The jungle air was thick with the scent of blood. Cedric wiped his hands clean, the dark energy dissipating from his fingertips as he glanced down at the slain elemental beast. Its body twitched slightly, remnants of its former power crackling like dying embers before fading into the void.
Dumbar exhaled, stretching his arms with satisfaction. "That was too easy," he muttered, nudging the corpse with his boot. "These creatures always think they stand a chance."
Cedric was quiet, eyes sharp as he surveyed the area, ensuring no unnecessary witnesses had wandered too close. The Axgard clan had long mastered the art of secrecy—their power was forbidden, and anyone who saw too much had to be erased.
"You were slow with your strikes," Cedric remarked finally, not bothering to look at his companion.
Dumbar scoffed. "I was enjoying myself. You just have no patience."
Cedric narrowed his gaze but said nothing. It didn't matter. The kill had been clean, the energy harvested efficiently. Soon, they would return to Axgard territory and bring their offering back to the elders.
Then—a rustle.
A human noise.
A presence.
Both warriors turned sharply.
Cedric's expression hardened.
Dumbar's smirk vanished.
There—half-hidden behind the undergrowth, was Kai.
His breath was shallow, his body tense with the unmistakable energy of someone who had seen too much.His clothes were torn, dirt and sweat clinging to his skin like a second layer. His eyes flickered between them and the dead creature, realization dawning in his widened pupils.
Cedric stepped forward, movements slow, calculated. "You shouldn't be here," he murmured.
Kai stiffened.
Dumbar cracked his neck, his grin returning, but this time—it was not friendly. "You saw, didn't you?"
Kai forced himself to breathe. "I—didn't see anything."
Dumbar chuckled. "That's a lie."
Cedric's voice was colder now. "Tell me, do you know of the Axgard clan?"
Kai hesitated—too long.
Dumbar took a step forward, his fingers twitching, dark energy beginning to coil at his fingertips. "Answer him."
Kai swallowed hard. His mind screamed at him to escape, but his body refused to obey. "No," he said quickly. "I don't know who you are. I was just—lost."
Cedric's gaze was unreadable. "And yet, you've seen something that shouldn't be known."
Kai knew.
They weren't going to let him leave.
He turned sharply, sprinting
Branches whipped against his skin as he tore through the jungle, breath coming fast, every muscle screaming for survival.
But he was too slow.
The ground beneath him twisted.
Darkness surged from the earth, curling like living shadows, wrapping around his ankles *efore he even registered the trap**.
Kai crashed forward—face hitting the dirt, limbs trapped in the suffocating grip of Axgard's power.
Dumbar sighed. "I hate when they run."
Cedric approached, gaze void of emotion. "It was a mistake," he murmured.
Kai fought, thrashing, trying to pull himself free—but the darkness squeezed harder.
Pain erupted.
Then—Cedric raised a hand.
Kai's world exploded.
A sickening force slammed into his chest, sending agony ripping through his ribs. The impact threw him backward, his body colliding with the jungle floor like a broken doll.
Blood filled his mouth.
His limbs felt wrong.
He blinked up at the sky—his vision blurring, the outlines of leaves and moonlight bleeding together.
Dying.
He was dying.
Footsteps.
Voices—distant.
Dumbar scoffed. "We should've made it quick."
Cedric didn't respond. He simply turned, stepping away, leaving the broken boy behind.
Kai barely managed to breathe.
His thoughts—fractured, slipping.
And then—
His mother.
Her voice.
Her warmth.
The memories clawed into his mind, breaking through the veil of encroaching darkness.
He had failed her
He had promised to return.
Promised to awaken.
Promised—to be something more.
And yet, here he was.
Bleeding. Alone. Forgotten.
His fingers twitched, grasping at the dirt beneath him.
His chest burned.
His heartbeat—weak.
But his rage—
Endless.
He thought of Xaren, the nobles, Cedric, Dumbar—all of them.
Kai's breathing was shallow, his body refusing to move, but his mind—his spirit—still burned.
He could feel the weight of death pressing against his chest, creeping into his veins, preparing to claim him. The jungle was silent now, the trees unmoving, as if the world itself was waiting for him to fade.
But he refused to go quietly.
He forced his lips to move, his voice barely a whisper, but sharp enough to slice through the still air.
"In my next life…" He inhaled slowly, the taste of blood heavy on his tongue. "I will make them suffer."
Pain flared through his limbs, his vision blurring—but he pressed on.
**"I will tear down everything they built… every throne, every kingdom, every legacy they hold dear."
He exhaled shakily, his pulse weak but his rage unbroken.
"I swear… on my blood, on my soul… I will return."
Then—something shifted.
A pulse.
A tremor in the air.
His **eyes** burned.
His vision sharpened—too sharp, too unnatural.
Then—they changed.
The dull brown of his irises melted away, replaced by something ancient, powerful, divine.
His pupils elongated, stretching into narrow slits, reptilian, predatory—not human.
The color deepened, swirling into molten gold, edged with streaks of crimson fire.
The light flickered in his gaze, like flames dancing behind shattered glass.
The moment lasted only seconds.
Then—darkness swallowed him whole.
And Kai was gone.