It was a few years ago, during one of our lessons with Brother Kaius. My cousin-sisters, Berevreth and Genevive, and I sat in the castle garden, gathered around the old marble table beneath the willow trees. The air smelled faintly of incense and damp stone.
Brother Kaius stood before us, his robe swaying in the breeze.
"Nharoth," he said simply. "Does anyone know what it is?"
Genevive raised her hand, her tone soft but sharp. She began,
"The Nharoth, meaning Shadow of Grief," she began. "It's a shape-shifting demon that steals the faces of the dead, When one meets its gaze, it takes the soul __leaving only an empty shell behind."
At her words Berevreth and I froze mid-whisper, glancing at her. Genevive was the oldest among us, always composed, always knowing more than we did, wise beyond her years. She'd passed almost every test that confirmed her gift, and she took her lessons far more seriously than we ever did.
"A sound answer Child," Brother Kaius said, clearly impressed. "How did you know so much about it?"
"I read," she replied, simple and sure as
He nodded, clearly proud.
He began, voice steady and deliberate.
"One thing the Nharoth can not do is kill a person who refuses to meet its eyes. It simply cannot. That is its nature__it draws its power through the gaze. Without it, the creature is bound, unable to claim a life. But it knows how to make one look."
He paused, voice dropping lower. "It will torment you, twist your flesh, tear at your mind, anything to force your eyes upon its own. Can it cause pain, yes, terrible pain, but it cannot end you… not until you give it your gaze. It steals the faces of the dead, wears them as its own, and thus deceives the living into surrendering their sight."
Berevreth's brow furrowed. "But how does one know it is a demon?" she asked. "You might not even know your loved one is dead or perhaps think you are seeing things."
Brother Kaius nodded solemnly.
"The first sign is not what you see, but what you feel. A heaviness, foreign, unnatural presses upon your spirit. It warns you not to look, but not everyone recognises it. Only those who pray, who train their will against temptation, can discern it clearly,or for certain gifted souls with a natural guard within."
"And by gifted soul you mean people like us?" I asked, my tone mocking as a sly smirk crossed my lips.
He merely shook his head, a faint smirk ghosting across his face. Of course, I always gave him a hard time, and he returned the favour. Truth be told, I quite disliked him, and I'm certain the feeling was mutual.
He continued, unbothered.
"There is another way to know. By saying this word 'In nomine veritatis, manifestare.'" He pronounced each syllable with care, his voice echoing softly through the garden.
He continued after a Short pause like he was studying our expression to see Who knows it
"It means, 'In the name of truth, manifest'. Those words reach into the very core of what a demon is. When you speak them with conviction, it cannot hide, it must show its true form."
I let out a quiet grunt, rolling my eyes as I toyed idly with the hem of my dress. His lessons always felt like ghost stories meant to frighten children.
He continued, unbothered by my lack of interest.
"Would you like to know a simple way to get rid of the demon?" he asked, his tone shifting slightly as he turned to me.
"Princess Elowen," he called.
But I pretended not to hear. I was already weary of his endless lectures.
He called again, firmer this time__but I ignored him, staring into the garden as his voice began to fade, echoing softly in the corners of my mind.
If only I had listened then…
Perhaps I would have known how to rid myself of the demon standing before me now.
My eyes remained tightly shut as I stood still, trembling. Then a sudden grip, hard and cruel, closed tight around my arm. Before I could even breathe, it threw me against the wall. Pain shot through my waist as I hit the rough stone, the impact stealing the air from my lungs.
Not even giving time to recover__ It seized me again, pinning me there on the wall. I groaned, struggling as its claws dug into my wrist.
"Arrgh!" The pressure was so fierce, I swore I could feel my bones splintering beneath its hold.
Its touch was a sickening mix of strength and slime, its skin rough like sand and stone. The size of its hand alone told me it was monstrous—at least eight feet tall.
And in that moment, I wished I had never forced it to reveal itself. I would have chosen the illusion of my mother's gentle touch over the reality of this horror.
Slowly, it leaned close, so close that I could feel its cold breath brush against my skin.
"Open your eyes," it hissed, voice low and husky__a whisper that vibrated against my cheek, each syllable crawling over my flesh like ice.
---
In the Capital
The air was thick with smoke and terror. Screams and cries of dying men. Knights fought fiercely to defend the gates,
At the forefront stood King Maeric, sword in hand, his crown long fallen into the mud. Around him, his loyal knights formed a loyal circle, fighting with the last of their strength to shield their king.
Only a handful of invaders remained at the gate__most had already stormed into the castle's heart. The king made one strike, but his blade slipped from his grasp, and a then came a savage kick sending him onto the blood-soaked ground. The enemy raised his weapon, ready to end it.
Then, blade burst clean through the man's chest, splattering warm blood on the king's face. The dying soldier collapsed forward, and Maeric shoved the corpse aside, breath ragged.
Standing over him was Brother Kaius, Who extended a bloodied hand.
"Your Majesty," he called.
The king held his hand and pulled himself upright. "You've my thanks, Brother."
Kaius looked down at his hands__stained with the blood, then back at the king, he asked. "Are you unharmed?"
"Aye," The King replied, picking up his sword from the ground, as he gave Kaius shoulder a firm pat of reassurance before they moved forward together, the gate now littered with blood and fallen men.
They had barely gone ten paces when Father Martin approached, Guarded by two knights.
"Have you taken the princess to safety?" King Maeric asked.
The priest and the catechist exchanged a confused glance.
Their silence said enough as the king's expression hardened. "Then she's still within the castle" He muttered
He turned sharply to the surrounding knights, voice booming through the smoke-filled air, he said
"Find the princess! Now!" He barked order as few knights bowed and scattered as they disappeared into the chaos.
"We must find her, no matter what," the king muttered under his breath, forcing himself to remain calm as they pressed onward through the smoke-filled courtyard.
Then....
A sickening crack echoed behind them.
Another.
And another.
They froze mid-step as they heard the sound of bones snapping and joints twisting filled the air.
Father Martins and the catechist exchanged a knowing glance, dread in their eyes,They already knew what had risen behind them.
Slowly, King Maeric turned. His breath caught.
The corpses of the fallen enemies, men they had slain moments ago, were now standing. Their eyes were pitch black, hollow voids. Their teeth, sharp as a shark's. Their ears stretched long like that of elves.
"Close the gates!" Father Martins shouted.
The knights obeyed, heaving the great iron doors shut as the undead rushed toward them. The gates slammed closed just as the first of the risen slammed against it, clawing and screeching.
King Maeric's sword trembled slightly in his grip. He turned to the priests.
"Demons... " he whispered with a deep exhale. "Tell me I'm wrong."
Father Martins shook his head grimly.
"Luth, a corpse-possessing demon," he said. "They wear the flesh of the dead and twist it to their will. They are hard to kill, almost impossible by mortal blades."
The king's expression darkened. He looked around at the few knights left, each panting, bloodied, and terrified. In that moment, he saw his kingdom flicker before his eyes__its glory, its fall, and his failure to foresee this.
He had expected war.
But not this.
Not demons.
"I know what you're thinking," Father Martin said quietly, stepping beside him. His tone was steady, his eyes fearless. "Back in the war room, we had our suspicions this attack was not of mortal hands, and we sent word to the Cathedral." He said
" The Paladins are already on their way."
Hope flickered across Maeric's face for the first time in what felt like hours.
"Then we must hold the line," he said firmly. He caught a passing young knight by the arm, his voice fierce and urgent.
"Tell the others to fall back__form defensive lines at the inner gate. Retreat!"
The knight nodded and sprinted off, shouting through the smoke
"Retreat! Retreat! By order of the King!"
The remaining soldiers began to withdraw, the clatter of their armour echoing through the distant, unholy growls beyond the gate.
---
Back in the Cave
"OPEN YOUR EYES!" The creature screamed in my ear, so close that pain pierced my ears.
My head rang, but luckily my hand finally found the large stone I'd been reaching for.
"OPEN__"
Smack!
I swung the stone hard, strikingit hard with all my strength. It released me at once, stumbling back, it's sound so sharp it made my head ache again, Judging from the splatter of thick slime across my hand, I must have hit its eye__perfectly.
While it screamed in agony, I dared to open one eye, just enough to glimpse my chance of escape. Before fleeing, I caught a clearer look at the thing.
It wasn't as tall as I'd imagined__its arms were long and powerful, but its body hunched and uneven. Its skin was dark brown, slick with slime, rough as bark and gleaming in the dim light. I had never seen such a creature in my life. Perhaps this was the moment I was meant to start believing everything I'd been taught.
I didn't wait for even a second, I ran.
The narrow cave walls blurred as I sprinted forward, heart pounding. I didn't know where the exit was, only that I needed to be far, far away.
But the pounding footsteps behind me told me hope was short-lived.
Then something yanked me backward__its long, cold hand clamped around my leg, dragging me to the ground. I hit the stone floor hard, the breath knocked from my chest.
"Ahh!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as it dragged me across the ground. I didn't even know I could scream that loud. All my life, I'd never faced a real threat__not like this. I had grown up behind castle walls, where the worst thing that could happen was tripping over my gown or burning my tongue on hot tea.
I wasn't the fragile type either. I could ride a horse, fence a little, and even sneak into the training yard when no one was watching. But this__being hauled through the dirt by a creature from my nightmares, this was something else entirely.
The rough stone tore at my back as it dragged me, my hands clawing uselessly at the ground. Every scrape stung like fire, and still, I couldn't stop struggling. My breath came in ragged bursts, the air sharp and hot in my chest.
It pulled me all the way back to where it first caught me. My body trembled as I squeezed my eyes shut, whispering desperate prayers under my breath__anything that might help. My father, Father Martin, even Brother Kaius, Anyone.
But no one came.
Slowly, panic began to creep in, creeping up my spine as my breathing turned ragged and uneven. I struggled to wrench myself free, twisting and kicking while not being able to see anything, but its grip only tightened—unyielding, inhuman. My body trembled as it lifted me once more, holding me helpless against the cold air that stung my skin.
"Mother…" I whispered through clenched teeth, tears slipping down my cheeks. "Please…"
And then__suddenly__it released me.
I stumbled to the ground, gasping for breath. Silence took over the cave whole. My pulse pounded so loud I could almost hear it echo. Slowly, my nerves began to calm, just enough for me to steady my shaking hands.
Then, her voice again—soft, melodic, heartbreakingly familiar.
"Elowen," it whispered.
"Elowen, my dear…"
Hearing it again made my blood boil.
The audacity of this creature__to use my mother's voice.
I grabbed the stone and smashed it into its face again. It shrieked again, a monstrous, guttural sound.
As I turned to run, its claws lashed out, seizing my wrist. Before I could react, it dragged me across the floor, scraping against the rough stone until we stopped before a massive stone basin, carved deep into the ground. The thing forced me forward, ripping the sleeve from my arm as I Struggled.
Then came the sharp sting of bone it held pressing against my skin. I gasped, eyes snapping open instinctively.
The creature lunged closer, its face twisting toward mine.
It wanted my eyes.
Just as our eyes were about to meet, something struck it.
A sudden force, unseen and powerful, hurled the creature backward with a heavy crash against the cave wall. I gasped, frozen in place, My heart thudded against my ribs as I lifted my head__and there he was.
A tall man stood between me and the creature, sword drawn, its blade faintly glinting in the dim light. He wore full knight armor, dark as midnight, from his boots to the edges of his gauntlets. His hair was thick, long and black, blending into the shadows around him. Across his chest, a deep crimson cross was etched into his armor.
My breath caught.
A paladin knight.
And not just any__ He was one of the Order of Twelve. The rarest of the holy knights, said to be chosen by the divine themselves. For a moment, disbelief and awe twisted inside me. A paladin, here, of all places.
something about him felt… different.
The air around him was thick, It was the kind of presence that whispered both danger and safety, like a storm that could either destroy or protect. When I met his gaze, I froze. His eyes__pitch black. No light, no color. Just endless darkness staring back at me.
I stumbled backward, instinctively reaching for something to hold onto, my pulse racing.
Then a low, guttural growl echoed behind him. The demon was standing again, its shape twisting, bones cracking as it returned to its true, hideous form.
I shut my eyes tightly.
"Don't look at its eyes!" I yelled__then immediately realized how ridiculous that sounded. What on earth made me think this guy needed any of my advice? Slowly, I peeked one eye open, and... There, turns out, the demon was the one who should've listened. The way they were facing off, it looked like it was the one in real danger. His gaze was locked dead on the creature's eyes__cold, unblinking. Even the beast hesitated, confusion flickering across its distorted face. It tilted its head slightly, almost… studying him, as if trying to understand who or what stood before it.
Then, in one swift, fluid motion, the knight thrust both palms into the demon's chest.
He lowered his head slightly, his voice deep and calm as he uttered words that rippled through the silence of the cave like a sacred echos...
"By His name… fall to dust."
The phrase wasn't shouted. It was murmured, yet it carried like thunder through the stone walls.
Suddenly a light__red at first, then golden, burst from the knight's hands, glowing through the demon's chest before tearing it apart from within.
The creature shrieked, split in half, and dissolved into nothingness__its body fading like smoke meeting sunlight.
Silence followed.
The knight stood there__unmoving, his dark eyes fixed on the fading traces of the demon's remains. When he finally turned his head toward me, those eyes__pitch black and end less, met mine. I flinched, instinctively stepping back.
By then, the strength in my legs began to fade. Maybe it was because I'd finally let my guard down, or perhaps I simply hadn't realized how much the adrenaline had carried me until it ran dry. My vision blurred, the edges of the cave seemed to ripple and tilt. My knees shaked, dragging me toward the ground.
"No… no, no…" I muttered under my breath, my voice thin. I can't pass out. Not yet.
I didn't know who he truly was__and I couldn't guarantee my safety if I lost consciousness. Paladins were supposed to be human. And what I just witnessed... that wasn't human.
Through the haze, I saw him, still standing, silent as he watched me fall. There was no urgency in his movements, no emotion, only stillness.
Just as the darkness began to claim me, I felt a sudden pull__strong, effortless. My body lifted from the cold stone floor, cradled in arms that felt like steel beneath the armor. I tried to push myself free, pressing a weak fist against his chestplate, but it was like striking a wall.
He didn't react.
He simply turned and began to walk, his steps calm, measured, almost echoing in rhythm with my fading heartbeat.
The last thing I remember was the faint sound of metal brushing against stone… and the strange comfort of knowing that, somehow, in the arms of this cold, inhuman knight—I was safe.