Chapter 39: The Blood Leaf's Legacy !

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Chapter 39: The Blood Leaf's Legacy 1

The forest was a blur of dark green and shadows as Tessa carried Adrian's limp body across the uneven terrain.

Each step felt heavier, and his blood soaked through her shirt, warm and sticky against her skin.

His breaths were shallow, ragged. She had tried everything—pulses of electricity, surges of power—but the salt concentration in his system was just too much, causing the healing process to slow down and even deteriorate.

Time was slipping.

"Come on, Adrian… stay with me…" she tapped his barely conscious face as she whispered, the desperation in her voice barely masked. She spotted an old, dilapidated shack, almost hidden by the thick undergrowth. It was crumbling, half-swallowed by nature, but it was the only cover in sight.

She pushed open the door with her shoulder, gritting her teeth at the resistance. Inside, the air was stale, filled with the scent of mildew and old wood.

She lowered Adrian onto a moth-eaten blanket on the floor, his face pale, eyes closed. He looked so… fragile, nothing like the powerful being who could light up a room with his confidence.

Tessa crouched beside him, her fingers trembling as she pressed her hand to his chest, summoning what little power she had left. Her electricity flickered weakly, barely a spark. The salt was burning through him, poisoning his blood.

This wasn't enough.

"I can't lose you," she muttered, panic creeping into her voice as the reality hit harder. "I won't."

But no matter how much she tried, no matter how much she willed her power into him, it wasn't working.

She could feel the resistance, like her energy was bouncing off a barrier inside him. And with every passing second, Adrian was slipping further away.

Suddenly, a memory flickered in her mind, distant and faint. It wasn't her own—it was like a shadow of a dream, something half-remembered.

Her grandmother used to tell tales of the Blood Leaf, stories that had been passed down through the generations. Tessa could almost hear her voice, weaving magic with her words: "In the darkest times, the Blood Leaf will guide you, a treasure of the ancients that holds the power to heal."

Her mother had often recounted the stories too, sharing how Kaelrians like Cale, Mari, and Kion had spoken of it. They would gather under the stars, the elders whispering secrets of their home, how the leaf could cleanse even the deepest wounds, but it was rare—too rare. Many believed it was a myth.

But Tessa needed it to be real and now was when she needed it the most, she firmly believed that it existed beyond mere legend. Blood Leaf. It was her only hope. She had to find it.

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Tessa stood, her resolve hardening. She couldn't afford hesitation. With one last glance at Adrian, she hurried out of the shack, her heart pounding in her chest.

She had lost Kion, Mari, Cale, would she lose him too. How many more Kaelrians would die to the wickedness of men?

The forest seemed to close in around her as she moved, the branches clawing at her skin, the darkness creeping in faster than it should. Time was against her.

Every step she took, the weight of failure loomed larger. The Blood Leaf was rare, maybe even impossible to find. What if the legends were wrong? What if she wasted time searching for a myth while Adrian lay dying?

Her breath hitched at the thought, but she pushed it aside. She had to believe.

Hours passed. The forest was vast, and she moved deeper into its heart, her eyes scanning the underbrush for the faint purple glow of the elusive plant. Her body ached, her muscles burning from the constant motion, but she couldn't stop.

Not yet.

Then, just as hope was beginning to fade, she saw it—a faint shimmer in the moonlight. Tessa stilled, her breath catching in her throat. There, hidden beneath the shadow of a massive tree, was a small cluster of purple leaves, glowing faintly, almost imperceptibly.

The Blood Leaf.

But before she could move, a voice broke the silence.

"You stop dere! Who be you?"

Tessa's heart lurched as she spun around, eyes locking onto the figures emerging from the trees. Five of them, cloaked in furs and strange armor, their eyes gleaming with suspicion and something deeper.

The leader, a woman with sharp features and a scar cutting across her face, stepped forward.

"Dis land not be yours, stranger. You no take what you want without askin'. Blood Leaf be ours," the woman said, her accent thick and heavy, each word biting into the air.

Tessa raised her hands slowly, trying to calm the panic rising in her chest. "I'm not here to cause trouble," she said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her. "I need it to save someone. He's dying."

The woman's eyes narrowed, scanning Tessa's striking features. Tessa felt the weight of their gaze, her heart racing as she realized they were staring at her with a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"You look like dem," the woman murmured, a strange reverence lacing her tone. "Sun God and Moon Goddess, you be!"

Tessa blinked in shock, her confusion palpable. 'What now?' She thought as she stared at these strange beings and their drivels.

"What are you talking about?" she stammered. "I'm just—"

But before she could finish, the locals dropped to their knees, bowing their heads, a chorus of awed murmurs escaping their lips.

"Great ones! De prophecies speak true!" another shouted, his voice trembling with excitement. "We be blessed!"

Tessa's heart raced, a mixture of disbelief and embarrassment flooding her. "No, no! I'm not—"

"You save us! You save de Blood Leaf! We serve you!" The leader looked up, eyes shining with conviction, as if they'd just received a sign from their gods.

"I—I'm just here to help my friend," Tessa protested, her confusion deepening. This was all too much—too surreal. "I'm not a goddess!"

But her words fell on deaf ears. The locals continued their chants, weaving around her, their excitement palpable.

"You take leaf, and we follow! We worship!" The leader insisted, rising to her feet, her eyes gleaming. "You must let us honor you!"

Tessa took a step back, her mind racing. Worship? This wasn't what she had anticipated. She needed to save Adrian, not start a cult. "I just need the Blood Leaf! Please!"

But the locals, caught up in their reverence, insisted. The leader approached the cluster of leaves, her hands trembling with excitement. "Dis be de Blood Leaf! You take it, and we help you."

With their help, Tessa started to gather the Blood Leaf quickly. With haste and determination, she got on with it.

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Meanwhile, back at the control center, Andrew Marshall paced the room, his frustration mounting with every report.

His agents were scouring the area, but they had nothing. Not a single lead, not a single clue. It was like Tessa and Adrian had vanished into thin air.

"They're slipping through our fingers," Marshall growled, his voice low and dangerous.

The agents exchanged nervous glances, knowing better than to speak. But Marshall's patience was fraying, and his composure with it.

"I want every drone in the air, every agent on the ground. I don't care what it takes. Find them. Now."

He slammed his fist onto the table, the frustration boiling over. He had underestimated them, and now they were proving far more difficult to catch than he'd anticipated. But he would find them. And when he did… there would be no mercy.

Like an enraged tiger, he huffed and puffed. All the people around him, had to step back in case he lost his sanity along with his composure.

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