The flames of Kaelthorne Manor still painted the night sky red. Smoke twisted upward, a cruel reminder of everything that had been taken.
Adrian did not look back.
Serenya clung to his arm, her small frame trembling as they stumbled down the dark forest path. Each step felt heavier than the last, but stopping meant death.
The empire wouldn't leave survivors.
"Brother…" Serenya's voice cracked, soft but desperate. "Where… where do we go now?"
Adrian tightened his grip on her hand. His body still felt strange—like something had broken inside him and been replaced with something darker. His mind pulsed with whispers of nothingness, the same void that had swallowed the soldiers moments ago.
"…Away from here," Adrian said firmly. His voice was calm, but his eyes burned. "We can't stay in Valmyria. Not now."
The woods stretched on endlessly, shadows crawling between the trees. Every crack of a branch made Serenya flinch. Every gust of wind felt like an enemy approaching.
Adrian, however, walked in silence. He could feel them—search parties moving through the city ruins, torchlight spreading like veins of fire. Soldiers would sweep the forests soon. They always did.
And when they came… he was ready.
By midnight, the siblings reached a small clearing. A ruined stone shrine sat at its center, half-buried in vines.
"Rest here," Adrian said, guiding Serenya toward the broken altar. She collapsed against the cold stone, too exhausted to protest.
Her eyes flickered to him, wide and worried. "…Brother… earlier, when the soldiers came… that black light—what was it?"
Adrian froze. His hand clenched at his side. The memory surged back—the moment when despair became fury, when his scream had turned the world to ash.
"I don't know," he admitted, sitting beside her. "But it saved us. That's all that matters right now."
Serenya hugged her knees, tears glistening. "…Will it hurt you?"
Adrian looked at his palm. Darkness shimmered faintly, like smoke curling in the air before fading. Something inside him shifted—dangerous, alien, yet obedient to his will.
"No," he whispered. "It won't hurt me. It will hurt them."
The night didn't stay quiet.
By dawn, the sound of boots crunched against fallen leaves. Voices shouted orders. The empire's soldiers had found their trail.
Adrian stood. His thin frame seemed fragile against the approaching torches, but his black eyes were calm—too calm for someone his age.
"Stay behind me, Serenya."
The girl gripped his sleeve, heart racing. "Brother—"
"I said stay." His voice was sharp, commanding, unlike the gentle brother she knew.
The soldiers emerged from the trees—five of them, armored in Valmyrian steel, red crests gleaming on their shoulders.
"Target sighted!" one barked. "By order of House Draemont, seize the Kaelthorne heirs! Kill the boy if he resists!"
Their blades gleamed. Serenya gasped, fear flooding her.
But Adrian? He only raised his hand.
The whispers inside him roared, begging to be unleashed. The torches flickered. The air itself seemed to bend.
"…Disappear."
A ripple of darkness spread outward. The soldiers froze—eyes wide, voices caught in their throats. Their blades turned dull, their strength crumbled, and one by one they collapsed into the dirt as if their very will had been erased.
When the last torch fell, only silence remained.
Serenya stared at her brother, horrified and awed all at once.
"Adrian…" she whispered.
He turned to her slowly, the shadows still fading from his fingers. His face was unreadable.
"Remember this," he said coldly. "The empire took everything from us. From this day on, we take everything back."
The Decoy Knight
The night sky was heavy with smoke, as if the flames of Ardentis had followed them beyond the city walls. Adrian, Serenya, and Varin trudged through the dirt path leading north, their steps hurried, breaths uneven. Every flicker of torchlight in the distance made Adrian's heart tighten.
"Keep moving," Varin whispered, hand on the hilt of his sword. His weathered face was lit by moonlight, sharp lines carved from years of service. "The border checkpoint is ahead. If we slip through, you'll have a chance."
Adrian glanced at his sister. Serenya's small hand clutched his sleeve tightly. She tried to be brave, but her trembling betrayed her. He squeezed her hand gently. "We're almost safe," he said, though he didn't fully believe it.
As they reached the stone archway of the border, the sound of boots and steel rang out. Dozens of soldiers blocked the road, their armor gleaming. Banners of Valmyria snapped in the night wind.
Adrian froze.
The captain's voice cut through the air:
"Search every traveler! By order of the Emperor, no one leaves without inspection!"
And then Adrian saw it—the sketches. In the soldiers' hands were parchments bearing his face… and Serenya's. His throat went dry.
Serenya gasped. "Brother, they—"
Varin's hand tightened on his sword. His hazel eyes flicked to Adrian. A heavy silence hung before he finally spoke, voice low but steady.
"They're after you. I'll draw them away."
Adrian's eyes widened. "No—you'll die!"
Varin gave him a faint, almost fatherly smile. "I swore to serve House Kaelthorne, not the Empire. Your father is gone, but you remain. Guard your sister, Adrian. Guard her with everything you are."
Before Adrian could argue, Varin stepped forward into the torchlight.
"There! Kaelthorne!" one of the soldiers shouted.
The captain sneered. "So, the traitor knight shows his face."
Varin drew his blade, steel flashing. "If it's me you want, then come take me!"
With that, he charged—not toward escape, but directly into the soldiers. The clash of steel rang out as the guards roared and gave chase. Shouts and the sound of pursuit faded into the night, leaving Adrian and Serenya hidden in the shadows.
"Varin…" Serenya whispered, tears forming in her eyes.
Adrian clenched his fists. His chest burned, guilt clawing at him. But he knew Varin's sacrifice bought them a chance. He pulled Serenya's hand. "We have to move. Now."
They slipped past the chaos and pressed deeper into the night.
But safety didn't last long.
Not far from the border, a patrol cut across their path—five soldiers, blades drawn. The men's faces twisted with greed.
"Look what we have here," one sneered. "The Kaelthorne whelp and his brat sister."
Serenya gasped and clung to Adrian. The soldiers advanced, grinning like wolves closing in.
Something inside Adrian snapped. His fear melted into rage. His vision blurred, and the world bent around him.
The void stirred.
Shadows thickened at his feet, curling up his arms like living smoke. The air grew cold, silence swallowing the night.
One soldier lunged. Adrian didn't move—yet the man's sword dulled mid-swing, the steel losing its edge as if it had forgotten its own sharpness.
Another shouted, charging forward, but his steps faltered, courage draining from his body. He collapsed to his knees, trembling in terror.
The remaining soldiers froze, eyes wide. "Wh-what is this?!"
Adrian's voice came low, unnatural, carrying weight that wasn't human.
"Stay away from my sister."
The void surged outward. In an instant, the soldiers' strength was gone—their blades useless, their wills shattered. One by one, they dropped their weapons, retreating in panic, fleeing into the night.
Silence returned. Only the rustling of leaves and Serenya's uneven breathing remained.
Adrian stood trembling, the shadows fading from his body. His hands shook. He didn't fully understand what he had done, only that something inside him had awakened again—something terrifying, something powerful.
"Brother…" Serenya whispered, looking up at him with wide eyes. "What… what are you?"
Adrian swallowed hard. His chest felt heavy, but he forced himself to kneel before her, placing his hands gently on her shoulders.
"I don't know yet," he admitted. "But I swear this—I'll protect you. No matter what it takes."
Serenya's eyes filled with tears, but she nodded, believing him.
The night wind blew over them, carrying the faint echo of battle far behind—the sound of Varin's struggle, swallowed by the distance.
Adrian tightened his grip on Serenya's hand. The path ahead was uncertain, but there was no turning back.
"Come," he said softly. "This is just the beginning."
And with that, the siblings stepped into the darkness, the void lingering in Adrian's heart.