Kaldros moved quietly through the forest, searching for roots and herbs his mother needed.
It was calm, almost serene, until a scream pierced the air. A desperate, chilling cry. He froze, heart racing, then dashed toward the sound, branches slapping his face. The cries grew louder. When he burst through the trees, anger surged in him.
There was Anya. She was pinned to the ground by a soldier, his weight crushing her wrists. The soldier sneered, his intentions clear and cruel. Nearby, three others laughed, taunting her. Kaldros felt something snap inside him. He roared, a primal sound, not human.
His body transformed. Long claws shot from his hands, sharp and deadly, each one as long as a man's arm. His skin cracked, glowing red, heat radiating from him. His eyes glowed scarlet, and the air vibrated with tension. The soldiers barely had time to react. Kaldros lunged, slicing through the first man. A scream erupted, drowned by the horrific sound of flesh tearing.
The second soldier charged with a sword, but Kaldros's claws cut through him like paper, leaving only a broken body behind. The third soldier tried to flee, but Kaldros was quicker, ripping him apart in a brutal strike that sprayed blood everywhere.
The last soldier, still on top of Anya, stumbled back, terror etched on his face. But he didn't escape. Kaldros's claws dug into his chest, ripping him apart, staining the ground red.
Then came silence. Only Kaldros's heavy breathing broke it. His claws dripped with blood, his body still shaking from rage. The glowing cracks in his skin dimmed, like embers fading.
Anya scrambled back against a tree, fear in her eyes. She had seen cruelty before, but nothing like this. "Kaldros…" she whispered, voice trembling.
He turned to her, his monstrous figure looming, eyes still aflame. For a moment, he seemed not to recognize her. Her breath caught, her body tense with fear.
But then his claws shrank back to hands, trembling, human hands. His eyes dimmed, the red cracks fading, leaving him just a bloody mess.
Kaldros fell to his knees, anguish on his face. Anya stared at him, shocked. This was the same man who had once picked fruit for her at the market. Now, he looked like a nightmare. Yet he had saved her. That truth twisted with her fear, leaving her trembling, unsure whether to run or reach out to him.
***
The market was as crowded as ever, the air thick with the smell of roasted meat, ripe fruit, and the sharp bite of spices.
Anya slipped between stalls, her basket clutched tight to her chest. When her eyes caught Kaldros in the crowd, her heart jolted.
Since the forest, she hadn't been able to erase the image of him, the red burn of his eyes, the claws tearing men apart like paper. He had saved her, yes, but the memory of his monstrous form haunted her dreams. And now, seeing him again in the open daylight, her pulse raced with fear.
She ducked into a narrow lane of spice sellers, hoping the press of people would hide her. But he followed, careful, measured, unwilling to lose her.
"Anya," he called softly.
She kept walking.
"Please," he said again, his voice low, almost pleading.
At last she stopped near an old stone wall, where a scrap of shade cut the heat. She lowered herself onto the low step, set her basket beside her, and exhaled a trembling breath. Kaldros approached slowly and crouched at the edge of the step, leaving a respectful space between them.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Finally, Anya broke the silence. "Why do you keep following me?" Her voice trembled.
Kaldros met her gaze, guilt and longing shadowing his eyes. "Because I can't stop thinking about you."
Her fingers twisted in the hem of her dress. "You don't understand," she whispered. "You don't know what my life is. Please, stop thinking about me. Or I'll go to the city chief. I'll tell him how you killed those soldiers."
"Then tell me," he said gently. "Help me understand."
Her eyes brimmed but she didn't look away. Something in his tone, so steady, so sincere, chipped through the wall she had built.
"What do you want me to say?" she burst out, her voice rising with pain.
"Who is that man? Why does he treat you like an animal? I saw what he did to you the other day. I haven't slept since. I feel guilty for not stepping in when you needed me most," Kaldros said, shame dragging his head down.
Anya stayed silent, tears streaking her cheeks. At last she sighed, shuddering, and began.
"I am his property. His name is Darius. My uncle. We loved him, cared for him, fed him, sheltered him…" Her words broke; she swallowed hard.
"His fortune began to rise when Lord Ashrik—"
"Lord Ashrik?" Kaldros cut in sharply, eyes wide. "The slave tycoon? The most wanted criminal in Aurelia?"
"Yes. He offered my uncle a deal. My uncle began kidnapping women and children, selling them to Lord Ashrik for a fortune. My parents hated it. My father wanted to report him to the officials, but my mother begged him not to.
"My father fell sick. My uncle promised to pay for his treatment. He brought a medicine he said came from the best physician in the Kingdom of Fenroth, said it cost a fortune. My mother begged him for it, desperate to save my father. My uncle agreed, but only if I would serve him until the debt was paid. She accepted, thinking when my father recovered he could repay my uncle."
Her voice cracked. "But that night, my father died after taking the medicine. My uncle claimed me ever since."
Kaldros's fists tightened. "How long?"
"Five years."
He stared at her, stunned. Five years of servitude. Five years of pain.
"And now my brother Phelon has gone to Fenroth," she said quietly. "He joined their army, hoping to earn enough to pay my uncle and set me free."
Her words hung heavy in the air.
"What if we report this to His Majesty, the King?" Kaldros asked at last, forcing his voice soft. "We tell him your uncle works for Ashrik. The king would have him arrested. You'd be free."
Her tears slowed, but fear clouded her face.
"My mother tried. She told the local commander. He warned my uncle instead. My uncle doubled the debt."
Kaldros's voice hardened, yet held warmth. "Then I'll find a way to save you, Anya. I love you. I won't leave you alone in this. Trust me."
For a time, silence.
Then Anya spoke. "Tell me what happened in the forest. When you saved me. You… changed. I've never seen anything like it."
Kaldros hesitated. "I still don't know what it is. I've lived with it for a long time. It's normal to me now."
"Don't you think you're in danger? If the authorities find out, they'll hunt you."
"I've thought of that," Kaldros said quietly. "But before I'm hunted, I'll find out the truth about who I really am."
For the first time, she saw the genuiness of his love in his eyes.