Novels by Mustashifa

Chapter 10. Fierce BattleThe smell of rotting moss mixed with the sharp, pungent scent of sulfur stung Kael's nose as they crawled through the drainage tunnels beneath the Shadow Fortress. The sound of water droplets falling into murky puddles echoed like the ticking of a clock counting down the world's remaining time. In front of him, Lyra moved as gracefully as a cat, while Jax gripped his greatsword so tightly his knuckles turned white."Don't light your fire yet, Kael," Lyra whispered without looking back. "One spark, and every guard up there will know we're climbing through their guts."Kael nodded in the darkness, his trembling hands clenched tight. He could feel the heat pulsing in his chest, begging to be released, but he suppressed it deep down. "I know. How much further?""Right above us," Jax answered, his voice heavy and low. "If that map you stole is accurate, this ladder will lead us straight to the west wing corridor, near the core engine room."They climbed the rusted

Chapter 9. New AlliesThe gravitational pressure nearly crushed Kael's ribs. Beneath the Shadow Sovereign's boot, his face was pressed into the cracked asphalt of the bridge. Above, the sky of the Capital continued to gape open, spewing giant black hands that seemed ready to tear reality apart. Despair was no longer just a feeling; it was a poison freezing his blood."Watch, Kael," the Sovereign whispered, his voice sounding like a death knell. "This world is nothing but kindling for my master."As Kael's consciousness began to fade, a sharp whistling sliced through the air. The sound was different from the roar of the wind or magical explosions—it was the sound of precise metal friction. An arrow with a strange silver glow streaked forward, not toward the Sovereign, but striking the bridge's surface right in front of Kael's chest.Boom!The arrow exploded, but it wasn't fire that emerged; instead, a white shockwave canceled the gravitational pressure around Kael. Instantly, the tight

Chapter 8. The First Great BattleThe sky above the bridge to the Capital was a deep, heavy gray, as if the clouds themselves were horrified by what was about to unfold. Kael ran with lungs that felt like they were on fire, each step pounding against the cold asphalt of the granite bridge. Below him, the rushing river roared, reflecting flashes of light from the lightning that had begun to strike.At the end of the bridge, a dark procession moved forward. The black iron carriage carrying his mother was escorted by hundreds of shadow soldiers who looked like solidified smoke. And at the very front of the line, the figure in the black robe and silver mask stood calmly. The Shadow Sovereign."Stop!"Kael’s voice echoed, cutting through the haunting silence. He stood alone in the middle of that vast bridge, his breath coming in gasps, yet his eyes burned with a fire that would never go out. He had seen the map. He knew his mother was not merely a prisoner, but the key to ending humanity.

Chapter 7. The Prison of DarknessThe stone walls felt like ice, sucking the life from Kael’s pores. As the iron carriage door slammed open, the harsh torchlight pierced his eyes, which had grown accustomed to the darkness. He was dragged out, his legs still weak from the lingering poison, stumbling against the rough stone stairs leading into the bowels of the earth."Get inside, scum!" shouted one of the black-clad soldiers.Kael was thrown into a narrow cell. His body hit the cold, damp floor. The heavy iron bars clanged shut, echoing through the seemingly endless underground corridor. The black iron collar around his neck still felt suffocating, pulsing with dark energy that suppressed every spark of fire within his veins.He tried to stand, but every time he attempted to summon his energy, the collar would release a painful electric shock. Kael groaned, leaning his back against the cell wall. This entire room was made of anti-magic stone, a material specifically designed to exting

Chapter 6. BetrayalThe ground Kael stood on no longer felt grounded in reality. The Shadow Sovereign's words swirled in his head like an unquenchable firestorm. His father wasn't missing. His father had been murdered. And that masked monster was the culprit."Kael... wake up, son. We have to move," Master Selama's voice sounded hoarse, breaking Kael's dark reverie.The young man turned. Master Selama looked much older than he had a few hours ago. The wound on his waist was still bleeding, seeping into his gray robes, and his face was as pale as paper. Mara, his mother, sat beside Selama, her eyes swollen, yet her hands remained steady as she bandaged the master's wound with torn cloth."He killed him, Master," Kael whispered. "He killed Father."Selama looked at Kael with an unreadable gaze—a mixture of pity and tightly locked secrets. "This world is full of lies intentionally kept to protect you, Kael. But now is not the time to mourn. Xarath may be gone, but the scent of the Sovere

Chapter 5. Meeting a New EnemyKael gripped the stone box tightly, feeling the warm pulse spreading from its surface into his palm. Above him, the sound of Xarath’s claws tearing through the ruins grew increasingly frantic. The monster general wasn't digging to save him; he was digging to loot.I am no longer your prey, Kael thought.He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let the heat in the pit of his stomach flow fiercely throughout his body. This time, the fire didn't feel like a crushing burden, but like a bloodstream that had finally found its way home. Kael could feel the fragile structure of the cave ceiling above him. With a roar that erupted from the depths of his soul, he thrust both hands upward.Boom!It wasn't just an explosion, but a pillar of pure orange fire that shot up vertically, shattering the remaining stones that pinned him down. Kael shot out of the hole along with dust and sparks that soared high into the dark forest sky. He landed firmly on the trembling