2026-10-18 08:44:43“DON’T MOVE!”
Darius’s shout echoed through the Wraith-infested street. Dozens of creatures stood blocking their path, yet none of them attacked. They simply stared at Kael with glowing yellow eyes.
“Why are they just staring at us?” Rovan whispered.
“I dont know,” Kael replied.
A branch snapped somewhere inside the forest. The Wraiths in the street suddenly lowered their heads and knelt in unison.
Something moved between the trees. Heavy footsteps followed, each one sending a faint tremor through the ground. Every soldier turned toward the forest.
“Hold your positions!” Darius ordered. “Nobody fires without my command!”
A massive creature emerged from the trees. It was far larger than an ordinary Wraith, with black bones protruding from its back and two short horns curving from its skull. Its red eyes swept across the soldiers before settling on Kael.
The creature didn’t growl. It simply extended one clawed hand toward him.
“Kael Arven,” it rasped. “Come with me.”
Kael took a step back. “What do you mean?”
“You must come with me.”
Darius raised his weapon. “Don’t come any closer!”
The Giant Wraith ignored him. Its gaze remained fixed on Kael, as though the other soldiers didn’t exist.
“Why are you looking for me?” Kael asked.
“We have waited long enough for you.”
Terry, standing at the back of the formation, began to tremble. He raised his rifle and aimed at the creature, which stood nearly three and a half meters tall.
“Lower your weapon,” Darius whispered.
But Terry had already pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The bullet struck the Giant Wraith’s shoulder. The creature slowly turned its head. Within seconds, the wound closed.
“Damn it, Terry!” Darius shouted.
The Giant Wraith unleashed a roar that shook the street. Every soldier flinched at the deafening sound. The dozens of Wraiths around them rose simultaneously and charged.
“COMBAT FORMATION!” Darius yelled. “Cover each other!”
Dozens of Wraiths sprinted toward the soldiers. Gunfire filled the air. Several bullets struck their bodies, but the sharp-toothed monsters kept advancing.
Darius spotted a yellowish light pulsing in the chest of an approaching Wraith.
“Aim for the glowing spot on their chests!” he shouted. “That’s their weak point! Stop wasting ammunition on the rest of their bodies!”
The soldiers adjusted their aim. A barrage of bullets struck the Wraith’s chest. When its Core Node shattered, the creature shrieked and collapsed.
“Keep your distance!” Darius ordered. “Don’t let them surround us!”
Another Wraith lunged from the side. Rovan fired twice, but his bullets struck only its arm and abdomen. The creature kept coming.
“I’m out!”
Kael spun around and shot the Wraith just before its claws reached Rovan. The bullet struck its Core Node, and the creature collapsed between them.
“Now I owe you one,” Rovan gasped.
“You’d better pay me back later!” Kael replied, breathing hard.
“Definitely. If we’re still alive!”
Amid the chaos, the Giant Wraith ignored the soldiers firing at it. Their bullets seemed to make no difference. It walked straight toward Kael while the other Wraiths attacked anyone who tried to block its path.
“It’s after you!” Darius shouted. “Kael, fall back!”
Kael ran behind a damaged house. The Giant Wraith crashed through the wooden wall without slowing down. Planks flew in every direction. Kael dodged the falling debris, but his still-healing right leg gave way, and he stumbled.
The creature stopped a few steps away and extended its hand.
“Don’t resist.”
“Stay back!” Kael raised his rifle.
The Giant Wraith seized the barrel and crushed it in one hand.
Kael froze.
“Commander!” he shouted.
Darius rushed toward them, firing as he ran. Bullets struck the Giant Wraith’s back, but the creature merely turned and swung its arm. Darius was hurled into a wooden cart.
“DARIUS!” Rovan screamed.
He tried to push through, but a Wraith blocked his way. Rovan fired at its Core Node, and the creature immediately collapsed.
“Get up, Commander!” Rovan shouted, helping Darius to his feet.
“I can still move,” Darius growled. “Get the wounded to the vehicle!”
“The escape route is blocked!” Terry shouted.
“Then clear it!” Darius yelled.
The Giant Wraith didn’t even glance at them. Its attention remained fixed on Kael. It hadn’t come to slaughter the entire squad. It wanted one person, Kael.
Kael watched his comrades struggle against the creatures. They were getting hurt because of him.
The Giant Wraith extended its hand again.
“Come with me…”
“Then let them go!” Kael shouted.
“That isn’t your decision.”
The creature lunged and seized Kael by the collar. It lifted him off the ground and pulled him closer, its sharp claws pressing into his shoulder.
“Ghhh…” Kael grimaced in pain.
The Giant Wraith brought its face close to his. Its enormous skull-like head dwarfed Kael’s own.
“Let me go!” Kael struggled.
He punched the creature’s arm, but his fist felt as though it had struck solid rock.
“Stop resisting,” the Giant Wraith hissed.
As its claws dug deeper, something throbbed inside Kael’s chest. Heat spread up his neck and down both arms. Faint whispers filled his mind, growing louder until they drowned out the sounds of battle.
Black lines suddenly appeared across his skin.
“ARGHH!” Kael screamed.
The Giant Wraith abruptly released him, recoiling as though it had been burned. Kael hit the ground hard. Before the creature could seize him again, his body moved on its own.
The world slowed down.
He saw the clawed hand rushing toward him and dodged at the last possible second. Kael drove his bare fist into the Giant Wraith’s chest.
CRACK!
Red light flared from the creature’s Core Node. The Giant Wraith staggered backward.
“GRAAAH!” it shrieked in pain.
Kael stared at his hand. He had no idea how he had done it.
The Giant Wraith lunged for him again. Kael ducked beneath its claws, then struck the Core Node a second time.
BOOOOM!
The impact unleashed a burst of light that hurled them in opposite directions. Kael hit the ground and rolled. His entire body felt as though it were burning. The black lines pulsed along his arms, and every breath sent fresh pain through his chest.
The Giant Wraith dropped to one knee. Cracks spread across its Core Node, but the creature was still alive. It stared at Kael with something resembling fear.
Around them, the other Wraiths stopped fighting. One by one, they knelt before Kael.
Darius raised his weapon, unwilling to lower it. “Kael, don’t move.”
Kael wanted to answer, but no words came out.
The Giant Wraith bowed its head.
“So it’s true,” it whispered. “The power still exists.”
“What do you mean?” Kael asked between ragged breaths.
The creature lifted its head. Its red eyes burned once more.
“The Heir has awakened.”
A second roar echoed from deep within the forest, far more powerful than the first. Every Wraith turned toward the sound and bowed even lower.
Then a voice rang out from the darkness.
“Bring him to me.”
Kael tried to stand, but his legs could no longer support him. His vision blurred. The last thing he saw was the Giant Wraith slowly rising and reaching out toward him.
Then everything went dark.
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WHAT REMAINS
“Kael?”Lyra's voice was soft, but Kael didn't answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on his wrist, where a red light had pulsed beneath his skin before disappearing. He tried to convince himself that it had all been caused by exhaustion.“Kael, are you listening to me?”Kael lifted his head. “Yes. Sorry…”“You've apologized three times since you woke up.” Lyra pulled a chair closer to his bed. “What really happened out there?”Kael wanted to answer, but the image of Darius being thrown aside and Rovan nearly torn apart by a Wraith flooded his mind again.“I almost killed them.”Lyra frowned. “What?!”“I lost control. I didn't even know what I was doing. If I'd been a little slower, they might have died.”“But they're still alive.”“For now…” Kael muttered, lowering his head.Lyra fell silent. Kael could see the exhaustion on her face, along with the concern she was trying to hide.“Listen to me. I don't know what's happening to your body. I don't know where that power comes from
THE PRICE OF POWER
“Kael!”Darius’s voice sounded distant in the darkness.Kael opened his eyes. His chest felt as though it had been struck by a hammer, while black lines pulsed across both his arms. He lay on the muddy road, only a few meters away from the giant Wraith, which was still kneeling.“Get up, Kael!” Rovan shouted while firing at the approaching Wraiths.Kael tried to stand, but his knees gave way. “I can’t...”The Giant Wraith raised its head. Cracks in its Core Node glowed red before slowly closing.“Don’t let it get back up!” Darius barked.Too late.The Wraith slammed both hands into the ground. The impact sent soldiers flying and shattered the remains of the wooden fence. Kael rolled toward the ruins of a house. When he lifted his head, the creature was already standing.“Surrender yourself. You won’t be able to withstand that power,” it said.“Make me,” Kael replied.The Giant Wraith charged. Kael tried to summon the power inside his body, but nothing happened. The creature’s claws st
AWAKENING
“DON’T MOVE!”Darius’s shout echoed through the Wraith-infested street. Dozens of creatures stood blocking their path, yet none of them attacked. They simply stared at Kael with glowing yellow eyes.“Why are they just staring at us?” Rovan whispered.“I dont know,” Kael replied.A branch snapped somewhere inside the forest. The Wraiths in the street suddenly lowered their heads and knelt in unison.Something moved between the trees. Heavy footsteps followed, each one sending a faint tremor through the ground. Every soldier turned toward the forest.“Hold your positions!” Darius ordered. “Nobody fires without my command!”A massive creature emerged from the trees. It was far larger than an ordinary Wraith, with black bones protruding from its back and two short horns curving from its skull. Its red eyes swept across the soldiers before settling on Kael.The creature didn’t growl. It simply extended one clawed hand toward him.“Kael Arven,” it rasped. “Come with me.”Kael took a step ba
BEYOND THE WALL
Three Days Later“Every one up!”The barracks door flew open. A sergeant stormed inside, shouting at the soldiers still asleep in their beds.“What the hell?” Rovan grumbled as he climbed out of bed.“Get up! Now!”Within seconds, the soldiers were standing beside their bunks. Kael rose with them, wincing slightly as he put weight on his right leg.The sergeant glanced at the list in his hand. “Darius! Rovan! Kael! Mark and Terry! You have five minutes to change into your uniforms and collect your combat gear. You will report to Commander Alric!”“Is there an attack, Sergeant?” Rovan asked.“That is not for me to answer. My only job is to make sure you follow orders!”“Wonderful…” Rovan muttered as he grabbed his uniform. “Haven’t even had breakfast, and we’re already dealing with trouble.”“Two minutes, Soldier!” the sergeant barked before leaving.Ten minutes later, the five soldiers stood in the briefing room. Alric was waiting behind a table covered with maps. His expression was g
THE MARK
Commander Alric immediately ordered the eastern gate sealed off from nonessential personnel. The symbol was photographed and copied into an official report, but he forbade anyone from touching the mark. Even the guards were ordered to remain silent about what they had witnessed.“Keep this out of the general reports,” Alric instructed. “No one discusses the symbol outside the command center. Understood?”A young lieutenant glanced at the strange mark on the ground. “With all due respect, Commander, do we know who made it?”Alric gave him a hard look. “If we did, I wouldn't be standing here asking questions.”He took the photograph from the communications officer and placed it inside a black folder. Instead of returning to the command center, he headed for the old administration building, a facility that had been abandoned after headquarters moved to a newer section of the outpost.Behind a locked steel door on the second floor lay an archive absent from the official records. Alric unl
THE ANOMALY
“All defense posts, combat alert!”The watch commander's shout echoed from the observation tower, immediately followed by the blaring of sirens throughout the outpost. Searchlights swept across the forest, cutting through the fog hanging between the trees and revealing dozens of slender figures standing in silence. None of them moved toward the perimeter fence, yet their yellow eyes remained fixed on the outpost, as though they were waiting for something.Inside the infirmary, Kael immediately rose from his bed when he heard the sirens. He got to his feet and limped toward the window, ignoring the pain shooting through his right leg. From a distance, he could see the searchlights moving wildly across the treetops while shouted commands and the pounding of boots echoed through the compound.“What are they waiting for?” he muttered.Before Kael could get a clearer look, Lyra hurried into the room. “You again? I told you not to leave the infirmary!”Kael pointed toward the window. “See f
