The sun hung lazily in the sky, its rays filtering through the open window of Keal's room.
He lay on his bed, one leg dangling off, the other bent at the knee, tapping rhythmically to a song only he knew.
His eyes were wide open, filled with mischief and boredom.
His mouth twisted into a smile, as he rolled over dramatically.
"Goooooood morning, my beautiful gothic mother!" he called out, raising his voice as if he were on a stage.
From the hallway, Nylessa's voice echoed back, a mix of surprise and amusement.
"You're impossible, Keal!"
He leapt out of bed with theatrical flair, pointing to the ceiling as if declaring war.
"No one can stop Keal Veyr today! Not even gravity!"
He ran out of his room, barefoot and chaotic.
Nylessa stood in the kitchen, dressed in her usual elegant dark robes, brushing her silver hair to the side.
Keal immediately slid across the floor like a dramatic prince and dropped to one knee.
"My lady, your beauty stuns me every morning. If only the sun could learn from your glow…"
She laughed, setting a plate of food on the table. "Eat your breakfast, clown."
He sat down with exaggerated sadness. "Even jesters must dine, I suppose."
After chewing a piece of bread thoughtfully, he glanced over at her.
"Hey, Nylessa. Yesterday I was… you know. A little quiet."
"You were more than quiet," she said, not looking up from her tea.
He twirled a piece of egg on his fork. "Wanna know why I'm cheerful again?"
"I'm curious, yes," she said, raising an eyebrow.
Keal puffed his chest. "Because I decided to forgive those kids. If I didn't, I'd drown in hate, and I don't want that. I'm Keal, not some revenge villain."
Nylessa nodded slowly, impressed by his sudden maturity. "That's… quite noble of you."
He winked. "Also, I'm too handsome to be angry all the time. Wrinkles, you know?"
With breakfast done, he slipped on his boots and flung the door open like a heroic adventurer.
"I shall now walk the kingdom—by which I mean, the yard!"
"Don't trip over the dog again," Nylessa warned.
He saluted with two fingers. "Tripping is for the ungraceful. I, Keal Veyr, am elegance incarn—"
YIP!
THUMP!
His foot had indeed landed on the wagging tail of a sleeping dog.
The creature yelped, Keal stumbled, and gravity had its vengeance.
He face-planted into the grass with a loud groan.
From inside, Nylessa called out. "Told you!"
Keal lifted his face from the dirt, spitting out a blade of grass. "I blame fate."
Standing up, he dusted off his clothes and shook his fist at the sky. "Why, sky?! Why are you always watching me trip?"
The dog barked once as if mocking him.
Keal stuck out his tongue. "Traitor."
He stomped off into the woods nearby, muttering about betrayal and tail-related accidents.
The trees welcomed him with rustling leaves and cool shade.
Birds chirped above, and the forest floor crunched softly under his boots.
He wandered aimlessly, hands behind his head, kicking at stray pebbles and imagining them as tiny goblins.
Then, a sound.
A scream.
A high-pitched, terrified scream from deeper in the woods.
His feet froze.
The air changed.
His fingers curled.
His eyes narrowed.
Without another thought, Keal sprinted toward the sound, branches whipping past his face.
The wind rushed in his ears, but the scream echoed again—closer now.
He pushed harder, dodging trees like a shadow in motion.
Then he saw it.
A girl. His age. Surrounded by thick bushes and fear.
And behind her, a goblin—ugly, gnarled, and grinning with jagged teeth.
Keal didn't think.
He lunged.
His hand gripped a jagged stick from the ground, and with all his strength, he slammed it into the goblin's eye.
The creature shrieked, flailing.
Keal screamed too—not in fear, but in fury.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!"
The stick snapped in half, but Keal tackled the goblin, driving his knee into its ribs again and again.
The goblin snarled, clawing at him, but Keal didn't stop.
He reached for a rock—big, heavy, merciless.
And he smashed it into the goblin's face.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Blood spattered.
The goblin let out one final gurgle—and fell still.
Keal stood over it, chest heaving, body trembling.
He looked at the girl—wide-eyed, trembling.
She stared at him—covered in blood, breathing like a beast.
And then… she smiled.
"You… saved me."
Keal turned his face slightly, trying to wipe blood from his cheek.
"Yeah. I guess I did."
She stepped forward slowly, uncertain.
"I'm Lina."
"Keal," he said, catching his breath. "Keal Veyr. Monster slayer extraordinaire."
She giggled despite the shock. "You look scary."
"I try," he said, winking. "But only for goblins. For pretty girls, I smile."
She blushed.
He scratched his head, suddenly shy. "Let's get out of here. You okay to walk?"
She nodded.
And side by side, they began walking home—Keal covered in blood, Lina watching him the whole way, her cheeks still red.
Lina kept stealing glances at him, her cheeks flushed and her heart thumping like a tribal drum. "You're really strong," she whispered, barely audible over the soft crunch of leaves beneath their feet.
Keal gave her a cocky side-eye, trying not to stumble on a root. "Of course. I eat goblins for breakfast. Sometimes with eggs."
Lina blinked, then giggled, her fear beginning to melt away in the warmth of Keal's odd charm. "You're funny. And kinda scary. But mostly funny."
Keal puffed out his chest. "Scary is just another word for mysterious and extremely handsome."
Lina laughed more this time, eyes lighting up. She watched the way the setting sun lit the dried blood on Keal's cheek like war paint. It should've been terrifying, but instead, it made her feel safe. Like nothing in the world could hurt her with him nearby.
Keal looked up at the sky dramatically, trying to strike a poetic pose. "They'll write ballads about me one day. 'The boy who danced with blades and charmed the ladies with one-liners.'"
"'And smelled like dead goblins for a week,'" Lina added with a grin.
Keal gave her a sideways smirk. "You're lucky you're cute, or I'd challenge you to a duel for that insult."
She blushed again, quickly looking away. "I-I didn't mean—"
"Relax," Keal said with a laugh. "You're not the first girl to fall for my tragic, bloody hero look."
They kept walking, the trees thinning as the edge of the forest neared. Keal's steps grew heavier, but his spirit remained light. He felt... happy. Not just because he saved someone, but because he finally had someone to walk home with.
"Hey Lina," he said suddenly, slowing his pace.
"Yeah?"
"You're not gonna forget my name, right?"
She shook her head. "Never. Keal, the brave."
He scratched his neck. "Or Keal, the handsome?"
"That too," she whispered, barely hiding her smile.
They stepped out of the woods and into the fading sunlight that kissed the rooftops of the village.
Keal raised a brow. "Think your parents will be mad you ran into the forest?"
Lina shrugged. "I'll just tell them the truth. That a hero saved me."
Keal smirked. "Make sure to describe how cool I looked."
She nodded solemnly. "Covered in blood, holding a stick like it was Excalibur, and making jokes while standing on a pile of goblin guts. Very cool."
He raised a dramatic finger. "That's right. Now let's go home, princess."
Lina giggled. "I'm not a princess."
"Yet," Keal said, winking.
They continued down the village path, the sky burning orange and pink above them. Each step forward felt like a new beginning, a bond forged in battle and sealed with banter.
And as Keal walked, covered in gore, side by side with a girl who looked at him like he was a real hero, for the first time in this strange, second life... he felt alive.