CHAPTER 224: CHAPTER 224 THE WITCHES’ BORDER (BONUS)

Damon stopped beside me, but he didn’t say anything.

I took a step forward. My boots slid slightly against the loose rock. Alaric caught my arm, steadying me.

"Careful," he muttered.

"Thanks," I whispered back.

’Such a reasonable man, if only the other three could have half of his grace.’

We began the descent slowly with Rhydian leading the way. He used a curved blade to slash through the hanging vines as he moved.

The deeper we went, the more the forest seemed to hold its breath. It was the quiet crunch of boots and the occasional mutter of someone cursing under their breath that made it livelier than a graveyard.

After about ten minutes of walking downhill, we reached a flattened clearing. The trees bent away in a circle like something had burned the ground once and never let anything grow again. The crystal insect hovered low, pulsing with tired light.

"We’ll rest here for a bit," Rhydian said.

I nodded and sat down near a rock, not far from where Damon stood. Alaric dropped beside me, exhaling sharply as he stretched his legs. Mr. Four Eyes leaned against a tree, removing his glasses to clean the lenses with the hem of his clothes.

Golden flew in from behind and landed near my shoulder.

I watched the two men in silence. Damon stood off to one side with his hands tucked in his pocket, staring into the trees like he was ready to snap at any second.

Rhydian crouched near the path-lighter, drawing small shapes into the dirt with his fingers. He looked calm but I knew better by now.

Neither had spoken since the fight. That scared me more than the yelling.

I picked at a loose thread on my sleeve.

Golden leaned close and whispered, "They’re both proud. None of them is willing to back down."

"Exactly," I muttered back.

Alaric nudged me gently with his elbow. "Hey."

I looked at him.

"Don’t let them pull you apart," he said quietly. "They don’t mean to, but... you’re the center of this. Just... breathe. We’ll get through it."

I gave a small nod, grateful he didn’t try to make it more complicated than that.

A few minutes passed before Rhydian finally stood and dusted off his hands. "We need to keep moving. The witches’ realm is close, but the border’s tricky. If we delay, it gets harder to pass."

Damon still didn’t say anything.

Rhydian looked at him, he tilted his chin up slightly. "You’ve been quiet."

Damon’s jaw flexed, his aura was like that of a snow King, who grants his attention like it were worth millions of gold. "Just trying not to start another fight." He muttered with disinterest.

"Funny," Rhydian said dryly. "You’re usually better at finishing them than walking away."

Damon looked at him now, his gaze piercing through him like daggers. "I’ll finish one if it needs to be finished."

I stood up, stepping between them before it escalated again.

"Please. Not now."

Rhydian turned away first, stepping back toward the trail. "We should reach the border within the next hour if we move quickly. Once we cross, we’ll need to be careful. The witches have guards."

"What kind of guards?" I asked.

"They are not like the human kind," he replied. "They’re more... instinctive. They sense fear. If you feel any, don’t let it show."

’Easier said than done.’

We started walking again. The terrain was flatter now, but the trees were denser, and the light dimmer.

Damon moved beside me. He didn’t speak for a long time.

Then, quietly, he asked, "Are you scared?"

I glanced up at him. "A little."

He nodded once. "Don’t be."

"Easy for you to say."

"I’m not fearless, Aeris." He paused.

"Does that mean that there are things that you are afraid of?" My eyes widened in curiosity.

He nodded his head slightly.

I looked forward again. "You said you’d rather die than leave me. Do you still mean that?"

His eyes didn’t leave the path. "Yes."

I didn’t know what to say to that.

Ahead of us, Rhydian slowed down, raising his hand. "There. That ridge."

Beyond the trees, I saw a faint shimmer, almost like heat waves rising from the ground, but more controlled. The air there looked... different and eerie.

"That’s the boundary," Rhydian said. "Once we cross, we’ll be on their land. No turning back after this."

Mr. Four Eyes sighed, adjusting his cloak. "Lovely. Can’t wait to see what nightmares live on the other side."

Damon stepped ahead of me, walking to where Rhydian stood. "And what’s the plan after that? Do we walk in and hope they don’t eat us?"

Rhydian raised a brow. "We don’t walk in. We have to wait. The border will test us, if they accept Aeris, they’ll show us the way."

"And if they don’t?" Damon asked.

Rhydian didn’t answer.

Alaric moved up beside them. "Let’s not borrow trouble. We’ve made it this far."

’Borrow? I feel like we owned the trouble.’ I sighed helplessly.

I felt shivers shooting up my spine. I was nervous, and terrified at the same time... and those two combos never worked well.

Damon looked at me one last time before walking forward.

I took a breath and followed.

Whatever came next, I knew the danger wouldn’t end at the border. But for now... the road ahead was still open.

And I wasn’t walking it alone.

The moment our boot touched the edge of the ridge, something in the air changed.

The shimmer of the barrier in front of us pulsed like a living thing. It flickered once, twice, then stilled completely, as if it was waiting for us to come closer.

Rhydian took a cautious step forward, motioning for me to follow. I hesitated, but then moved beside him.

The second my foot crossed the line, a low hum vibrated beneath my skin.

It wasn’t painful... but definitely not normal.

The barrier parted, and they immediately followed my steps, stepping through the barrier.

"Aeris." Rhydian’s alarmed voice made me stop in my tracks.

I turned to face him, and he hurried to me. Before I could ask what was wrong. He covered my ears with both of his hands, muttering spells.