2025-12-09 20:52:45The campus festival was in full swing by Friday evening. Food stalls lined the main courtyard, string lights hung between trees, and a local band played on a small stage near the fountain. Students crowded everywhere, laughing, eating, and taking pictures.
Kael wasn't much for crowds, but Marcus had dragged him out.
"Come on, man. You can't just train and fight all the time," Marcus said, walking backward through the crowd. "Live a little."
"I'm here, aren't I?"
"Barely. You look like you're planning an escape route."
Kael shrugged. He actually was scanning exits, but that was just a habit.
They stopped at a taco stand. Marcus ordered three, Kael got one. They found a spot under a tree, away from the thickest part of the crowd.
"Did you see Emma earlier?" Marcus asked between bites.
"No. Why?"
"She was asking about you."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "What about?"
"I don't know, man. Girl stuff. If you were coming tonight. If you were seeing anyone." Marcus grinned. "I think she likes you."
"She barely knows me."
"That's kind of the point of liking someone, dude. You get to know them."
Kael didn't answer. Relationships felt complicated. Messy. He had enough going on without adding that to the mix.
They ate in silence for a while, watching the crowd. The band finished a song and people cheered. Everything felt easy. Normal.
Then Kael felt it.
A prickling sensation on the back of his neck. The kind you get when someone's watching you. He turned his head, scanning the crowd.
"What's wrong?" Marcus asked.
"Nothing. Just thought I saw someone."
But the feeling didn't go away.
Kael stood, tossing his trash in a nearby bin. "I'm gonna walk around. Clear my head."
Marcus looked concerned. "You okay?"
"Yeah. I just need some air."
He walked away from the main courtyard, heading toward the quieter side of campus. The music and voices faded behind him. The path here was darker, lit only by occasional lampposts. Trees lined both sides, their shadows long and deep.
Kael's instincts screamed at him to turn back. But he kept walking. He needed to know if he was being paranoid or if something was actually wrong.
The answer came quickly.
Three figures stepped out from behind the trees ahead of him. They moved in perfect sync, blocking the path. Kael stopped.
They weren't students. He could tell immediately. They wore dark clothes, hoods pulled up, faces hidden in shadow. But it was more than that. The way they stood, the way they moved, it felt wrong. Unnatural.
"Kael Draven," one of them said. The voice was low, distorted, like it came from somewhere far away.
Kael's muscles tensed. "Who are you?"
"You carry something that doesn't belong to you."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
The figure tilted its head. "Your blood. Your legacy. It must be erased."
Before Kael could respond, they attacked.
The first one moved impossibly fast, closing the distance in a blink. Kael barely dodged a strike aimed at his throat. He countered with a quick jab, but his fist passed through empty air. The figure had already moved.
Another one came from his left. Kael spun, blocked a kick, and threw an elbow. This time it connected. The figure stumbled back, but didn't fall. Didn't even seem hurt.
What the hell are these things?
Kael backed up, trying to create space. His heart pounded. These weren't normal fighters. They were something else entirely.
The third figure raised its hand. A strange light flickered around its fingers, pale and cold. Kael's instincts screamed again.
He dove to the side just as a bolt of energy shot past him, slamming into a tree. The bark exploded, splinters flying everywhere.
Kael rolled to his feet, breathing hard. His mind raced. This wasn't possible. Energy blasts? Moving like ghosts? None of this made sense.
"Kael!"
He turned. Marcus ran toward him from the path behind, eyes wide with panic.
"Marcus, get out of here!" Kael shouted.
But Marcus didn't run. Instead, he stopped a few feet away, his expression shifting. The panic faded, replaced by something colder. Calmer.
"I'm sorry," Marcus said quietly.
Kael's blood went ice cold. "What?"
Marcus looked at the hooded figures, then back at Kael. "I didn't want it to be like this. I really didn't."
"Marcus, what are you talking about?"
"They found you because of me." Marcus's voice was steady now, emotionless. "I've been watching you. Reporting your movements. They needed to know when you were alone."
Kael felt like the ground had dropped out from under him. "You're lying."
"I wish I was." Marcus took a step back. "You're dangerous, Kael. You don't even know what you are. What's inside you."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
One of the hooded figures spoke. "The blood of the old kings runs through your veins. A threat to the balance. A weapon that cannot be allowed to awaken."
Kael shook his head, trying to process everything. Old kings? Bloodline? None of this made any sense.
"Marcus, we've been friends for two years," Kael said, desperation creeping into his voice. "Why would you do this?"
Marcus looked away. "Because some things are bigger than friendship."
The hooded figures moved forward again.
Kael didn't have time to think. Instinct took over. He grabbed a broken tree branch from the ground and swung it like a bat at the nearest attacker. The branch connected with a sickening crack, and this time, the figure went down.
The other two hesitated.
Kael didn't wait. He turned and ran.
He sprinted through the trees, branches whipping at his face. Behind him, he heard footsteps. Fast. Getting closer.
He burst out onto the main courtyard, back into the light and noise of the festival. People stared as he stumbled through, gasping for air.
The hooded figures didn't follow. When Kael looked back, they were gone. Vanished like they'd never been there.
Marcus was gone too.
Kael collapsed against a wall, chest heaving. His hands shook. Students walked past, confused, whispering. Someone asked if he was okay.
He didn't answer.
His best friend had just betrayed him. Tried to get him killed.
And apparently, Kael was something dangerous. Something people wanted dead.
He had no idea what that meant.
But he knew one thing for certain.
His normal life was over.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 12 – Enemy in Disguise
The Keeper led them through the forest for hours.The path twisted and turned, seeming to change behind them. Kael tried to memorize landmarks, but everything looked the same. Ancient trees, glowing moss and shadows that moved wrong.Finally, they reached a stone structure half buried in the earth. It looked like ruins from another age, covered in vines and symbols Kael didn't recognize."This was your grandfather's sanctuary," the Keeper said, pushing open a heavy wooden door. "He built it when the wars began. A place to hide what mattered most."Inside, the ruins opened into a surprisingly intact chamber. Torches lit themselves as they entered, revealing walls covered in weapons, books, and strange artifacts.Kael moved slowly through the space, taking it all in. Everything here belonged to his family. His history."Why show me this now?" he asked."Because you're finally strong enough to understand." The Keeper moved to a table in the center of the room. "Your grandfather knew the
Chapter 11 – Into the Forbidden Forest
Kael ran through the burning campus, with Mira at his side.Behind them, were police, fire trucks and sirens wailed. Every phone camera had captured what he had done. By morning, the footage would be everywhere."This way!" Mira pulled him toward the edge of campus, away from the main roads."Where are we going?" Kael gasped."Anywhere but here. The Order will lock down the city within the hour."They reached the wooded area that bordered the campus. Dense trees, barely maintained trails, a place most students avoided. Mira plunged into the darkness without hesitation.Kael followed, branches brushed against his face.They ran for hours, until the sounds of the campus faded completely. Finally, Mira stopped in a small clearing, checking her phone."No signal," she muttered."Where are we?""The Thornwood. Old growth forest. It covers miles in all directions." Mira looked around carefully. "It's also a cursed forest, but we don't have much choice.""Cursed?""Stories. Legends. People w
Chapter 10 – The First Siege
The meeting place was an old theater on the east side of the city.Mira and Kael approached on foot, keeping to the shadows. The building looked abandoned from the outside, but Kael could see figures moving past the windows on the upper floors."Stay close," Mira whispered. "And let me do the talking."They entered through a side door. Inside, the theater had been converted into something else entirely. The seats were gone, replaced by tables and equipment. At least thirty people filled the space, clustered in small groups, talking in low voices.Kael recognized some of the symbols on their clothing. Covenant. Order. Even a few Veil Walkers."They're all here," he whispered."That's the point. Neutral ground. Nobody fights during these meetings. It's the only time they cooperate." Mira guided him toward the back. "Just observe. Learn what you can."They found a spot near the wall. Kael watched the crowd, trying to pick up on conversations. Most of it was coded language he didn't under
Chapter 9 – Training and Growth
Kael woke up before dawn, his body protesting every movement.The meeting was tonight, but Mira had made it clear he couldn't go in weak. If things went bad, he needed to be able to fight his way out.He forced himself through a series of stretches, testing his ribs. Still sore, but better than yesterday. The swelling in his ankle had gone down enough to walk without limping.A knock on the door made him tense."It's me," Dorian's voice called.Kael opened the door. Dorian wasn't alone. Rajan stood behind him, looking as calm as ever."What's he doing here?" Kael asked."Helping you not die tonight," Rajan said flatly. "You're going into a room full of people who know how to kill. You need to be sharper than you are now.""I can handle myself.""Against campus fighters, sure. Against trained operatives?" Rajan shook his head. "You'll last maybe thirty seconds."Dorian stepped inside. "Rajan worked security for the Exiles for five years. He knows how these meetings work, how people mov
Chapter 8 – The Shadow Faction
Kael spent three days recovering in a safe house Dorian had arranged.It wasn't much. A rundown apartment in the warehouse district, barely furnished, with windows that didn't close properly. But it was hidden, and that was all that mattered.His ribs hurt with every breath. His ankle was swollen. The burn marks from Valtor's attack still covered his chest.But he was alive.Dorian visited every day, bringing food and medical supplies. He didn't say much. Just checked Kael's injuries, made sure he was healing, and left.On the fourth day, Dorian brought someone else."Kael, this is Mira," Dorian said, gesturing to the woman behind him.She was small, maybe five foot four, with dark hair cut short and sharp brown eyes that seemed to take in everything at once. She wore a leather jacket and carried herself like someone who'd seen too many fights."You're the Draven kid," Mira said. It wasn't a question."That's me," Kael replied.She looked him over, unimpressed. "You don't look like mu
Chapter 7 – The First Major Enemy
Kael spent the next week training with the gauntlet.It wasn't easy. The power inside him felt wild, unpredictable. Sometimes it responded to his will. Other times, it surged on its own, nearly overwhelming him.Dorian pushed him hard. Every morning before dawn, they met in an abandoned warehouse on the edge of the city. Dorian would attack him, force him to defend, make him use the power until he collapsed from exhaustion."Again," Dorian would say.And Kael would get up and try again.By the end of the week, he could summon the blue energy at will. Not for long, and not with much control, but it was progress."You're getting better," Dorian admitted on the seventh day. "But you're not ready for what's coming.""What is coming?" Kael asked, wiping sweat from his face."Someone who's been looking for you. Someone dangerous." Dorian's expression was grim. "He served your family once. A long time ago. Now he hunts anyone with Draven blood.""Why would he hunt his own people?""Because y
You may also like
The Least Common Denominator
MokouFriedChicken25.8K viewsREBIRTH OF A WARRIOR
Highpriest 18.2K viewsGame of the Destiny
Yahya_I20.1K viewsThe Awakened Arcane Legacy
Paul_okito22.4K viewsThere Are No Heroes
Semilir452 viewsSupreme Ancestor
Kingfisher16.9K viewsMason’s Revenge
Kenneth Esther 1.2K viewsHELL: The Dark Lord In City
Riddhi1.6K views