The forest was no longer silent.
After the encounter with the shadow, something had shifted—within me, and around me. The trees still loomed like watchful sentinels, but now they whispered. Leaves rustled in a wind I couldn't feel. Branches creaked with unseen weight.
I didn't know if it was real or if the darkness had simply bled into my mind.
The ancient tree behind me pulsed faintly with magic. I glanced at the bark one last time before turning away. Whatever had happened here wasn't over… but I wasn't ready for it yet.
I tightened the sword at my waist—a simple steel blade, dulled from travel but still mine. I wasn't like the sorcerers in stories, born with arcane fire in their blood. I had trained with a blade since I could walk, the way all royal sons did. But magic? That remained a closed door. The Seer had told me I'd find my strength, in time. But time felt like a luxury I didn't have.
I walked.
The fog settled in as I moved deeper through the woods. Pale tendrils curled around my boots and clung to the trees like ghosts. The path, if it had ever existed, was gone now.
And then I heard it.
A voice—faint, strained. A cry.
"Help!"
I froze, one hand drifting to the hilt of my sword.
The voice came again, sharper this time, echoing through the mist. "Somebody! Please!"
I narrowed my eyes. It could've been a trap. Bandits used tricks like this to lure out travelers. But something in the voice—there was real fear there.
I almost turned away. I wasn't a knight anymore. I wasn't strong. I didn't even know how to use magic like the people of this world likely could. If something happened… I wouldn't be able to protect anyone.
Then the Seer's words echoed in my mind.
"Your struggle is not just with the shadow. It is with yourself."
"If you falter, the world will not wait for you to decide who you are."
Damn her. I hated how her voice always found me at the worst moments.
I sighed through gritted teeth and drew my blade.
"Alright," I muttered, "just one good deed."
I followed the sound, moving faster now, boots crunching through underbrush and mud. The fog parted just enough for me to make out a figure ahead—surrounded by three large, canine-like creatures with spined backs and glowing red eyes. They were circling her like wolves.
The girl stood with her back to a tree, clutching a short wooden staff—not even enchanted by the looks of it. She swung it once or twice, clearly untrained.
I hesitated.
She looked older than me by a year at most—tall, with silver-blonde hair in a messy braid, and a sharp-boned face streaked with dirt. Her clothes were travel-worn but fine. Not peasant attire. A noble? A scholar?
And then she saw me. Her green eyes locked onto mine with a silent, desperate plea.
Gods damn it.
With a roar, I rushed forward and brought my blade down on the nearest beast. Its hide was tough—too tough for a wild animal—but my strike was clean. The creature snarled and recoiled, giving the girl a moment to scramble away from the tree.
The second beast lunged at me. I sidestepped and slashed, catching it along the flank. Not deep enough. Its claws raked across my arm—pain flared sharp and immediate.
I cursed and pivoted, bringing the sword around again. This time, it buried deep into the creature's shoulder. The beast collapsed with a gurgling cry.
The last one fled into the fog.
I stood there, panting, blood on my sleeve, sword trembling in my hand.
The girl stared at me, wide-eyed. "You… you're not from here."
I raised a brow. "And you are?"
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she looked down at the corpse of the beast, then back at me.
"That swordsmanship… were you trained in the capital?"
I hesitated. "Something like that."
She blinked, then straightened, brushing hair from her face. "I'm Lira of Eldhallow. I was traveling to Vaelmere for study when I got separated from my escort."
Of course. A noble scholar.
Figures.
I slid my sword back into its sheath. "That was a dumb idea."
She scowled. "Excuse me?"
"Wandering into a cursed forest without protection. Brilliant move, princess."
"I'm not a princess."
"Could've fooled me."
She looked like she wanted to say something sharp in return but bit it back. "Regardless… thank you. You saved my life."
I waved her off. "Don't mention it. Seriously."
She frowned at me. "What's your name?"
I hesitated again.
"…Alaric."
Her brows lifted. "Just Alaric?"
"Is that a problem?"
"No. Just… people in Eldhallow tend to carry family names."
"I don't," I said flatly.
She didn't push further.
The silence stretched awkwardly between us.
I turned away. "There's a village a day's walk from here. If you can keep up, I'll get you there."
She paused. "You'd escort me?"
I regretted saying it already. But the Seer's words still clung to me like thorns.
"If I leave you here, something else will eat you. And I'd rather not have that on my conscience."
"…Charming," she muttered.
We started walking.
The journey was slow. Lira limped slightly, favoring one ankle. I offered to carry her once. She refused. Of course.
She kept glancing at my sword, curiosity in her gaze.
"You're not from Eldhallow," she said eventually.
I didn't respond.
"You don't speak like a local."
I kept walking.
"You said your name is Alaric. There was once a king named Alaric in the Old Wars, wasn't there?"
I stopped.
She nearly bumped into me.
I turned to face her, eyes narrowed. "Are you always this talkative?"
She blinked. "I just—never mind."
We walked in silence after that.
That night, we made camp beneath the gnarled roots of a fallen tree. I built a small fire, careful not to let the smoke rise too high.
Lira sat opposite me, hugging her knees.
I stared into the flames, thinking of the shadow. Of the way it had shown me my failures. My fears. My father.
"What happened to your arm?" she asked softly.
I looked down at the dried blood on my sleeve. "Nothing serious."
"Still. You should let me bandage it."
I raised a brow. "You know how?"
She shrugged. "I studied herbcraft. Not all of us have swords to swing."
There was a bite in her words, but she crossed over anyway, kneeling beside me with a strip of cloth and a flask of some pungent salve.
I let her work in silence.
"You don't trust me," she said after a while.
"Nope."
"Fair enough."
She finished wrapping my arm and sat back. "But you did save me. That counts for something."
I didn't answer.
The fire crackled between us. Somewhere in the woods, a bird called once and fell silent.
I watched Lira, her face lit in the firelight, shadows dancing in her eyes.
I had no idea who she really was. No idea if I could trust her.
But something told me our paths weren't going to diverge anytime soon.
And for better or worse… I wasn't alone anymore.
Just as I began to relax, a low rumble shook the earth beneath us.
Lira froze. "Did you feel that?"
Before I could answer, a pulse of deep, ancient magic rippled through the air—like a heartbeat from the earth itself.
The fire flickered wildly.
Then, from beyond the trees, a voice boomed—
"He has awakened."
To be continued in Chapter 6...