Chương 31: Soraya the Chosen One

Leah was on her knees, her breathing ragged, her face and arms covered in dark purple bruises. She gripped her staff with trembling hands, yet her gaze remained stubborn.

"Aren't you overdoing it, Feli?" Xia asked, calmly leaning against a tree as she watched the scene. Leah slowly raised her head and got back to her feet, gritting her teeth.

"No…I can endure it. I can endure all of this". Felicity looked at her without mercy.

"You're slow and predictable. I don't think you're suited for the art of the sword".

"I am!" Leah shot back, her voice strained but resolute.

"Please…let's continue". Felicity sighed, then once again assumed her fighting stance. Inside an isolated wooden house, surrounded by endless stretches of snow and silence, a pregnant woman with silver hair and blue eyes placed two bowls of steaming soup on the table in front of her children. A short while later, the door opened and her husband entered, a tall, muscular man still covered in snow.

"I've stored the firewood in the cellar", he said as he approached.

"There's enough for the whole month". The woman smiled and kissed him on the lips. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Sit down. I made your favorite soup". The man obeyed, but as she handed him the bowl, her expression suddenly tensed. Her eyes widened.

"My love…are you alright?" the man asked. She did not answer. Instead, she spun around, opened the door and stepped out into the snow. Before her, emerging from the white expanse like a shadow, stood Xarath, wrapped in his black cloak with the hood pulled low over his face.

"Who is that man?" her husband asked from inside the house. Without taking her eyes off Xarath, the woman extended one hand behind her. An energy capsule instantly formed, enclosing her husband and their two children. Then she took a few steps forward and stopped, staring at Xarath with forced composure.

"Don't you trust strangers?" he asked.

"Not strangers with magical power like yours", she replied.

"They usually don't have good intentions, though I always hope to be wrong". Xarath slowly lowered his hood.

"You're not wrong". He examined her carefully.

"I sensed an astonishing amount of magical power in this area. It belongs to you. Impressive. Even when you try to conceal it, it remains remarkable".

"What do you want from me and my family?" she asked.

"If this is about the war, I already gave my answer to the Seer Aelira. I have no intention of taking part".

"It's not that", Xarath said calmly.

"I'm here to absorb your magical particles". The mage's eyes widened.

"What? Why?" Xarath did not answer immediately. She studied him more closely and then her expression changed.

"Ah…I see. You want to accumulate magical particles to grow stronger and stronger so that you can break those limiters. Am I right?" A faint smile appeared on Xarath's lips.

"You're very perceptive". He continued studying her, then frowned.

"Now that I look at you more carefully…I've seen you somewhere before. You wouldn't happen to be Soraya the Chosen One, would you?"

"I am". Xarath slightly tilted his head.

"Then killing you will be more difficult than I expected. But considering that you're no longer at your peak, I believe I can defeat you". Soraya lowered her gaze to her swollen belly and gently caressed it with a trembling hand. Then she raised her head again and assumed a defensive stance.