Far from the wastelands, within the cold halls of the Obsidian Keep, the king's advisors gathered in hushed council.
Torches flickered against the black stone walls, casting long, twisting shadows. At the head of the chamber sat King Aldros, his crown heavy with both gold and the weight of prophecy.
Before him, a messenger knelt, his voice trembling as he delivered the words that had spread like wildfire across the border villages.
"The cursed child lives… and his power has awakened."
The council erupted in murmurs. Some scoffed. Others paled. But all eyes eventually turned to the man standing silently in the shadows near the throne.
General Kaelith, commander of the Shadow Legion.
His armor was black as midnight, his cloak flowing like smoke. His eyes burned with the cold fire of unwavering loyalty. When the king's hand lifted, silence fell.
"Speak," King Aldros commanded.
Kaelith stepped forward, his voice steady and precise. "The hunters failed. Fear has spread. The villagers whisper of silver light and shattered steel. If this is true, then the child's power is no longer dormant."
"And if the prophecy is real?" an advisor asked, his voice shaking.
Kaelith's gaze hardened. "Then every moment he draws breath is a threat to the throne."
The king's jaw tightened. He had lived with that prophecy for over a decade — a prophecy that spoke of a star-born child who would rise from ruin and bring the fall of his bloodline. He had ordered the child cast away into the wasteland. Yet still, fate had slipped through his fingers.
"Do you doubt my command from that night?" the king asked quietly.
Kaelith bowed his head. "Never, my king. But fate has proven stubborn. This… cursed child must be erased before his power grows beyond our reach."
The king's hand clenched the armrest of his throne. Finally, he gave a sharp nod. "Then go. Take the Shadow Legion. Hunt him down. Leave no trace of him behind."
The order fell heavy in the chamber. Advisors shifted nervously, none daring to oppose it.
Kaelith straightened, his presence like a blade unsheathed. "As you command."
He turned and strode from the hall, his footsteps echoing with purpose. In the courtyard below, the Shadow Legion awaited. They were not ordinary soldiers — each was chosen for loyalty, skill, and ruthlessness. Cloaked in black, their armor bore no crest, for their existence was a secret kept even from most of the kingdom.
Kaelith addressed them with few words. "Our king has spoken. The cursed star child must be eliminated. Failure is not an option."
The soldiers raised their fists silently in acknowledgment.
As the gates opened, the Shadow Legion rode out into the night, their presence like a storm rolling toward the wasteland. Villages would tremble at their passing. Whispers would spread of men who moved like shadows, who killed without hesitation, who obeyed no law but the king's.
And in the wasteland, Kael — still reeling from the fight with the hunters — had no idea that the true danger was finally coming for him.
High above, the stars burned bright, uncaring. But to those who knew the prophecy, each star seemed like an omen, a reminder that destiny was no longer waiting quietly.
It had begun to move.