2026-10-17 18:12:39The commander's office felt considerably colder than the other corridors inside the military outpost. Kael stood in front of a large wooden desk, his body slightly hunched because his injured leg was still causing him pain. Across from him, a man in his early fifties sat in a full military uniform, reading the report that had been in his hands for several minutes without once looking up.
His name was Commander Alric. He was one of the most respected officers in the outpost, not because he talked much, but because he rarely said anything without a reason. Some soldiers even claimed that Alric could make a person feel guilty simply by looking at them.
“Sit,” Alric said in a deep, raspy voice that carried an intimidating weight.
Kael pulled out a chair and slowly sat down.
Alric turned another page of the report.
“Squad Seven departed at nineteen hundred hours.”
Kael nodded.
“Five men entered the building.”
“Correct.”
“Four were killed.”
Kael fell silent and lowered his head.
“And one returned.”
Alric finally raised his eyes.
“You.”
Kael looked at him without answering.
“I've read the evacuation report, the medical report, and the search team's findings from the site, but there are still several things that don't make sense,” Alric said.
“I don't understand everything either, Sir.”
“Good.”
Kael slightly furrowed his brow in confusion.
“Because if you told me everything made sense, I'd assume you were lying.”
The room fell silent again. Cold sweat began to trickle down Kael's forehead. Alric placed the report on the desk and leaned back in his chair.
“Tell me again what happened after you found the woman.”
Kael took a deep breath before answering.
“The Wraith attacked us. Daren fell first, then the others. I tried to escape, but it clawed my right leg. After that, everything happened too quickly.”
Alric listened without interrupting.
“Then how were you found almost twenty meters away from the others?”
Kael lowered his head. “I don't know. I only remember trying to survive.”
Alric studied him for a moment before lighting a cigar.
“Did the Wraith attack you more than once?”
“I can't remember.” Kael hesitated. “Everything was a blur.”
Alric picked up a single sheet of paper from the desk. He adjusted his glasses and carefully read the white page.
“According to the medical team, the wound on your leg was severe enough to cause significant blood loss.”
Kael looked down at his leg, which was still wrapped in bandages.
“But you didn't lose as much blood as you should have.”
Kael said nothing.
“And your wound has begun closing much faster than normal.”
Kael's heartbeat quickened slightly.
“The doctor said that?”
“The doctor isn't the only one who noticed.”
Alric paused for a moment before continuing.
“We'll be monitoring your condition over the next few days.”
Kael looked at him in confusion.
“Why?”
“Because we don't know what that Wraith did to your body.”
The words made Kael's throat go dry.
“What do you mean?”
Alric did not answer immediately.
“There is no evidence that you're infected.”
Kael stared at him.
“Infected?”
“Stay calm.”
“Can Wraiths...?”
“There is no evidence,” Alric interrupted firmly. “So don't jump to conclusions.”
Kael slowly leaned back in his chair.
Alric then closed the report.
“For the time being, you will not be sent into the field.”
Kael remained silent.
“But you are still a soldier. Once your leg has recovered enough, you will return to training.”
“Training?” Kael asked, his expression filled with confusion.
“You don't look happy about that.”
“I just lost my friends, Sir.”
Alric's expression changed slightly.
“I know,” he replied, taking another drag from his cigar.
Kael lowered his head.
“I'm sorry, Sir.”
Alric remained silent for a few moments before speaking again.
“You don't need to apologize for being alive. Many people out there may call you lucky. Some may call you a coward. Let them talk.”
Alric stood from his chair.
“What matters is what you do after this.”
Kael did not answer.
A few minutes later, he left the office and slowly made his way back toward the infirmary. As he walked, his mind remained filled with questions about what had truly happened the night before, especially the wound on his leg that was healing far too quickly and the strange movements his body had made without him realizing it.
Before he could think about it any further, a voice called out from somewhere in the distance.
“Kael…”
He immediately turned, but could not tell where the voice had come from.
Lyra stood several meters away, holding several files in her arms. Her brown hair was still tied back as it had been that morning, but this time her expression looked more relaxed.
“Are you finished?”
Kael nodded.
“Interrogation?”
“More like a hundred questions.”
Lyra smiled faintly. “That means you're still lucky.”
Kael looked at her for a moment.
“Everyone keeps saying I'm lucky.”
“Because you're still alive.”
Kael fell silent.
Lyra then walked closer and handed him a small bottle.
“This is your medicine. Take it after you eat.”
“Do I really look that sick?”
Lyra raised an eyebrow. “You almost lost your leg.”
Kael looked at the bottle in his hand.
“Good point.”
Lyra let out a small laugh.
For a moment, everything felt different. There were no pitying looks, no soldiers whispering behind his back, and no one calling him a coward. It was just a simple conversation, yet somehow, it was the first time since returning to the outpost that Kael felt even slightly at ease.
“You know,” Lyra said, “it's okay to be afraid.”
Kael looked at her.
“I'm not calling you a coward for being afraid. Everyone is afraid when facing a Wraith.”
Kael gave a faint smile.
“I was scared.”
“I know.”
“Was it that obvious?”
“From your face?”
Kael nodded.
Lyra smiled. “Very.”
Kael smiled back.
After giving him the medicine, Lyra left Kael alone in the infirmary. As she walked away, the smile slowly faded from his face. It seemed that, for the moment, Lyra was the only person who could make him feel a little better.
Kael stared at the medicine in his hand. His mind kept returning to the same question, why had the Wraith not killed him?
As he sat there lost in thought, suddenly...
A deafening emergency alarm echoed throughout the entire outpost.
Kael jolted and immediately turned toward the door. The sound of soldiers rushing through the corridors grew louder outside, followed by distant shouts that carried a clear sense of panic.
“What happened?!”
Kael slowly stood from the bed despite the pain still running through his injured leg.
“Don't tell me…”
His expression tightened.
“Is there a Wraith attack?”
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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
