hotmtlnovel Chapter 72 The Shadows of the Forgotten!
Chapter 72 The Shadows of the Forgotten!
Pyris glanced at her, his expression unreadable behind the mask. "No one you need to worry about," he replied, turning away. He began walking back into the shadows of the Grove, leaving the girl and the bodies behind.He's only purpose was to save her, that's it.
Or so it seemed.
___
Alera had always been an outcast, even before she could understand why. Born into the slums of a distant human city, she had no knowledge of her parents. She grew up among the forgotten—the orphans, the poor, and the unwanted, living on scraps and the occasional kindness of strangers. Her small, malnourished frame made her appear frail, but even as a child, there was something different about her.
When she turned ten, something inside her awoke. Her mana core emerged not in the typical way—through ritual or training—but during a moment of sheer desperation. Alera had been cornered by street thugs who wanted to sell her off as a slave. Fear gripped her, and that was when her magic lashed out for the first time.
It was dark, cold, and filled with the whispers of something ancient. Shadows danced around her, moving with a life of their own, twisting and writhing until they devoured the thugs completely. When it was over, there was nothing left of them but darkened, empty streets.
Alera had awakened her Shadow Element, but this wasn't like the standard shadow magic that some mages possessed eons ago as the legends described. Her connection to shadow was deeper, darker, as if the shadows themselves had chosen her as their vessel. The incident left her terrified, and from that day on, Alera became even more isolated.
Experience tales at empire
No one in the slums dared come near her, fearful of the strange power that clung to her like a curse, no one believed it was magic since she awakened before age and the nature of her element left everyone in the small town terrified to mention it to anyone.
What is she came for them at nighttime! Her "curse" was feared by all!
For years, Alera struggled to control her power. The shadows whispered to her constantly, offering her protection but also gnawing at her will. The more she used them, the more they seemed to want to take over. Some nights, she couldn't tell if she was still in control or if the shadows were leading her.
When she turned sixteen, Alera left the slums, wandering from town to town in
She was a risk, yes—but also a powerful ally if trained correctly.
After rescuing her from the group that had betrayed her, Pyris saw more than just a fragile girl with dangerous magic. He saw potential. His experience in Blackscale Grove had taught him that to survive and rise in power, one needed strength, strategy, and the ability to control the uncontrollable.
Alera, despite her lack of training, had a gift—one that could be cultivated into something formidable.
Pyris was also someone who knew what it felt like to carry a burden of power no one else understood. He saw that same struggle in Alera. Her shadows were a part of her, just as his many elements were a part of him. And yet, she had been abandoned, discarded by those who feared her potential. He couldn't let that happen again.
"Lia, she's dangerous," Pyris had admitted as they walked back from the deeper parts of the forest, leaving the bodies of her attackers behind. "Her magic… it could consume her."
[Or it could become something far more powerful,] Lia replied. [You saw it too. She has the potential to wield the Living Shadows connected to the Void Magic. But the question is, can she control it?]
Pyris glanced at Alera, who walked silently behind him, her eyes still hollow but filled with a glimmer of hope now. "I'll teach her. If I don't, someone else will find her… or worse, she'll destroy herself." As long as she asked, Pyris will take her in.
Lia's voice softened. [You're doing the right thing. She needs someone who understands.]
Pyris nodded, his decision solidified. Alera was no ordinary awakened, and while she was dangerous, he couldn't deny that she was also a valuable asset. With the right training and guidance, she could become an ally unlike any other.
He didn't have a banner in the traditional sense, but in time, he would need those he could trust—those who could stand by his side when the time came to reveal his true power.
Alera, despite everything, was worth that risk.