Night was slowly falling over the forest.
The sky above the trees glowed with the last orange light of the setting sun. The wind moved gently through the branches, and the sound of a distant river could be heard flowing quietly through the valley.
It should have been peaceful.
But the forest was not peaceful tonight.
Footsteps crashed through the bushes.
A young woman ran desperately between the trees, her breathing uneven and panicked. Her once elegant dress was torn by branches, and mud stained the hem of her clothes.
She did not stop.
She could not stop.
Behind her, rough voices echoed through the forest.
"Don't let her get away!"
"Spread out! She can't run far!"
The girl's heart pounded in her chest.
Princess Mirza Aurelia Valemont had never run like this in her life.
Inside the royal palace of Holyda Kingdom, her life had been filled with servants, guards, and golden halls.
But tonight...
She was alone.
And hunted.
Mirza glanced back over her shoulder.
Seven men were chasing her.
They wore rough armor and carried swords and axes like common bandits.
But Mirza knew the truth.
These men were not ordinary bandits.
They had been sent.
And she knew exactly who had sent them.
Duke Cassius Dorian Valemont.
The most powerful man in the kingdom.
The man who controlled the ministers.
The man who had slowly taken control of the army.
The man who wanted the throne.
Mirza's breathing became heavier.
"If I die..." she whispered to herself.
"...the kingdom will fall."
Because as long as she lived, the Duke could not fully claim power.
If she married a prince from another kingdom, Holyda would gain allies.
That was why the Duke wanted her dead before that could happen.
One of the men behind her shouted.
"There! She's heading toward the river!"
Another laughed cruelly.
"She's exhausted. This will be easy."
Mirza pushed herself harder.
Her legs burned with pain.
Her lungs felt like they were on fire.
But finally-
She burst through the trees.
And stopped.
In front of her was a wide river reflecting the fading colors of the sunset.
The water moved calmly across the rocks.
For a moment, Mirza felt relief.
But it lasted only a second.
Because behind her...
The footsteps stopped too.
She turned slowly.
The seven men stepped out of the forest.
Their leader, a tall man with a scar across his cheek, smiled coldly.
"Well, well," he said.
"The little princess finally ran out of places to hide."
Mirza's eyes widened.
"You... know who I am?"
The man laughed.
"Of course we do."
He lifted his sword casually.
"We were paid very well to find you."
Mirza slowly stepped backward.
The river was behind her.
There was nowhere left to run.
One of the men pointed toward a small wooden house not far from the riverbank.
"Hey boss, look."
"There's a house there."
Mirza followed his gaze.
A small cabin stood near the edge of the river.
Smoke rose faintly from its chimney.
Someone lived there.
Hope appeared in her heart for a brief moment.
If she ran there... maybe someone could help her.
But the hope disappeared just as quickly.
Mirza shook her head quietly.
"No..."
She whispered to herself.
"I can't."
If she brought danger to that house...
Whoever lived there would die because of her.
Mirza clenched her hands.
"I won't drag another innocent person into this."
The scarred man sighed.
"Alright. Enough games."
He stepped forward.
"Grab her."
Two men started moving toward Mirza.
Her heart raced.
She had no weapon.
No strength left.
No way to fight.
She closed her eyes for a moment.
"Father..."
"I'm sorry."
Just as the men were about to reach her-
A voice spoke from behind them.
Calm.
Quiet.
But cold.
"Before you touch her."
The men froze.
"Answer one question."
All seven of them turned around.
A tall man stood near the path leading from the cabin.
His dark hair moved slightly in the evening wind.
His expression was emotionless.
And in his hand...
He held a black sword.
The blade was darker than the night itself.
The bandits stared at him.
The scarred leader frowned.
"Who the hell are you?"
The man ignored the question.
His eyes moved toward Mirza for only a second.
Then he looked back at the men.
"Tell me something."
His voice remained calm.
"What is that girl to you?"
The bandits looked confused.
Then one of them burst out laughing.
"Did you hear that?"
"He's asking questions!"
Another man grinned.
"Look at his sword."
"Seems like the a man wants to play hero."
The scarred leader smirked.
"Listen, stranger."
"This doesn't concern you."
He pointed his blade toward Mirza.
"She belongs to us tonight."
The man with the black sword sighed softly.
"I see."
He slowly stepped closer.
His movements were relaxed.
Almost lazy.
But something about him made the air feel heavier.
"Then I suppose..."
The black blade tilted slightly.
"...you won't mind if I interfere."
One of the bandits became angry.
"Boss, I'll handle this idiot."
The man rushed forward with his sword raised high.
Mirza gasped.
"Wait-!"
The attack never landed.
A flash of black steel moved through the air.
SHING.
For a moment...
No one understood what had happened.
Then the bandit screamed.
"AAAAAAAH!"
His sword fell from his hand as he collapsed to the ground.
Blood spread across the dirt.
His leg had been cleanly cut off below the knee.
The forest fell silent.
The other men stared in shock.
The man with the black sword stood in the same place.
His expression had not changed.
"I warned you," he said quietly.
"I don't want to kill anyone tonight."
He pointed the blade slightly toward them.
"So leave."
None of them moved.
Then the scarred leader's face twisted with rage.
"You bastard!"
"Everyone attack him!"
Six men charged at once.
Mirza covered her mouth in horror.
But the man did not move away.
Instead...
He stepped forward.
And the black blade began to move.
The sound of steel cutting through air echoed beside the river.
SLASH.
SLASH.
SLASH.
Screams filled the night.
One after another...
The bandits collapsed.
Each of them holding their severed legs.
The fight ended in less than ten seconds.
Six men lay on the ground screaming in pain.
The leader was the only one still standing.
His face had turned pale.
He stared at the man in disbelief.
"...What... are you?"
The man wiped the blood from his blade.
"I already told you."
"I don't want to kill anyone tonight."
He walked slowly toward the leader.
"Now answer my question."
His eyes turned cold.
"Why were you chasing that girl?"
The leader trembled.
He knew he had no chance against this monster.
"S-She..."
He swallowed nervously.
"Duke Valemont ordered it!"
The man stopped walking.
"Duke... Valemont?"
The bandit nodded quickly.
"H-He told us to kill her!"
"But we thought-"
He grinned nervously.
"-maybe we could sell her as a slave instead."
Silence filled the riverbank.
The wind moved through the trees again.
For a few seconds, the man said nothing.
Then he spoke quietly.
"I see."
The black blade moved one final time.
Seven heads fell to the ground.
The screams stopped.
The river continued flowing peacefully.
Mirza stood frozen.
Her entire body trembled.
The man turned away from the bodies as if nothing had happened.
He sheathed the black sword slowly.
Mirza stared at him in fear.
This man had just killed seven people in seconds.
Yet his face showed no emotion.
He walked toward her calmly.
Mirza instinctively stepped back.
But then something caught her attention.
A scar on his right hand.
A strange symbol burned into the skin.
Mirza's eyes widened.
She had seen that mark before.
In an old book inside the royal library.
Her mother used to read that story to her when she was a child.
The story of a legendary knight.
The knight who once protected the kingdom.
The knight known as-
The Shadow Knight.
Mirza looked up at the man in shock.
"Who... are you?"
The man answered without hesitation.
"Just someone who lives nearby."
He pointed toward the cabin.
"You shouldn't stay here."
"More people might come."
He turned around and began walking away.
"Follow me if you want to live."
Mirza stood there for a moment.
Still shaking.
Still confused.
But deep inside her heart...
A single thought appeared.
Did I just meet...
the Shadow Knight?
And if she was right...
Then the man walking ahead of her was not just anyone.
He was the legend who had once shaken the entire kingdom.
Rob Albrecht.
The knight who abandoned it.