chapter 8

Chapter 8: Shadows of Deceit

Pod and Lira traveled through the night, navigating the outskirts of Shigatsu until the dense forest loomed ahead. The moon bathed the treetops in a ghostly silver light, casting long, jagged shadows that made the air feel thicker, heavier. Pod's heightened senses picked up every creak of the branches, every scurrying animal, and the faint rustle of leaves carried on the wind. His muscles were tense, his mind sharp. Something about this situation felt off.

He followed Lira, his eyes never leaving her back, but his guard remained high. Despite her claims of wanting to help, Pod couldn't shake the feeling that she had her own agenda. She moved with a confidence that set him on edge, her steps deliberate and calculated, as if she knew more than she let on.

"Keep up," Lira said without turning around. Her voice was cold, but calm. Too calm.

Pod clenched his fists. "You sure about this? You really know where the Severers are hiding?"

Lira didn't respond immediately, instead glancing over her shoulder with a faint smirk. "Doubt me already? You'll see soon enough."

Pod's instincts screamed at him to be cautious. Something was wrong, but he couldn't quite place what it was. His senses were on overdrive, but Lira's words still echoed in his mind. If he wanted to find the Severers, this might be his only shot.

"Not far now," Lira said, her voice breaking the silence once again. "Just through this next stretch."

The path ahead became narrower, the trees clustering together so tightly that only slivers of moonlight made it through. The forest felt ancient, like it had seen countless generations come and go. The air grew colder, and with it, a sense of foreboding settled over them.

Suddenly, Pod's ears picked up something—a faint whisper, a shift in the wind that didn't belong. His heart skipped a beat.

He stopped dead in his tracks. "Wait."

Lira halted a few steps ahead, not turning around. "What is it?"

Pod's eyes scanned the area, his senses flaring. He couldn't see anyone, but the feeling was undeniable. They weren't alone. The forest was alive with more than just the sounds of nature.

"You hear that?" Pod asked, his voice low.

Lira remained still, her back to him. "No. Just you, Pod."

Before he could react, she moved.

With blinding speed, Lira spun around and lunged at him, her hand extending like a blade. Pod barely had time to dodge, his instincts saving him at the last second as her attack sliced through the air where his throat had been.

"What the hell—?" Pod gasped, his body on high alert now.

Lira's smirk twisted into something darker, more malicious. Her eyes gleamed with a dangerous light, and her whole demeanor shifted. Gone was the calm ally, and in her place stood a predator.

"I needed you to trust me, just long enough to get you alone," Lira hissed. "You're in my way, Pod. I can't let you find the Severers."

Pod's heart raced, adrenaline surging through his veins. "So it was a trap."

"Of course," Lira said with a cold laugh. "You've been marked by the Midnight Sun, whether you realize it or not. They want you, and I can't let that happen."

Pod's hands flexed, his senses kicking into high gear. He could hear her heartbeat, steady and controlled, and he could feel the power radiating off her like heat. She was strong—far stronger than she had let on.

"Why are you doing this?" Pod demanded, taking a defensive stance. His mind raced through his options, but he couldn't find any reason why Lira would betray him this way.

"I have my reasons," Lira said, her voice icy. "You're not the only one who's trying to survive, Pod. And if that means taking you down, so be it."

Pod didn't have time to think. Lira charged at him again, her movements fluid and precise. He barely managed to sidestep her strike, but she was fast—faster than he expected. Her attacks were relentless, and Pod quickly found himself on the defensive, his heightened senses the only thing keeping him alive.

Lira's hand shot out like a spear, aiming for his chest. Pod twisted away, but the edge of her attack grazed his side, cutting through his shirt and leaving a burning sting. He winced, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how to counter her.

She was toying with him. He could see it in her eyes, the way she moved with confidence, her smirk never fading. She knew she had the upper hand.

Pod's vision sharpened, his senses flooding with information. He could hear the faint shift in her breathing, see the subtle tension in her muscles just before she attacked. But even with that advantage, he was barely keeping up.

"Is this all you've got?" Lira taunted, landing another blow that sent Pod stumbling backward.

Pod's blood boiled. He had trusted her, and now she was trying to kill him. But more than that, he could feel the darkness inside him rising, threatening to take over. He had to control it—he couldn't let it consume him, not again.

But Lira wasn't giving him any time to think. She pressed her attack, her movements a blur as she unleashed a barrage of strikes. Pod dodged and blocked as best he could, but her speed was overwhelming.

In a split second, Lira's hand formed into a blade, and she lunged at him with lethal precision. Pod's instincts screamed at him to move, but he was too slow.

Just before her attack could land, a ripple tore through the air, warping space itself.

Lira froze mid-strike, her body suspended in the distorted air. Pod's eyes widened as a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows, the space around him bending and warping with each step.

Morgan.

His presence was overwhelming, his broad frame casting a shadow over both of them. The air around him seemed to shimmer, bending reality to his will. His cold, calculating eyes locked onto Lira, who remained trapped in his spatial manipulation.

"That's enough," Morgan said, his voice like a rumble of thunder. He flicked his wrist, and Lira was violently thrown backward, crashing into the trees with a force that made the ground tremble.

Pod staggered back, still catching his breath as he tried to process what had just happened. Morgan, the leader of the Midnight Sun, had come to his rescue?

"Pod," Morgan said, his voice softer now. "You're in over your head."

Pod didn't know what to say. His heart was still racing, his mind struggling to catch up.

Morgan stepped closer, his gaze hard but not unkind. "You're important, more important than you know. But that also makes you a target. Lira was never going to help you—she works for someone far worse."

Pod's mind reeled. "Then why did you let me go with her?"

Morgan's expression didn't change. "Because I needed to see what she was after. Now, I know."

Pod felt a surge of anger. He had been used as bait, and now he was being rescued like some pawn in Morgan's game.

"What are you really after?" Pod demanded, his voice shaking with frustration.

Morgan's eyes darkened, his voice dropping to a dangerous tone. "I want what you want, Pod. To stop the darkness from consuming us all. But to do that, you'll need to learn how to control your power. And I'm the only one who can help you."

Pod didn't trust him—not entirely—but for now, Morgan had saved his life.

For now, that would have to be enough.