Prologue:Part 4 – Flight into the Dark

The world was burning.

The crackle of fire and the screams of the dying still echoed behind Kael as he stumbled into the forest, clutching his sister, Lyra, against his chest. Each step was torture, but he dared not slow. Smoke clung to his skin, the stench of blood followed him, and the growls of beasts never strayed far from his ears.

Lyra whimpered softly, burying her face against his shoulder. She was trembling, her small body fragile in his arms. Kael tightened his hold, whispering hoarsely, “Don’t worry, Lyra. I’ll protect you. I won’t let them take you.”

But even as the words left his lips, doubt gnawed at him. He was only a boy, barely strong enough to carry her, let alone fight. The forest was no sanctuary—it was darker than the night sky, filled with whispers and the hiss of unseen creatures. Branches clawed at his arms like the hands of the dead, and roots threatened to drag him down.

The growls grew louder. Something moved in the shadows, circling them. Kael’s heart pounded so hard it hurt. He could feel them—waiting, herding him deeper where moonlight could no longer reach.

“Kael…” Lyra’s weak voice broke through the suffocating silence. “They’re everywhere.”

“I know.” His throat was dry. “Hold on to me.”

A growl snapped to their left, followed by another to their right. They were being surrounded. Kael froze, clutching Lyra so tightly she whimpered again. His mind screamed to run, but his legs felt nailed to the earth.

Then a sound cut through the darkness.

A whistle.

Sharp. Commanding.

The forest fell silent. Even the beasts obeyed, their snarls dying to low rumbles.

From the shadows ahead, a figure emerged. Tall, broad-shouldered, armored in black that gleamed faintly crimson under the pale moonlight. His steps were slow, deliberate, like a predator savoring the fear of his prey.

Kael’s stomach twisted. His breath caught in his throat. He knew that face.

“Veylan…”

The man who had once fought beside his father. Who had shared meals in their home. Who had sworn to protect the village. Now, his eyes glowed a cruel red, and his smile was carved from mockery and venom.

“You run well, boy,” Veylan said, his voice smooth, too calm for the nightmare around them. “Just like your father. But you’ll break, as he did.”

Kael’s chest tightened. He wanted to scream, to charge at the traitor, to demand answers. But Lyra’s trembling against him anchored his rage. He couldn’t risk her—not here, not now.

Veylan tilted his head, studying him like a hawk would a rabbit. “The beasts want to tear you apart, but I won’t allow it. Not yet. The world has plans for you, Kael. You will crawl in the dark, just as I once did. And when you rise, you will curse every breath you take.”

The beasts shifted restlessly, eager to devour, but none moved without his command.

Kael’s voice cracked, raw with grief and fury. “Why? You fought beside him. You swore—”

Veylan’s cruel smile deepened. “Oaths mean nothing. Power is all. One day, you’ll understand.”

Another sharp whistle left his lips, and the monsters retreated into the trees like shadows dissolving into the night. Then Veylan himself faded into the darkness, leaving only silence and the stench of death behind.

Kael stood trembling, the betrayal cutting deeper than any blade. His father’s friend, the man they trusted most, had destroyed everything. His fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms. His body shook—not from fear this time, but from rage.

Lyra tugged weakly at his torn shirt. Her voice was small, fragile. “Kael… I’m scared.”

He swallowed hard, forcing his body to move, forcing himself to breathe. He could not give in. Not here. Not now.

“I know,” he whispered, pressing his forehead gently against hers. “But I’ll protect you. I swear it. No matter what.”

And so, with his heart burning hotter than the flames behind him, Kael carried his sister deeper into the cursed woods—away from home, away from everything they had ever known.

But he carried something else too.

A vow carved in blood and fire.

One day, he would rise.

And when he did, the world would remember the night it betrayed him.

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