Queen Elara was standing near the palace steps. Her armor was light yet elegant, and a silver cloak rested on her shoulders. As soon as Riyan came closer, her sharp eyes stopped on him.
"You," she said in a calm but commanding voice.
"You will come with me."
Riyan bowed slightly and replied,
"As you command, Your Majesty."
Sunny looked shocked.
"What? Now?"
Elara continued in a steady tone,
"This is not a palace matter. It is a hunt."
Turning to the commander, she said,
"There are already nine selected bodyguards. Including him, there will be ten."
Within moments, nine skilled guards gathered. Together with Riyan, they formed a team of ten—fully armed, alert, and ready. Horses were prepared without delay.
As they rode out, Elara spoke again,
"There is a village near the western forest," she said.
"For many weeks, people have been disappearing—men, women… even children."
Sunny swallowed nervously and asked,
"A monster?"
"Yes," Elara replied.
"A creature that kidnaps humans. It comes at night and disappears into the forest before sunrise."
Riyan listened quietly. His face was calm—but inside, his senses were fully alert.
A creature that hunts villages… it cannot be ordinary, he thought.
As they moved forward, the path became narrower and the trees grew thicker. The air changed—heavy and frightening. Even the horses seemed restless.
After some time, a small village appeared. Silence stood outside the houses. Fear was clearly visible on every face.
An old man stepped forward, trembling.
"Your Majesty… it took my son last night."
Elara clenched her fist.
"Today, this will end."
Inside the forest, night fell even faster.
All ten guards moved carefully between the twisted trees. Moonlight barely reached the ground. Suddenly—
A scream.
From deep within the forest.
Before anyone could react, a huge shadow leaped out from between the trees. Red eyes. Sharp claws like blades. Its body was half beast, half nightmare.
"Form up!" shouted a strong-built captain.
The monster attacked.
Two guards were thrown away like toys. One barely blocked a claw strike. Chaos spread—but Riyan moved.
Too fast.
His sword flashed once.
The monster roared.
Riyan did not reveal his true power—yet every strike was terrifyingly precise. He moved forward, attacking joints, tendons, and weak points.
Elara watched in shock.
This man… is different, she realized.
After several more coordinated attacks, the monster collapsed. As it fell, the forest shook.
Silence filled the area.
The village was safe now.
Elara looked at Riyan with a deep, thoughtful gaze.
"Today," she said softly, "you did not just protect me."
After a brief pause, she added,
"You protected my people."
Riyan lowered his sword and bowed.
"That is my duty."
But deep inside, he knew—
This hunt was only the beginning.
The forest was still whispering.
And even darker enemies were yet to come.
Just then—
A heart-shaking scream tore through the silence of the forest.
It sounded as if the darkness itself was screaming.
All the bodyguards froze at once.
The horses reared back.
The air suddenly turned cold and heavy.
"Th-that sound…?"
someone said in a trembling voice.
The very next moment—
Black smoke spread across the forest.
So thick that it swallowed the moonlight and the torches alike.
"I can't see anything!"
"Stay alert!"
And then—
from within the darkness, two glowing red eyes appeared.
It looked like the earlier monster—
but this one was even more terrifying.
It was its companion.
A phantom beast.
Its body appeared… then vanished.
Sometimes to the right, sometimes behind—
as if darkness itself was its body.
"It's using magic!" the captain shouted.
"It can't be seen!"
Fear was now clear on every face.
Some bodyguards stepped back.
And then—
The darkness rushed straight toward Queen Elara.
"Your Majesty!"
someone screamed.
At that instant—
Riyan moved.
In a single motion, he stepped in front of Elara.
A claw of darkness sliced through the air—
and Riyan's sword collided with it.
Clang—!
Sparks flew, even though the enemy was invisible.
Without wasting a moment, Riyan grabbed the Queen by the waist
and pulled her back.
That moment—
was extremely brief.
But for both of them… extraordinary.
Elara's hand pressed against Riyan's chest.
Her breathing was fast.
And Riyan—
for the first time, felt someone standing this close to him.
It felt as if the world had stopped.
But the very next second,
cold determination returned to his eyes.
"Stay behind me,"
he said in a low but firm voice.
The darkness spread again.
Riyan closed his eyes.
The world did not become darker for him—
it became clearer.
Waves of soul energy spread out.
He no longer relied on sight,
but on experience.
Where the air trembled—
he struck.
Where silence broke—
he struck again.
A painful roar echoed in the darkness.
Riyan kept moving forward.
Every step brought him closer to the Queen—
every strike closer to death.
Finally—
one last, decisive blow.
The darkness split apart.
A scream rang out.
And then—
silence.
The smoke slowly cleared.
The forest became visible again.
The phantom monster lay on the ground—
motionless, destroyed.
Riyan stood there.
And Elara—
was right beside him.
Very close.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
No one knew how it had happened.
All were stunned by Riyan's courage.
The wind blew gently,
but Riyan felt something else move inside him.
He thought it was just the effect of danger.
But the truth was—
it was attraction.
A feeling he had never named before.
And without realizing it—
Riyan mistook that moment for love.
He did not know
where this path would lead him—
because the Queen standing so close to him
was connected by blood
to the greatest crime of his past,
which was still waiting for him.
And the forest…
was still watching everything
in silence.