Chapter 6: Old Man Creates More Questions Than Answers
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Kaelhi...
Kaelhi...
We have been waiting for you, Kaelhi...
The women...the children...
The beast...
Save us... our god...
Xander’s body ached in ways he’d never experienced before. Pain pulsed through every muscle, wrapping around his bones like chains. He groaned as his senses returned, the voices in his head subsiding—his fingers curling into something soft beneath him.
A bed?
His heavy eyelids fluttered open, revealing wooden beams stretching across the ceiling, flickering candlelight dancing against stone walls, and the faint scent of herbs mixed with damp earth. He was in a small medieval cottage, not the battle-ravaged forest. Someone had changed his clothes—his usual school uniform was replaced by a simple linen tunic and dark pants that felt strangely comfortable despite the soreness in his limbs.
As he adjusted his position with a wince, the wooden door slammed open, nearly making him jump.
"Iris?" His voice cracked, barely above a whisper.