Rise From The Wraith

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 grim, and no one dared speak until he addressed them.

“You know Greyhaven?”

“The settlement on the northern border, Sir,” Darius, their squad leader, replied.

“Correct. Two nights ago, they sent a distress signal. Communication was lost shortly afterward. The patrol I sent to investigate hasn’t returned either. We suspect Wraith involvement.”

Rovan raised his hand. “How many Wraiths have been detected?”

“We don’t know yet.”

“So we’re heading into an unfamiliar area to find a missing patrol without knowing how many enemies we’re facing?” Rovan lowered his hand. “Brilliant plan.”

“Got a better one?” Alric asked.

“No, Sir,” Rovan replied, lowering his head.

“Then keep your mouth shut up!” Alric made no effort to hide his irritation.

A few soldiers stifled their smiles. Alric pointed to a red circle on the map.

“Greyhaven has a population of around forty. Your priority is to find survivors and determine what happened. Do not engage unless necessary. If the situation becomes untenable, withdraw and report back.”

Alric’s gaze shifted to Kael.

“You’re going on this mission.”

Kael thought he had misheard. “Me, Sir?”

“Do you see another soldier named Kael in this room?”

The other soldiers immediately turned to look at him.

“No, Sir. But my leg hasn’t fully healed.”

“And you expect me to ignore the fact that dozens of Wraiths gathered at our gate, then left after you heard a voice no one else could hear?”

The room fell silent.

Rovan turned sharply toward Kael. “Wait. What voice?”

“None of your business,” Alric cut in.

Kael met his commander’s gaze. “So you’re sending me because you suspect me?”

“I’m sending you because we need to know whether the incident at the gate is connected to what happened in Greyhaven. I won’t use you as bait, but I won’t pretend you’re not involved in something we don’t understand.”

“What if the Wraiths attack?”

“You stay with your squad. No acting alone. If you sense anything unusual, report it to Darius immediately.”

Darius nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on him, Sir.”

“Good. You leave in thirty minutes.”

***

The journey to Greyhaven took nearly two hours. Their armored vehicle passed empty observation posts and roads littered with broken branches. Darius studied the map while Rovan kept glancing at Kael’s injured leg.

“Can you run in an emergency?” he asked.

“You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Can you fight a Wraith?”

Kael didn’t answer.

“Thought so,” Rovan said with a cynical look.

“Rovan!” Darius snapped from the front seat. “If you have time to bother him, use it to check your weapon.”

Rovan scoffed and began inspecting their gear.

Kael stared out the window. The closer they got to Greyhaven, the stronger the strange pressure in his chest became. He tried to ignore it, but it wouldn’t go away. Instead, it grew more intense as the vehicle passed through denser stretches of forest.

“Darius,” he called.

“What is it?”

“Stop.”

The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror. “What did he say?”

“Stop!” Kael repeated, louder this time.

Darius raised a hand, signaling the driver to slow down. “What do you see?”

“Nothing. But something’s wrong up ahead.”

Rovan rolled his eyes. “We haven’t even reached the settlement yet.”

“I’m serious,” Kael insisted.

Darius studied him with some hesitation before contacting the base over the radio. “Commander, Kael reports something wrong with the road ahead. We haven’t spotted any threats.”

Alric’s voice crackled through the radio. “Slow down. Inspect the road before proceeding.”

They climbed out and moved along the roadside with their weapons raised. Not far ahead, a massive fallen tree blocked the path. The ground beneath it had collapsed, leaving a deep hole large enough to trap their vehicle.

“If we’d hit that at full speed, the vehicle could’ve overturned,” Darius said.

Rovan looked at Kael. “How did you know?”

“I didn’t.”

“Then why did you tell us to stop?”

Kael stared into the forest beyond the fallen tree. “Because something out there felt wrong.”

Darius asked no further questions. He ordered the squad to find an alternate route.

But before they returned to the vehicle, Kael heard a faint sound coming from the forest. It wasn’t a growl or the sound of footsteps. It was a broken whisper, too distant to make out.

He turned sharply.

“Kael?” Darius called.

“It’s nothing.”

This time, Kael was lying. He didn’t want to explain that the whisper sounded eerily similar to the voice that had called his name inside the abandoned building.

By dusk, they reached Greyhaven. The wooden fence had collapsed, doors stood open, and belongings lay scattered across the road.

“No one here,” Rovan said, raising his weapon.

“Split into two teams. Search the houses, but don’t go off alone,” Darius ordered.

Kael and Rovan entered the nearest house. Plates still covered the dining table, but the occupants were gone. Kael noticed long scratches across the wall.

“Wraiths,” Rovan muttered.

“If they attacked, where are the bodies?” Kael countered.

Suddenly, a noise came from upstairs. They climbed the stairs and found a young boy hiding beneath a bed. His face was pale, and his whole body trembled.

“Easy. We’re soldiers. Where’s your family?” Kael asked.

“They took them into the forest.”

“Who did?”

“The monsters. They were looking for someone. When they couldn’t find that person, they took everyone away.”

Rovan reached for his radio. “Darius, we’ve found a survivor. We need—”

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Three sharp knocks came from the outer wall.

Kael turned toward the window. Across the street stood a Wraith, its yellow eyes glowing as it stared directly at him.

“Kael, get back!” Rovan shouted.

But the creature didn’t attack. Instead, it raised one hand and pointed toward the forest.

“Everyone back to the vehicle!” Darius shouted as he rushed inside.

Too late.

Dozens of Wraiths emerged from alleys and abandoned houses, surrounding the building. Then, as if responding to a single command, they all turned toward the forest and knelt.

“What the hell is this?” Rovan whispered.

A roar erupted from beyond the trees, shaking the windowpanes. The Wraith across the street looked at Kael again.

“Kael Arven...” it whispered. “You’ve finally arrived.”

Kael froze. He had never heard that voice before, yet his body reacted as if it recognized it.

Then something moved among the trees.

Even the Wraiths lowered their heads further.

Whatever was emerging from the forest, even the Wraiths were afraid of it.