a small village nestled in a mist-choked valley. The air was heavy with the scent of wet earth and woodsmoke, and the fog clung to the crooked rooftops like drifting silk. Every step forward made Aria’s heart race — relief mingled with unease. They had run far, but nowhere was truly safe. Kael’s hand rested lightly on her shoulder, guiding her forward without breaking her stride. “Keep your guard up,” he murmured. “Even here, the coven’s reach is long.” Aria’s wrist burned faintly, the sigil pulsing, but she focused, letting the bond tether her to Kael. She had begun to sense its rhythm more clearly — the way it pulled, warned, even whispered suggestions in the back of her mind. She closed her eyes briefly, matching her heartbeat to his, letting shadows curl protectively around them. The village seemed deserted at first, doors tightly shut and smoke from chimneys curling straight into the air as if no one dared stir.

Night had fully claimed the Hollow Refuge. Mist curled low over the village, clinging to the pale reeds and bone-white wood of the homes. The Aurel Shard’s glow pulsed against the darkness, casting long, trembling shadows across Kael and Aria’s faces. Every flicker made the obelisk seem alive, as if it were watching them, waiting. Sereth stood before them, her silhouette etched in soft light. “The Hollow exists because we feed it,” she said, voice low but carrying authority that pressed against the edges of the night. “The wards are strong, but not infinite. Every soul we shelter, every step you take here, consumes energy. Life. Memory. Name.” Aria’s pulse tightened. “A price? What do you mean?” “The Ritual of Names,” Sereth explained, stepping closer to the obelisk. Her fingers brushed the cracked stone, and the runes along its surface shimmered as if acknowledging her touch. “We offer the Hollow names—memories, pieces of those who have been lost. It does not take lives, not alwa

The ritual circle bled light into the ground. Crimson threads of blood-magic pulsed outward, reaching through the air like veins searching for a heart that no longer beat. Selene stood in its center, hands slick with dried runes and powdered bone. Her Inquisitors knelt around her, whispering the incantations that bound sight and distance together. But something was wrong. The lines of blood shuddered. The symbols flickered and collapsed inward as if repelled by an unseen wall. The light flared white, then died. For a long moment, there was only silence—thick and almost sentient. Selene straightened slowly, her face expressionless but her jaw set tight. “Again,” she said. The Inquisitors obeyed, cutting their palms anew, letting blood fall in rhythmic drops across the sigils. The ground absorbed it eagerly, hissing with life. The ritual imploded in a burst of cold wind. The torches guttered. Several Inquisitors fell to the ground, clutching their chests as the backlash surged thr

Chapter 47 – The Forgotten Outpost The outpost crouched at the edge of the clearing like a wounded sentinel. Broken beams jutted at odd angles, moss crawling over every surface, and the faint glow of protective wards shimmered in fractured patterns across the stone. The air was thick with the mist that clung to Nareth’s lowlands, curling around their ankles, clinging to every shadow. Kael moved first, senses stretching ahead, fire and shadow tracing the outline of the ruin. Aria followed, hand brushing against the rough timber, the sigil pulsing softly along her arm. The whispers of the Hollow lingered in her ears — faint fragments of names, rituals, and half-forgotten faces. Each step carried the weight of memory, warning her of the thin veil between safety and annihilation. “This place…” Aria muttered, her breath catching. “It’s… alive, isn’t it?” Kael glanced back, gold eyes gleaming in the dim light. Shadows curled along his skin, restless, protective. “It remembers,” he said.

The narrow ravine swallowed them in mist, the air thick and cold, curling around their lungs like smoke. Kael moved ahead, his fire dimmed to a soft glow along his skin, guiding Aria through the uncertain terrain. Every step echoed faintly, as if the stones themselves remembered every footfall. Aria’s eyes darted to every glimmer of light—shards of something scattered across the path. They flickered, catching the mist in sharp reflections that multiplied and fractured the trees, the rocks, even their own shadows. “They’re here,” she whispered, voice tight. Her hand brushed against Kael’s arm instinctively, searching for reassurance. “The shards… I can feel them.” Kael’s jaw tightened. “Don’t let them trick you. Focus on me. The bond shields, but only if you obey it.” Obey it. The words throbbed in her chest like a pulse. She tightened her grip on the invisible tether that bound her to him, letting the shadows of the bond wrap around her, anchoring her mind. Still, the shards