Chapter 1: Emptiness...
All three were already inside Strom's forge.
The atmosphere was wrong.
Usually, the forge was never truly quiet.
There was always Wraith talking, annoying someone, moving things around, or simply existing somewhere nearby.
Now there was nothing.
Strom stood near the center of the forge, desperately trying to break the seal on his pendant.
Magic didn't work.
Brute force didn't work.
At this point, he didn't care how the seal broke.
It just had to break.
Across the forge, Sam was studying the broken spear of the other Strom, trying to locate the place it came from so he could open a portal.
But he needed accurate information.
A proper magical signature or something he could trace.
And for some reason, his hands were shaking.
Sam (in his mind): "Why does it feel like my body is here... but someone stole my soul?"
Without Wraith, everything felt empty.
Even when she wasn't talking, her existence was enough.
Sam and Wraith spent most of their time together.
They talked, cooked, ran around, annoyed each other, and somehow turned ordinary days into something worth remembering.
Now it felt like someone had taken a huge piece of Sam's life and simply walked away with it.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the forge...
Bang.
The sound echoed through the room.
Bang.
Again.
Bang.
Strom had already tried everything he could think of to break the seal with magic.
Nothing.
So now he was attacking the pendant's frame instead.
Hammers.
Metal rods.
Blades.
Knives.
Maces.
Nothing worked.
The frame barely showed any damage.
Strom stared at it.
His breathing grew heavier.
He wrapped the pendant chain around his hand and held the gem in front of him.
Then he started punching the frame.
Again.
Again.
And again.
This wasn't about breaking the seal anymore.
It was desperation.
Astrid rushed toward him and grabbed his arm.
Astrid: "Strom, stop!"
Strom pulled away and threw the pendant toward the wall with all his strength.
CRASH!
The wall cracked and the pendant fell to the ground.
The frame remained intact.
Strom: "That thing just doesn't break!"
Astrid: "You can't just punch it! It's a magical spell. You have to find another way."
Strom: "I've tried everything... but nothing is working."
Astrid stepped closer.
Astrid: "If you keep hurting yourself, then how are you going to save her?"
Strom didn't answer.
Astrid took a breath and softened her voice.
Astrid: "Calm down. Think like who you are, not what you've become."
She turned to leave, intending to find something to treat his hands.
Then Strom spoke.
Strom: "I can feel her fading away..."
Astrid stopped then slowly turned back.
Strom: "It feels like I'm losing her."
Astrid: "Listen. We can't lose hope. We'll find Wraith, we'll find that freaking wizard, and we'll get Dravyss back. Okay?"
She paused.
Astrid: "and don't cry."
Strom immediately looked away.
Strom: "I'm not crying!"
Astrid: "Ah, yes. Rainwater in your eyes."
Strom: "Shut up."
Across the forge, Sam was still working.
Sam (quietly): "Seven different types of metal... and two of them aren't even from this place. What is this?"
He had already attempted to open the portal several times.
Nothing.
Sometimes sparks appeared before fading away.
Sometimes the magic didn't respond at all.
Sam (clenched his hands): "Please be safe, Wraith... Please."
He examined the spear again and noticed something.
The magical steel wasn't simply enchanted.
Its enchantment pattern was different.
Foreign.
Something he had never seen before.
Sam: "This isn't a usual enchantment."
He studied the pattern again.
This time, he understood what he was looking at.
A realm signature.
A trace of the place the spear came from.
Sam didn't waste another second.
He followed the pattern, adjusted the spell, and began chanting.
The air in the forge shifted.
The sparks gathered.
The space in front of them twisted.
And finally...
A portal opened.
Everyone went silent because nobody knew where it would lead.
Sam turned toward the others.
Sam (calling out): "Let's go. I got a way in."
Astrid and Strom came over, both fully armed and ready.
Astrid: "You think you found that place?"
Sam: "I think I found that place."
Astrid: "Think means you aren't sure?"
Sam: "You can't measure the sea without diving into it."
Strom picked up the pendant and placed it around his neck then lifted his spear.
Then all three stepped inside of the portal and it closed the moment they crossed.
Chapter 2: The Fracture Realm
(Wraith POV)
Wraith woke up on the floor.
Not outside but inside of a castle.
It wasn't a dungeon or a prison either. It was just a massive hall.
She slowly opened her eyes and realized she was lying beside a throne.
Someone was sitting there.
From her position, she couldn't see his face. Only his armor and the way he sat.
Dark armor.
A black cape.
Strong shoulder plates.
Heavy boots.
One hand rested against the side of the throne while the other supported his jaw, as if he had been waiting for something.
Wraith slowly moved.
Very quietly like a cat.
She was planning to escape, but then...
She froze.
The moment she saw his face, everything inside her stopped.
It was exactly like Strom.
A single word escaped her mouth.
Wraith (shocked): "What?"
The person on the throne finally noticed her.
And strangely, he wasn't even angry.
Dark Strom: "Hello, beautiful."
Wraith stepped back in fear.
She couldn't believe what she was looking at.
Dark Strom: "Don't worry. I don't bite."
Wraith: "How is this even possi—"
Dark Strom (cutting her off): "You really thought you all got me? Come on, guys. Grow up."
He stood up from his throne and started walking toward her.
Slowly.
Dark Strom: "It was just a shadow... that you thought you could kill."
Wraith: "Why are you doing this? And why am I here?"
Dark Strom: "You'll get your answers later. You can take any room you want. They're all empty."
He walked past her toward the exit of the main hall.
Then, for some reason, he stopped.
Then turned back.
Dark Strom: "I miss my Wraith..."
His expression remained calm.
Dark Strom: "She used to talk so much."
Wraith felt uncomfortable just hearing him say that. Something about it felt wrong.
Still, she forced herself to ask another question.
Wraith: "What happened to her?"
Dark Strom: "I'm not going to tell you. Sorry. Just learn one thing... We don't talk about her again."
Then he left.
Wraith wasn't chained.
She wasn't locked inside.
She even knew where the exit was.
But she didn't leave.
She stayed.
In that hall...
___
Hours later...
Dark Strom returned.
His armor was covered with dried dirt and dust, along with a few scratches.
It didn't look like he had fought anyone.
It looked like he had been working on something outside.
He stopped when he noticed Wraith was still sitting on the floor.
Dark Strom: "There are more than twenty thrones to sit on, lady."
Wraith didn't reply and Dark Strom didn't say anything else either.
He simply picked up a crystal ball from one of the thrones.
Smoke slowly filled the crystal and faded.
Three people appeared inside.
Strom.
Astrid.
Sam.
Dark Strom: "Hmm."
Wraith saw them too.
Her friends were here.
They had come to save her.
A small smile appeared on her face.
Unfortunately Dark Strom noticed it immediately.
Dark Strom: "Don't be so happy, babe. This isn't going to go the way you're thinking."
Wraith: "What do you mean?"
Dark Strom: "They're all going to die here."
Wraith (confident): "Strom will kick your ass."
Dark Strom (smiled): "You know, my trick always works. I never miss."
Wraith: "What trick?"
Dark Strom: "I'm not doing this for the first time."
He walked toward the largest wall in the hall.
Then he pulled down a massive curtain.
Wraith froze, her eyes widened.
Dozens of broken armors stood behind it.
Some looked similar to Strom's armor.
Others were only vaguely familiar.
Broken weapons were displayed between them.
Strange marks covered their surfaces.
Dark stains covered parts of the armor and weapons.
Wraith couldn't speak.
Some of the armor looked disturbingly incomplete.
The weapons still carried traces of what had happened to their previous owners.
Wraith: "How is this even possible...?"
Dark Strom: "Because of you."
He turned toward her.
Dark Strom: "Taking you away from him is enough to complete half of my plan."
Wraith (disbelief): "No!"
Dark Strom: "I've killed countless versions of him."
He looked toward the crystal ball again.
Dark Strom: "And you think your Strom is special?"
Wraith: "You'll never succeed. He'll stop you."
Dark Strom: "He'll be another piece on that wall."
Wraith: "No! That's not true. He told me I matter to him."
Dark Strom: "Yes."
His answer came without hesitation.
Dark Strom: "And that's exactly why you're the reason."
Wraith went silent and shaking in fear.
Dark Strom: "He'll try to save you..."
Another smile appeared on his lips.
Dark Strom: "...and die for it."
Wraith: "He has survived worse. He won't give up."
Dark Strom: "Don't act like you don't know!... It was all about luck."
His eyes returned to Wraith.
Dark Strom: "But this time, he stepped into my traps."
Wraith looked at his armor again.
The scratches.
The dirt.
Suddenly, they made more sense.
He hadn't been fighting.
He had been preparing.
Wraith felt fear settling inside her.
She still believed in Strom.
But somewhere in the back of her mind, a doubt had begun to form.
Wraith: "How did your Wraith die?"
Dark Strom's expression changed.
Dark Strom (coldly): "I told you we don't talk about her."
Dark Strom: "And no means never."
Wraith: "What happened to your friends then? Who caused your loss?"
Dark Strom: "I don't want to make this castle silent again."
He turned away.
Dark Strom: "You'd better not ask me those questions."
He called his spear back.
It materialized in his hand instantly.
Wraith stepped back.
Her face turned pale.
Dark Strom: "He will die. That's for sure."
His voice was low and cold.
Dark Strom: "Don't make me do the same to you."
Then he left.
Wraith was alone in the castle again.
She swallowed hard before slowly taking a step toward the wall.
The wall decorated with broken and shattered armor along with weapons.
She reached toward one of the gauntlets.
Her hands were still shaking.
She touched it.
And felt something inside of the gauntlet... Almost like a human skin.
Wraith immediately pulled her hand back.
Now she understood.
The armor hadn't simply been taken away from a dead body.
It was something far worse.
Chapter 3: The Hunt...
Strom, Astrid, and Sam had already travelled a great distance from where the portal had sent them.
Miles of walking, and still no clue where Wraith was.
Eventually, they reached a massive open area.
At first, there was nothing particularly suspicious about it. Just a large stretch of broken ground.
Then they noticed the statues.
Broken statues of 'Strom' were scattered everywhere.
Strom looked around at the remains, his confusion slowly turning into disbelief.
Strom: "Who the hell is so obsessed with me... And why?"
None of the statues looked like they had been damaged by time. The destruction was too deliberate.
Some were headless. Others had broken weapons lying beside them, while several had shattered limbs.
Broken.
Not weathered. Not decayed.
But broken.
Sam looked around carefully.
Sam: "Aren't you feeling suspicious about this?"
Strom: "Someone might be trying to make statues of me and rage bait."
Astrid: "Strom, it's not funny. Someone here clearly doesn't like you."
Strom: "Must be that wizard."
They continued through the field, passing more and more statues until they found one that was completely untouched.
A perfectly standing statue of Strom.
Something had been written beneath it.
They moved closer.
"You are still alive because of your luck... But it always runs out..."
Strom stared at the message, his expression slowly changing from calm to anger before he turned back toward his team.
Strom: "Enough is enough. We can't find her like this."
Astrid: "What?"
Strom: "We need to split up and search in different directions."
Sam: "Your idea is good, but don't you thi—"
Astrid (cutting him off): "Yes, he's right. We can't let Wraith stay in danger for long."
Strom: "We'll meet here again after one hour."
And with that, all three walked away in three separate directions.
No one noticed the figure watching them from a distant cliff.
Dark Strom stood there silently, looking down at the three paths they had chosen.
A faint smile appeared beneath his helmet.
Dark Strom: "Made my game even easier... Very nice."
---
Sam found himself walking through a small forest where the trees carried orange, red, and yellow leaves.
It almost looked like autumn had somehow arrived in the middle of winter.
Sam moved quietly, his mind filled with unanswered questions and a quiet anger that refused to leave.
Sam: "I'm already hating this place, and my friends thought it was a great idea to come along... Wow."
A crisp sound came from somewhere nearby.
Leaves.
Then a stick snapped.
Sam stopped.
That sound hadn't come from him.
He stood completely still and listened.
Another crack.
Closer this time.
Sam slowly moved toward the sound, carefully placing each step to avoid making noise.
After a few moments, he reached the source.
A man stood in the clearing with his back toward him, clutching his head and groaning quietly.
His robe covered almost his entire body.
Sam took a cautious step forward.
Sam: "Hey! What happened?"
The man slowly turned.
Sam froze.
It was the same wizard who had kidnapped Wraith.
But he was different this time.
His skin was slowly turning purple, while his clothes began tearing apart as something changed beneath them.
His eyes had turned red, and small black spikes were beginning to grow around his face.
Sam stared at him for barely a second, then he ran.
He didn't wait to find out what was happening.
And after finally reaching a safer place, Sam leaned against a tree and caught his breath.
Sam: "The hell was that?"
---
Meanwhile, Dark Strom had already reached Astrid.
She was inspecting the remains of a ruined structure clearly unaware of someone behind her.
Dark Strom stood several steps away, studying her silently.
"Who is this woman?"
He had fought Stroms from countless worlds before Astrid ever entered his life.
This time was different.
He had never seen her before, and that's what made her interesting.
Dark Strom quietly tilted his head.
Dark Strom: "Ladies first, always..."
His spear suddenly flew through the air.
Astrid's reflexes were fast enough to dodge it.
She stepped aside as the dark spear struck the broken wall behind her, then turned back toward him.
Astrid: "Coward. Can't fight head-on?"
Dark Strom called his spear back into his hand.
Dark Strom: "Just checking your speed."
His entire body was covered in armor, and his voice was so heavy that Astrid could never have imagined there was a face like Strom's underneath it.
She tightened her grip around her blade and launched herself forward.
Dark Strom tried to dodge, but the impact still caught him.
He staggered.
Astrid followed with a kick to his helmet, then drove a solid punch into his ribs.
She stepped onto his boot, locking him in place, and landed an uppercut before grabbing his armor and throwing him away.
Astrid: "I'm here to find my friend. If you know where she is, just tell me before you die. Okay?"
Dark Strom punches the ground before he stands up then calls his spear back into his hand.
He charged forward.
Astrid charged too.
Dark Strom swung his spear in a wide arc, but Astrid blocked it.
She pushed the weapon away with her blade and grabbed the opening near his collar.
Then she pulled.
CRACK.
The metal tore apart like paper.
There was another layer underneath, but the first one was already ruined.
Dark Strom looked down at his damaged armor.
Dark Strom: "It's my favourite armor!"
Astrid: "Who cares?"
They exchanged several more blows.
During a brief exchange of words, Astrid lowered her guard for just a moment.
Dark Strom noticed the opening.
His fist struck her face.
Astrid staggered, and he followed by throwing her across the ground.
Before she could fully recover, he swung the shaft of his spear down against her helmet with everything he had.
The impact knocked her unconscious.
Dark Strom stood there, breathing heavily.
His armor was damaged, and the fight had clearly taken its cost on him.
He removed his helmet and wiped the blood from his lips.
Dark Strom: "I should have gone for the mage first..."
He looked back at Astrid.
Dark Strom: "This lady was stronger than I thought."
He had won the battle.
But now he wasn't the same person who had entered the fight.
---
Sam was still somewhere inside the same forest.
The strange wizard was gone.
Or at least, Sam couldn't see him anymore.
He looked around.
Sam: "Just fuck this place at this point."
Then he noticed an unknown warrior standing ahead.
His dark armor was already damaged, and he carried a spear almost larger than Sam himself.
Sam: "Please be friendly or fuck off."
The warrior kept walking toward him.
That answered the question.
Sam ignited his mana.
He wasn't fully prepared for a fight, but he wasn't going to offer himself as a free kill either.
Dark Strom moved first.
Sam immediately cast a barrier around himself.
The spear struck the barrier.
Sam pushed his hand forward, and two massive mana hands appeared, smashing into Dark Strom and throwing him against a tree trunk.
Sam: "Just go home, bro! I have some work to complete."
Dark Strom (stood up): "Shut up."
Sam stared at him in pure disbelief.
Sam: "God! Why?"
An icicle-shaped mana crystal shot toward Dark Strom and shattered against his armor.
He staggered badly.
Sam followed with another stun spell before throwing a flame spell at him.
The flames engulfed Dark Strom.
But he barely reacted.
It feels like he was immune to flames.
Dark Strom charged.
His eyes burned with rage, and violent dark energy gathered around his spear.
Sam teleported behind him and cast a lightning spell.
The spell wasn't fully charged, so it didn't do much damage.
But Sam didn't wait.
He stepped forward and punched Dark Strom directly in the face with all his strength.
THUD!!!
The helmet bent inward.
Its entire design was ruined.
Sam (furious): "Where is Wraith?"
Dark Strom didn't answer.
He instantly attacked Sam's leg.
Sam lost his balance.
A kick followed, then an uppercut that sent him crashing to the ground.
Sam tried to stand.
Dark Strom struck him again.
This time, Sam didn't get back up.
Dark Strom also dropped to the ground, surrounded by dried leaves that covered the forest floor like a rough mat.
For a moment, he simply rested there.
The fight surprised him again.
Dark Strom touched the dent in his helmet, feeling the damage with his fingers.
Dark Strom: "I don't remember this mage being this angry."
A flicker of fire caught his attention.
Sam's spells had already ignited parts of the forest, and the flames were spreading quickly.
Dark Strom stood and picked up his spear.
He looked down at Sam.
For a moment, he could have simply left him there.
Instead, he grabbed Sam by one foot and began dragging him away from the burning area.
Dark Strom: "I'm lowkey a good person... Maybe."
He disappeared deeper into the realm, dragging Sam away from the flames.
Sam was defeated.
But alive.
For Dark Strom, Strom remained the only true priority.
Everyone else was simply an obstacle standing between him and the final fight.
And now there was only one person left.
The person he had been desperately waiting for...
Strom.
The Dragon Knight was the next target.
Chapter 4: He Isn't a Prey...
Strom had already returned to the place where they had decided to meet after one hour.
And even after waiting, no one came.
No Astrid.
No Sam.
Eventually, he lost his patience.
Strom: "The hell happened to them... Why is no one coming?"
He decided to look for them. In the mission to find Wraith, he had somehow lost both Astrid and Sam.
He climbed onto a large rock and noticed something strange.
The nearby forest was burning, painting the sky black with smoke.
Strom: "101 percent Sam."
He decided to take a look. If Sam was there, then something important must have happened.
The path ahead was strangely silent. A massive stretch of open ground covered in sand and large broken rocks, almost like a battlefield waiting for a fight.
But for now, it was untouched.
Strom walked forward, keeping an eye on everything around him.
Suddenly, seven metal rods shot out of the ground, glowing blue.
Strom swung his spear in a wide arc.
CLANG!
All seven rods shattered before the spell could activate properly.
Strom looked down at the broken pieces.
Strom: "Sticks of doom?"
A voice suddenly came from behind.
Dark Strom: "Pretty fast!"
Strom turned back hearing that voice.
Strom: "You!"
Dark Strom: "Me?"
Strom (furious): "Where are my friends?"
Dark Strom: "They're alive."
Strom: "It's not what I asked."
Dark Strom: "But it's all you're getting."
Strom: "Just tell me where the hell is that freaking wizard and I'll let you live another day."
Dark Strom: "Master Malvek? And you really think you're going to defeat me?"
Strom: "Malvek, okay!"
No more talking anymore...
He charged forward.
Dark Strom charged too.
Their spears clashed at almost the exact same moment, both holding their weapons in the same position.
One counter was met with another.
Attacks weren't simply being dodged or blocked.
They were being answered in exactly the same way.
It was more like they were fighting in front of a mirror.
Slash.
Arc.
Swing.
Spin.
Thrust.
Everything was exactly the same.
It wasn't prediction anymore.
It was as if they were thinking about the same thing at the same time.
Both protected the same side. Both jumped at the same angle. Both even used the same skills.
Because it wasn't someone fighting someone else...
It was Strom vs. Strom.
Dark Strom somehow managed to land a hit against Strom's armor.
But Strom immediately found an opening and punched him hard enough to send him staggering backward.
Dark Strom touched his lips, clearly impressed despite himself.
Dark Strom: "You're literally nothing in front of me... But I'm still jealous of you for one thing."
Strom: "What?"
Dark Strom: "I'm jealous of why your Wraith is more beautiful than mine."
Strom: "Where is your Wraith?"
Dark Strom: "She died years ago, so we don't compare now."
Strom: "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
Strom didn't hesitate. He charged again, still visibly disturbed by what he had just heard.
Dark Strom moved forward at full speed, holding his spear with the blade angled behind him.
Strom immediately recognized the attack.
He knew Dark Strom was going to swing.
So Strom planted his own spear's blade into the ground directly in front of him.
The swing was stopped.
Strom immediately struck Dark Strom's helmet with his elbow.
Strom: "You just act strong, but in reality, you're nothing... Just weak."
"Weak" might have been a simple word to Strom.
But to the person who heard it...
It was far greater than an insult.
Dark Strom (cold): "I'm not weak!"
He immediately stood and swung his blade across.
The shaft struck Strom's ribs, making him stagger.
Dark Strom followed with a powerful uppercut that sent Strom crashing to the ground.
Dark Strom slowly walked forward, dragging the blade of his spear through the sand and leaving a straight line behind him.
Strom: "Still weak. Can't even make me bleed."
Dark Strom's eyes burned with rage.
He charged forward and launched a jumping strike.
The blade came down toward Strom, but Strom dodged and kicked him in the chest.
He immediately grabbed the dark spear and turned it against Dark Strom.
Dark Strom blocked the attack easily.
He even smiled.
Strom had literally tried to attack him with his own weapon.
Dark Strom: "You can't be serious, huh? My weapon will never hurt me."
But...
Strom was smiling too.
It wasn't a genuine smile.
It was the kind of smile that appeared when he already knew something his opponent didn't.
Strom: "I know your weapon won't. But mine will."
His spear came flying through the air and struck Dark Strom from behind.
The armor absorbed most of the force, but the impact still sent Dark Strom stumbling.
Dark Strom cried out in pain.
Strom grabbed him and threw him away.
Then he threw the dark spear after him.
The shaft struck Dark Strom's helmet, adding another blow to the damage he had already taken.
Strom: "My weapon will never hurt me? Bruh!"
Dark Strom slowly stood again, gritting his teeth.
The silent confidence in his eyes was gone.
It had been completely replaced by anger.
He charged at Strom and thrust his spear toward him.
Strom blocked it with his gauntlet, stepping backward from the force.
Dark Strom attacked again with the same technique.
Strom dodged it the same way.
But for some reason, Dark Strom didn't stop.
He kept attacking rapidly, forcing Strom backward again and again.
His attacks never stopped.
Not for a second.
Again.
Again.
Again.
And again.
Strom (thinking): "Why is he repeating the same combo more than twice?"
In an aggressive fight, repeating the same attacks again and again made them easy to counter.
But Dark Strom wasn't fighting logically anymore.
He was fighting to prove his ego right.
Strom had already read the pattern.
He simply waited for the right moment to do something.
Dark Strom's spear came down.
This time, Strom didn't block.
He moved aside to dodge it.
Then he launched himself upward by stepping on the dark spear and struck Dark Strom's helmet.
THUD!
The impact sent Dark Strom crashing away.
Even the thick metal helmet couldn't completely absorb the force.
A crack spread across it.
Before Dark Strom could recover, Strom struck the helmet again with the shaft of the dark spear.
The helmet broke apart.
Dark Strom's armor was heavily damaged, and the impact had left him shaken.
And Strom had done it while holding his weapon.
Not his weapon.
Dark Strom: "This can't be happening... I can't lose."
Strom: "Everything is possible... You can't win every time."
Dark Strom: "I can't lose to someone LIKE YOU."
Strom: "You talk like there's a difference between us?"
Dark Strom: "Yes, there is."
He pointed toward himself.
Dark Strom: "I'm special."
Strom's expression changed.
He genuinely didn't understand what the hell Dark Strom was talking about.
And he clearly didn't want to hear anything else from that guy.
Strom grabbed Dark Strom and threw him against the large rock.
Dark Strom hit the stone really hard that crimson came out from his mouth.
He struggled to move again.
Strom dropped the dark spear and called his own back into his hand.
Then he walked toward the fallen warrior.
It was time to finish the final work.
Dark Strom (low): "I've killed you countless times..."
Strom: "And you still lose?"
Dark Strom: "How?... How?"
Strom: "You might have fought Stroms who fight to save Wraith... But not me."
Dark Strom (confused): "What?"
Strom: "I have more work to do. I want Wraith back. I want Sam back. I want Astrid back... And someone else too."
He planted his spear into the sand, its shaft resting beside Dark Strom's head.
Strom: "I have more people to love. That's why I don't give up."
Dark Strom: "The power of love isn't real."
Strom: "Yes, you're right. But it's not the power of love... It's the responsibility you have toward those who believe in you."
Strom pulled his spear back and raised it toward Dark Strom's chest.
But before the spear could come down, something massive struck him from the side.
Strom was thrown away like a ragdoll.
He rolled across the ground several times before finally stopping.
He slowly stood again holding his back.
Strom: "Son of a bitch! Who attacked from behind?"
He looked around.
But there was no one...
Dark Strom was still lying on the ground, barely able to move, while the wind swept across the battlefield.
Then who?
Strom suddenly realized that the ground beneath him was covered by a massive shadow.
It wasn't from the night because the sun was still setting.
Strom swallowed hard before looking behind him.
And there it was.
A massive purple dragon with burning flame-like eyes and spikes covering its face.
Strom: "FUCCCCCK!!!"
He ran with everything he had.
The dragon chased him, and Strom wasn't even thinking about fighting anymore.
He was just running.
The open ground suddenly felt tiny for him.
There was nowhere to hide from the danger chasing him.
Strom glanced back and saw Dark Strom slowly trying to stand again.
He might have been running for his life, but...
Strom (shouting): "FUCK YOU FOR CALLING A DRAGON FOR ME, BITCH! MINE IS STILL LOCKED."
Violet flames burned the sand behind Strom, turning parts of it into molten glass.
His lungs were giving up, heart reaching uncontrollably.
Then he finally saw somewhere to hide.
A cave.
Not far ahead was a massive cave entrance.
It might not have been the best option, but it was definitely worth trying.
Strom ran toward it.
The cave was getting closer.
Then...
Something came out of the cave.
And it was enough to stop Strom completely still.
He froze with eyes widened in terror because, he couldn't believe in what he was seeing...
Chapter 5: No Way of Escaping
The thing that came out of the cave was another dragon...
The black dragon.
And Strom just couldn't believe it because he knew that dragon. Because...
It was the Dark Wizard.
Darkius.
Strom: "How is this even possib—"
Darkius (cutting him off): "You really thought those small hands could have killed me?"
Strom looked down at his own hands. They were clearly bigger than any average human's, but...
The black dragon wasn't talking about the present.
He was talking about the past.
The past, Strom thought he had been buried eight years ago.
Before Strom could say anything else, the purple dragon's tail swept into him and threw him across the rocks.
Darkius: "Easy. I want to enjoy his death."
Malvek: "Can't we just kill him already?"
Darkius: "I waited a very long time for this moment. I'll enjoy every second of it."
Strom stood again, dusting the sand from his damaged armor.
Darkius (mocking): "I'll protect everyone because I won't let anyone feel what I went through... Really, Strom? Still stuck in that ten-year-old child's mindset?"
Malvek: "Such a fool."
The blue spear struck the jaw of the purple dragon.
CLANG!!!
Strom: "Shut up!"
Another tail sweep hit him, this time from the black dragon.
Darkius: "I'm just tired of this pest... Very stubborn."
Malvek: "You should teach him some manners, then."
But when their eyes moved back toward Strom, someone else was already there.
The half-dead warrior.
The one who had faced defeat for the first time in his life.
Dark Strom.
Somehow, he had made it this far despite his injuries. His first move was grabbing Strom by the throat.
Strom immediately grabbed him back.
Even exhausted, his grip was far stronger than him.
Dark Strom struggled, still trying to prove that his pride hadn't been broken into pieces.
Darkius yanked Strom backward, his claw locking tightly around him.
Malvek: "Go back!"
Dark Strom: "But I can kill him!"
Malvek: "We saw what you can do. Now go back."
Dark Strom (stubborn): "No."
Malvek (coldly): "It's not a request."
Dark Strom wanted to kill Strom with his own hands, but this time, the others had a bigger plan.
He had been ordered to leave, defeated with his revenge incomplete.
Dark Strom: "Now she'll pay for that."
Strom understood immediately.
He was talking about Wraith.
Strom: "Don't you dare to touch her."
Darkius tightened his grip around Strom before throwing him toward the ground. Strom rolled away just before another strike could reach him.
By the time he looked up, Dark Strom had already left.
Now Strom was alone.
Alone with two massive dragons thirsty for his blood.
Darkius: "You really care for them and still dare to exist near them?"
Strom: "What?"
Darkius: "Did you forget what happened to your parents?"
Strom went silent.
His heart skipped a beat when those memories crawled back.
For the first time in years, he felt alone... again.
Like he was back in the cave that night.
Tears formed in his eyes, and his grip on the spear loosened.
When his voice finally came out, it sounded like something was breaking inside him.
Strom: "Why me! What was my fault?"
Darkius: "You were..."
He paused.
Not because he hesitated or felt guilty but...
He was simply searching for a better word.
But unfortunately, he couldn't find one.
Darkius: "Ah... You were just useful for me. That's all."
Strom: "That's all?"
Darkius: "So what do you think you are? What's so special about you that I should care?"
Malvek launched Strom into the air and sent him crashing against a giant stone.
His armor absorbed most of the impact, but the force still hurt badly.
Darkius: "I believed Dravyss would never harm an innocent child, and that's where you became useful for me."
Strom pushed himself back up.
It was getting worse.
Strom: "So all that love, guidance, familiarity... Everything just to see if I could survive that gem?"
Darkius: "Yes. Absolutely. Just imagine if I raised you and Dravyss simply killed you. That would've been a big waste of my five years."
Strom: "Five years... That's all you saw?"
Darkius: "What else was there to see? It was just a gamble."
Strom fell silent.
His entire childhood was being translated by the one who had built it.
And now Darkius was casually telling him that all of it had been nothing more than a gamble.
Malvek: "Ah, you two are very boring."
He picked up a large rock and threw it straight at Strom.
THUD!!!
The rock shattered against him.
Strom fell to the ground, holding his side. This time, the impact was just too much.
Strom: "Worse day of my life so far."
Malvek: "We know."
Strom: "Motherfuckers, you both are the reason behind this."
Darkius: "Language, motherless child."
Something snapped inside Strom.
Even with his body failing him, he somehow forced himself back onto his feet.
Malvek's tail swept toward him again.
This time, Strom saw it coming.
He called his spear back, dodged the strike, and landed a hit with everything he had left.
The blade penetrates everything and serves off a part of his tail, not big but enough to make Malvek roar in pain.
Strom didn't stop.
He threw his spear toward the crystal in Darkius's chest.
His aim missed by inches otherwise he could have shattered the black dragon's crystal.
But even with almost nothing left to survive on, Strom wasn't giving up.
He grabbed the biggest pebble he could find and threw it high into the sky.
Darkius: "That was your last mistake."
Strom: "It wasn't even a mistake..."
Both dragons stared at him.
Neither understood what he was doing.
Strom: "Have you ever seen burned geckos?"
Malvek: "What?"
Strom cast a mana barrier around himself.
A moment later, a blazing meteor came crashing down with full speed like some devine force.
BOOM!!!
For a second, the entire battlefield disappeared beneath flames.
The meteor had done its job.
When the smoke finally cleared, Strom's mana barrier had disappeared.
But he was still standing.
Both dragons had been caught in the blast, smoke rising from their flamed scales.
Strom: "Just look at each other now, burned geckos!"
A fireball came straight toward him and knocked him away, scorching his armour.
Darkius: "I'm done with him."
Malvek's claw dragged Strom back toward them.
Then came another strike.
Flames.
Punches.
Stomps.
Shockwaves.
And the strongest attack of all...
Mocking.
Darkius: "What happened, Strom? Without her, you're very silent."
Malvek: "Looks like we finally found the real Strom. The weak human behind that armor."
Strom (breathing heavily): "You both talk too much. My ears are hurting now."
A tail sweep answered him.
It slammed him against the rock wall.
Strom dropped to his knees, one hand supporting him so he wouldn't fall.
There was no strength left to fight any longer.
His vision blurred, two dragons became four in his eyes.
His breathing grew heavier as his body finally began to give out.
And his pendant?
Still refused to help him...
Chapter 6: The One Who Remembers
The dragons could have easily killed him, but they chose to make him suffer even more.
They weren't attacking him anymore because they knew Strom was already dying slowly.
They decided to put salt on his fresh wounds.
Darkius (mocking): "What happened, Strom? Missing your dragon mother?"
Malvek: "Poor kid can't even break that seal. Need help?"
Darkius: "Just break the frame, Strom... if you can."
Malvek: "Break the frame, then see how your dragon forgets everything... even you."
Breaking the frame might erase everything inside her mind. Every memory could disappear.
Strom had to decide whether he should stay inside her memories or erase himself from them so she could finally be free.
Strom grabbed his pendant and tried to crush the frame, but his grip wasn't strong enough.
Darkius (watching): "Is he really trying to break the seal?"
Malvek: "She'll forget you for sure."
They might have thought Strom had finally lost his mind.
But his decision was based on logic.
Dravyss was still a dragon. A powerful, aggressive creature with hot blood.
If she woke up knowing nothing, she wouldn't necessarily attack the human barely noticeable beside her. She would see two dragons matching her size as the greater threats.
Strom remembered every attempt he had made to break the frame.
Even at full strength, he couldn't break it.
So how could he do it now?
His spear was lying right beside him.
He remembered that he might have tried everything...
Except that.
He could still use the power of the gem through his spear.
His eyes widened slightly when he realized it.
Strom dropped the pendant and gripped his spear with everything he had left.
Strom: "I might die here, but still..."
He raised his spear toward the pendant.
Strom: "Anyways, fuck you for throwing that rock at me."
His spear came down. And...
BOOM!!!
A blast erupted as the frame finally broke, filling the area with the burst of blinding light.
Dravyss finally arrived.
It didn't feel like Strom had freed her from the gem.
It felt like the gem had simply failed to hold her inside anymore.
She stood there silently.
Her eyes were sharp.
There was no warmth on her face, no emotion in her eyes.
When she stepped onto the ground, both dragons froze for a moment.
They were clearly shocked.
Malvek (low as whisper): "Should we attack her?"
Darkius: "No. Please. That's not a good life decision."
Malvek: "Then what should we do?"
Darkius: "Take Strom away from her. We'll kill him somewhere else."
Malvek nodded.
He began moving slowly, avoiding any direct eye contact with Dravyss.
Challenging her wasn't going to work.
The chance of winning was nearly negative.
Strom saw the danger approaching, but he didn't know whether his guardian was going to help him or not.
She was simply staring at them without even blinking.
And if Malvek reached him, Strom wouldn't see tomorrow.
Strom (quietly): "Just let me be with her... for the last time."
Even that was risky.
What if Dravyss attacked him?
What if she no longer remembered him?
With what little strength remained, Strom somehow managed to reach her and stood beside her wing.
The only safe place he knew.
Meanwhile, Malvek had reached a reasonably close distance.
He wasn't taking any chances.
Then suddenly...
Dravyss leapt at him, her claws ready.
Dravyss: "Stay away from my son!"
Malvek was thrown back as Dravyss's claw struck him.
Darkius immediately joined the fight.
He pushed Dravyss with tremendous force, slamming her into a rock wall.
They thought that somehow, fighting together, they might actually defeat her.
A heavy tail swept toward Dravyss.
She dodged.
Then grabbed Darkius by the head and slammed him against the wall.
Cracks spread through the stone from the impact.
Malvek tried to unleash flames, but Dravyss shut his mouth with one hand, stopping the attack before it could fully form.
Darkius saw an opening.
Dravyss was busy absolutely destroying Malvek and...
Strom was alone.
If he was going to die, then why not complete the task he had wanted to accomplish?
Darkius rushed toward him at full speed, claws glowing with dark energy and flames leaking from his mouth.
But Strom stood there without fear in his eyes.
His hands were behind his back and chest was forward.
Even with death coming toward him, he didn't move an inch.
When Darkius's claws finally came down, Strom's pendant created a powerful barrier around him, stopping the attack for several seconds.
That was enough.
Dravyss threw Darkius away from Strom.
When the barrier finally faded, she turned toward Strom and gently touched his head.
Dravyss: "My sweet little boy."
She immediately returned to the fight.
Strom finally smiled.
After everything he had survived, this was the best moment he had experienced all day.
Her knuckles were rough enough to shattered bones from impact.
Malvek cast a barrier around Dravyss, locking her in place for several seconds.
But still with that time they didn't attack Strom.
Instead both dragons flew away.
They knew they couldn't kill Strom when Dravyss was around.
So escaping wasn't an option here... It was necessary for survival.
Dravyss: "I won't let this happen."
She launched herself into the air, breaking through the barrier as her wings cut through the sky.
The dragons looked back.
Death was chasing them.
They had tried to take something from Dravyss that she just can't allow.
Malvek was injured, making him slower.
That became his downfall.
Dravyss caught his tail and threw him toward Darkius.
Both dragons lost their balance and crashed into the ground.
Dravyss landed hard and locked her claws around their necks, her grip powerful enough to make even the stone beneath them tremble.
Darkius: "Let us go, Dravyss!"
Dravyss: "Let you go? After what you did to my child?"
Malvek (confused): "Why does she love him so desperately?"
Darkius: "That thing isn't worth your time, Dravyss. Wake up."
Dravyss: "You dare to say this after everything you did to him."
Darkius: "I just wanted a fresh body only for my experim—"
CRACK!!!
He didn't even get to finish the sentence... before Dravyss finished him
Malvek (terrified): "Y... You k... killed him?"
Dravyss (coldly): "And now it's your turn."
Chapter 7: Seventh Time This Year...
Dark Strom was desperately searching for the blue demoness.
He thought she must still be somewhere inside the castle, but...
Wraith had already left.
And she wasn't going towards Strom.
She was going away from him.
In her mind, one thought kept returning.
If one villain could use her as Strom's weakness, then what if someone else, someone stronger, did the same?
What if Strom tried to save her and died because of it?
She couldn't take that risk.
So she made the decision herself that she had to leave.
____
Meanwhile, back on the battlefield...
Strom was lying on the ground, one hand still holding his pendant.
Somehow, he had survived everything.
And now Dravyss was finally free.
Just then, Sam and Astrid found him.
They were both injured but still able to walk. Astrid held the side of her head, still feeling the effects of the strike that had knocked her down.
Sam, somehow, was already fine.
Sam (genuinely asking): "Strom, you alive?"
Strom: "Maybe?"
Before they could say anything else, Dravyss arrived and landed softly on the sand.
Astrid didn't waste a second. She rushed towards her and hugged her claw tightly.
Astrid: "Aunt Dravyss, you know Strom was crying without you."
Strom: "Minus twelve aura."
They didn't get to celebrate it, He suddenly remembered that Wraith was still missing.
And Dark Strom had gone after her.
In all the chaos, he had almost forgotten.
Strom: "No. We still haven't found Wraith. We have to find her."
Sam: "We didn't even get a proper chance to find her. That evil twin of yours got us."
Strom: "Don't worry. He won't be able to harm anyone now. At least, for now."
He pushed himself up, forcing his exhausted body to stand again.
Strom: "Same plan. Split in all directions."
Dravyss wanted to help Strom since he could barely walk properly, but that would make their search less efficient.
If two of them went in the same direction, they would lose coverage.
They needed to cover as much distance as possible.
Astrid went north.
Dravyss went west.
Sam went east.
And Strom went south.
Meanwhile, Dark Strom had also left the castle.
He went in the direction he thought Wraith would take if she wanted to reach Strom.
But he didn't know the truth.
She wasn't trying to reach Strom.
She was trying to get as far away from him as possible...
Strom wasn't walking straight anymore.
His steps were already unbalanced, and even taking a single step forward drained what little strength he had left.
His eyes kept closing for several seconds at a time, making it difficult to notice anything around him.
He called for Wraith.
Again.
Again.
And again.
But no one replied.
After walking for some time, he finally saw someone sitting near a river.
He couldn't clearly recognize who it was. His vision was already too blurred.
From where he stood, he could only make out a blue figure sitting beside the water.
Strom (quietly): "Am I hallucinating?"
He started walking towards her.
He couldn't believe that he had actually found her.
Strom: "Wraith?"
She heard his voice and immediately tried to run.
But in the process, she slipped into the quietly flowing river.
Strom didn't hesitate.
He dived in before she could get back out.
Strom: "I finally found you."
Wraith pushed him back, tears already forming in her eyes.
Wraith: "No... please."
Strom (confused): "What happened?"
Wraith: "We shouldn't be together."
Strom: "The hell are you talking about?"
He couldn't understand any of it.
He had just survived hell itself, and now Wraith was telling him they couldn't be together.
Wraith: "Strom, please go. We can't be together anymore."
Strom: "But why? At least tell me."
Wraith: "You'll get killed if you stay with me. You always take risks for me."
Strom: "It's okay. Just chill."
Wraith: "No. You aren't understanding. I'm cursed. I'm an omen for you."
Strom: "No, you are not an omen. You're my Wraith."
She started crying.
Wraith: "I'm useless, Strom! I can't even cook for you. Please go."
Strom gently grabbed her hands.
Strom: "Then I'll cook. Okay."
Wraith: "If I get fat then?"
Strom: "Then join my morning walk."
Wraith: "I can't sleep without holding someone."
Strom: "I'll adjust."
Wraith: "I'm scared of thunderstorms."
Strom: "I'll be there."
Wraith: "But I'm a demon."
Strom: "It... still doesn't change a single thing for me."
She finally wrapped her arms around him.
After everything they had been through, after all the reasons she had given him, Strom still refused to let any of them change his mind.
Wraith: "I love you, Strom!"
Strom: "Me too, Wraith."
The river kept flowing around them.
The water was gently cold, and the wind was peaceful.
For a moment, everything was quiet.
As if nature itself was simply watching them.
Then someone spoke from behind them.
Sam: "Wow. Frogs in the river. Anyways, you guys want to go home?"
Strom: "Sam! What are you doing here?"
Sam: "Nothing. Just watching two emotional frogs drowning here."
Wraith: "And how long have you been here?"
Sam: "Since the eternal 'we shouldn't be together' speech. I've heard that seventh time this year."
Strom: "Romance destroyer final boss."
Sam: "Thank you!"
Strom and Wraith climbed out of the river and started walking with Sam.
Finally...
It was time to go home.
But far behind them, someone stood watching.
Dark Strom: "This won't end like this..."