The flames still danced across the shattered remains of their once-great kingdom. As the smoke billowed into the twilight sky, Torian stood frozen, silent, staring at the horizon where everything they knew had vanished.
Ruck fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
"This isn't real... right? Torian! Hey, look at me!" he cried, grabbing Torian's cloak. His voice cracked as he choked on his grief. "Our kingdom... our people..."
As the word kingdom left his lips, Torian's memories surged like a storm.
A shadowed figure sat upon the throne—the King. His voice echoed in Torian's mind.
"From now on, you shall be the First Royal Knight of this kingdom. Protect its people. Guard its memory."
The memory shifted.
An old man placed his hand on Torian's shoulder.
"You're gifted with great power. Use it well."
Again, the memory changed.
Children in a marketplace pointed toward him.
"Mom! Look! A knight in golden armor!"
People bowed their heads in respect as he passed by. He had once been their pride.
Another flash.
Chaos. Screams. Torian dashed toward the enemy to shield a group of children—but he was too late. Blood splattered. The children fell.
His eyes froze, gripped by guilt and helpless rage.
Another memory.
A sword pierced his chest. Pain surged. Darkness.
In a healer's chamber:
"Your magic core... it's shattered. You can no longer be a knight."
One final memory.
Ruck stood before the throne, fury in his eyes. He threw down his knight badge.
"If he's no longer worthy of being a knight... then I'm not either. Torian, let's go. Let's protect the people in our own way. From the shadows."
The memory faded.
Ruck was still crying, rage boiling within him.
Torian's gaze snapped upward. A strange ripple twisted through the sky. The air felt... thick. Wrong.
The darkness above warped as if something unseen moved within it.
The ground trembled.
Ruck staggered to his feet, dizzy. He looked down.
Blood. Dark, wet, pooling around his boots.
He'd been injured in the blast—but hadn't even realized. Pain slowly crawled into his nerves.
"Torian…" Ruck muttered, his voice strained.
Before he could finish, the air cracked with arcane power. The ground quaked violently.
Then, it arrived.
A being unlike anything they had ever felt.
The air turned heavy, suffocating.
A figure emerged from the shadows—a shape made from the void itself, bending and shifting like liquid darkness. It descended, slow and graceful, yet the pressure of its presence threatened to crush them.
Torian froze, clutching the baby tightly in his arms.
Ruck stood still, trembling. The blood loss dulled his pain, but what he felt now wasn't from his wound. It was fear.
The figure began to form.
Tall.
Radiant with an otherworldly glow.
Eyes that gleamed with ancient, infinite knowledge.
And when it spoke, its voice resonated like echoes from a thousand forgotten worlds:
"Where is that mistake?"
Ruck clenched his fists, blood dripping down his side. Despite the pain, anger surged.
Torian's knees buckled. The weight of this being's gaze made him feel small. Insignificant.
The entity's aura pulsed. The very earth beneath them trembled.
Then it raised its hand, gathering dark energy.
A death sentence.
Torian couldn't move. He couldn't even speak.
Ruck's eyes suddenly burned yellow. His resolve crystallized in an instant.
As the energy surged toward them, Ruck raised a magic shield. It shook under the immense force—but it held.
His body failing, his voice cracked with both pain and pride:
"Ruck Valenhardt, blood of Darkenshade, doesn't die without a fight! Torian—I CAN HOLD IT!"
He grinned at the entity, golden eyes glowing with fierce defiance.
The entity paused, its voice sharp:
"DARKENSHADE blood... in a human?"
Torian's heart skipped.
"...Dark...?!" he whispered, his voice trembling. Tears welled in his eyes.
He stepped forward to join Ruck—but Ruck tossed a glowing crystal at him.
The moment it struck Torian's chest, a bright sigil lit up.
"A teleportation spell—NO! Ruck, don't!" Torian screamed, voice cracking.
Their eyes met one last time.
Ruck whispered, barely audible:
"Forgive me, Torian… Goodbye."
A sad, brave smile on his bloodied face.
Torian reached out, but it was too late.
A flash of light.
Silence.
Only the faint cry of the baby remained.