The three mercenaries in front of the shed did not move for a long second. They had seen men survive fires before, but they had never seen a man walk out of a collapsing building while radiating a heat that made the surrounding flames look like flickering candles. The gold light in Kaiden's eyes wasn't just a color. It was a physical pressure that made the air between them tremble.
The lead mercenary, a scarred man with a heavy iron mace, spat on the ground.
He said, "I don't care what kind of trick that is. He's one man. Kill him and get to the wagon."
Kaiden didn't answer. He didn't feel like talking. Inside his mind, the voice of Solaris was a deafening roar of laughter. The King of Pride was enjoying the terror on the mercenaries' faces.
Solaris said, "Look at them, Kaiden. They think numbers matter. They think iron and leather can stop the sun. Show them how wrong they are. Strike. Don't think. Just burn."
Kaiden felt the ring on his finger tighten. It wasn't a comfortable warmth. it was a searing, biting heat that felt like it was melting his bone. Every heartbeat pushed a wave of raw power through his veins, but he could feel his own Spirit Energy being sucked into the ring like water into a desert. He knew he didn't have much time. If he didn't end this quickly, the ring would consume him before he ever reached the wagon.
The man with the mace lunged. He was an Adept-rank fighter, and his movement was fast. He swung the mace in a horizontal arc designed to shatter Kaiden's ribs.
Kaiden didn't use Void Breath. He didn't need to. He stepped inside the swing, his hand moving faster than the eye could follow. He grabbed the mercenary's wrist.
The man screamed. It wasn't a scream of pain from a broken bone. It was the sound of a man being branded. Where Kaiden's fingers touched the man's skin, steam rose. The leather bracer curled and blackened instantly.
Solaris shouted, "Radiance! Let it out!"
A surge of golden fire erupted from Kaiden's palm. It wasn't a slow burn; it was a focused blast of solar heat. The mercenary was thrown backward, his chest plate glowing red-hot. He hit the ground and didn't move. The smell of burnt ozone filled the air.
The other two mercenaries hesitated. Their bravado vanished. They looked at their fallen comrade, then back at Kaiden.
Kaiden said, "Move. Or stay there and die."
His voice sounded different. It had a resonance to it, a double tone that suggested someone else was speaking alongside him. One of the mercenaries dropped his sword and ran toward the woods. The other, younger and perhaps more foolish, tried to draw a crossbow.
Kaiden didn't give him the chance. He blurred forward. With the ring active, his speed had doubled, but it felt heavy, like he was moving through thick oil. He punched the young man in the stomach. The force didn't just knock the wind out of him; it sent him flying ten feet into a stone wall.
Solaris said, "Weak. Truly weak. Why do you hold back? You could have turned his heart to ash. You are too soft, boy."
Kaiden ignored the King. He turned his gaze toward the road. The transport wagon was a dark speck in the distance, moving fast toward the western pass. Voss was getting away.
Kaiden started to run. Each step sent a jolt of pain through his legs. The power of the ring was like a drug—it gave him strength, but it was demanding a price. He could feel his vision blurring at the edges. His Spirit Core was screaming. He had spent seven years living as a simple man, and his body wasn't ready for this level of output.
He left the burning village behind. He ran through the tall grass of the valley, following the deep ruts left by the wagon's wheels. The sun was beginning to set, but for Kaiden, the world was still bright. The gold aura around him lit the path like a torch.
Solaris laughed in his head.
The King said, "You're struggling. Your soul is thin, Kaiden. Like a thread trying to hold back a mountain. Is this all the Silent Shadow has left? A few sparks and a lot of wheezing?"
Kaiden thought, Shut up. I'm doing this my way.
Solaris said, "Your way got your village burned. Your way let them take your girl. My way is the only way that matters now. Let me take the reins. Give me control for just one minute, and I'll put you right next to that wagon."
Kaiden grit his teeth.
Kaiden said, "Never."
He knew the danger. If he let the King take over, he might get his family back, but he didn't know what would be left of his own mind. He had seen what happened to men who became vessels for ancient spirits. They became shells, ghosts haunting their own bodies.
He pushed harder. He reached the forest road where the trees leaned in, casting long, jagged shadows. Up ahead, he saw the glow of torches. Two riders had stayed behind to guard the rear. They were mounted on heavy warhorses and wore the same navy leather as the men in the village.
One of the riders yelled, "Contact! It's him! He's actually following us!"
They didn't wait for him to reach them. They spurred their horses into a gallop, leveling long lances tipped with steel. In the narrow road, there was nowhere for Kaiden to dodge.
Solaris said, "Aura. Now. Stop being a victim and be a King."
Kaiden didn't have a choice. He planted his feet and focused every drop of his remaining Spirit Energy into the ring. He didn't try to strike. He tried to project.
A golden dome of shimmering heat erupted around him.
The Pride Aura.
It wasn't a physical wall, but as the horses reached the edge of the light, they panicked. They were beasts of war, trained to face spears and fire, but they were not trained to face the presence of a Sovereign. They reared up, neighing in terror. One rider was thrown into the dirt. The other struggled to keep his mount under control.
Kaiden didn't waste the moment. He leaped. He caught the mounted rider by the boot and pulled him down. As the man hit the ground, Kaiden took the reins of the horse.
The animal shivered under him. It could sense the heat radiating from his skin.
Kaiden said, "Easy. We both want the same thing. Move."
He didn't need a whip. The horse took off like a shot, driven by a combination of fear and the raw energy Kaiden was leaking. He galloped down the road, the wind whipping his hair. The silver streaks at his temples seemed to shine brighter in the gold light.
The wagon was closer now. He could hear the heavy thud of the transport horses and the shouting of the drivers. Voss was standing on the back platform, looking calm. He was holding a small device, a Spirit-compass that was spinning wildly.
Voss said, "Stop the wagon! He's here! And he's brought the sun with him."
The transport lurched to a halt. Six mercenaries jumped from the sides, forming a defensive line. They were better equipped than the ones in the village—Tempered-rank fighters with shields that shimmered with blue protective energy.
Kaiden slid off the horse while it was still moving. He hit the ground in a roll and came up standing. He was fifty feet away from the wagon. He could see Elena's face through the small barred window in the back. Her eyes were wide. She was trying to scream something, but the gag was still in place.
Voss stepped down from the platform. He didn't look afraid. He looked like a man watching a very interesting experiment.
Voss said, "So, it was the ring. I suspected as much. You found it in the house, didn't you? Or did the old man give it to you before he died?"
Kaiden took a step forward. The ground beneath his boot hissed as the grass turned to ash.
Kaiden said, "Let them out, Voss. This is your last warning. I don't care about your employer. I don't care about the ring. I just want my family."
Voss adjusted his glasses. The blue light around his fingers grew brighter.
Voss said, "The problem, Kaiden, is that your family is currently the only reason you haven't turned this entire road into a crater. You're holding back. I can see it. You're fighting the King inside that ring just as much as you're fighting me."
Voss raised his hand.
Voss said, "Let's see how much you can hold back when I divide your heart. Seven-Three Division: Kinetic Force!"
A blast of invisible energy slammed into the road in front of Kaiden. It wasn't a single wave; it was a fragmented attack. 70% of the force hit the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust and rock, while the remaining 30% hit Kaiden's chest like a sledgehammer.
Kaiden stumbled. He used Void Breath to nullify the next pulse of energy, but the cooldown was getting longer. The ring was interfering with his natural Core.
Solaris roared, "He's mocking us! A little man in a suit is throwing pebbles at a King! Burn him! Burn everything!"
Kaiden felt his control slipping. The gold light around him flared, turning from a soft glow into a blinding pillar. The heat was so intense that the mercenaries with shields had to step back.
Voss blinked, his eyes watering behind his glasses.
Voss said, "Now that... that is what I was looking for. The true output of a King-class artifact."
Kaiden lunged. He wasn't thinking about tactics anymore. He was a force of nature. He smashed through the mercenary line like they were made of paper. Shields shattered. Armor melted. He reached the wagon and grabbed the heavy iron lock on the back door.
The metal liquefied under his touch.
He tore the door off its hinges and tossed it aside. Inside, Elena and Aria were huddled together. Aria was crying, her small hands clutching her mother's tunic. Elena looked at Kaiden, and for a second, she didn't look relieved. She looked terrified. She didn't recognize the man standing in front of her.
Kaiden said, "I've got you. I'm here."
He reached out to touch Aria, but he stopped. His hand was still glowing. He could see the heat waves shimmering off his skin. If he touched her, he would burn her.
The realization hit him like a physical blow. The power that was saving them was also the thing that kept him from holding them.
Solaris whispered, "See? You are not a father anymore, Kaiden. You are a weapon. Accept it."
Voss's voice came from behind him, cold and sharp.
Voss said, "A touching moment. Truly. But you forgot one thing, Silent Shadow. I don't need to beat you. I just need to finish the job."
Kaiden turned around. Voss wasn't looking at him. He was looking at a small crystal he held in his hand. The crystal was glowing with a sickly purple light.
Voss said, "The ring is only half the secret. The other half is the blood that wakes it."
Voss crushed the crystal.
A sudden, violent tremor shook the earth. The shadows beneath the trees began to stretch and twist, pulling away from the ground. They didn't just move; they rose. They formed into tall, faceless figures with long, spindly limbs.
Hollow Men.
Kaiden felt the ring go cold. The gold light flickered. Solaris went silent, his presence retreating deep into the metal.
Solaris whispered, "No. Not them. Not yet."
The Hollow Men moved with a jerky, unnatural rhythm. They didn't breathe. They didn't make a sound. There were dozens of them emerging from the dark woods.
Voss stepped back toward a second, smaller carriage that had appeared from the shadows.
Voss said, "You fought well, Kaiden. But you are playing a game you don't understand. Keep the ring. It will be your coffin. We have what we really came for."
Voss snapped his fingers.
Two Hollow Men moved with impossible speed. They didn't go for Kaiden. They went for the wagon. Before Kaiden could react, they grabbed Aria. One of the creatures placed a hand over her mouth, and her small shadow—the Shadow Grip she had been born with—was suddenly sucked into the creature's palm.
Aria's eyes went dull. She stopped struggling.
Kaiden screamed, "No!"
He tried to use the ring, but it was dead. The presence of the Hollow Men had suppressed Solaris entirely. He lunged for his daughter, but a wall of purple energy slammed into him, throwing him back against the ruined wagon.
Voss climbed into the carriage.
Voss said, "We'll be in Valerion by morning. If you survive the night, feel free to follow. But I should warn you... the girl's core is very hungry. I don't think there will be much of her left by the time you arrive."
The carriage vanished into a swirl of shadows. The Hollow Men followed, disappearing back into the trees as if they had never been there.
The road went silent. The only sound was the crackling of the burning wagon and the heavy, ragged breathing of Kaiden Valcrest.
He sat in the dirt, his hand trembling. The ring was black again, cold and silent. Elena crawled out of the wagon, her hands still tied, her face covered in soot. She looked at the empty space where their daughter had been.
Elena said, "Kaiden... what did you do?"
Kaiden didn't look at her. He couldn't. He looked at his hand. He looked at the ring. He had used the power of a king, and he had still lost.
Solaris spoke then, his voice a low, bitter growl.
Solaris said, "They had a Nullifier. A piece of the First Age. You were too slow, Kaiden. You were too human."
Kaiden closed his fist until his knuckles turned white. The guilt he had carried for seven years was nothing compared to the weight he felt now.
Kaiden said, "I'm going to kill him."
He stood up. He didn't look like a hero. He didn't look like a king. He looked like a man who had finally stopped trying to be good. He walked over to Elena and used a shard of broken glass to cut her ropes.
Elena said, "We have to go to the guards. We have to find help."
Kaiden looked toward the horizon, toward the lights of the distant capital.
Kaiden said, "No guards. No help. They have Aria. They have a kingdom. I have a ring."
He looked at the black band on his finger.
Kaiden said, "Solaris. Are you still there?"
Solaris laughed, but this time it wasn't arrogant. It was hungry.
Solaris said, "I am here, little shadow. Are you ready to stop being afraid?"
Kaiden said, "Tell me how to break the next seal."
The road was dark, the village was gone, and his daughter was in the hands of a monster. Kaiden Valcrest started walking. He didn't know how many kings he would have to wake, or how much of his soul he would have to burn, but he knew one thing.
The Silent Shadow was dead. And something much worse was coming for Valerion.