It was a good morning—bright, clear, and unusually warm for the season. A soft breeze danced through the estate, rustling the garden leaves. Birds chirped somewhere beyond the walls.
Today was the day we set out for Velhalen.
Uncle Ardyn, my father's brother and the kingdom's greatest swordsman, had returned after months away and sent a letter inviting me. His tone was ridiculous as always—half teasing, half affectionate.
Mother hugged me tightly before we left. "Stay safe, Ashirion. And don't lose this." She pressed a charm into my hand.
Father gave me his usual stoic nod. "Watch the roads. Don't let your guard down."
"I won't," I assured them.
Serianna stood by the carriage, arms crossed and scowling. She clearly hated not being allowed to scout ahead. But she would ride with us, not in front. Much to her irritation.
My twin sisters, as expected, were the loudest.
"Onii-chaaan! Don't come back with a wife!"
"Bring us sweets! And shiny things!"
I just chuckled, waved, and stepped into the carriage. The horses set off, wheels creaking softly beneath us.
---
The journey began peacefully. The road snaked through green hills, and the scent of pine and fresh dirt followed us as we moved.
Serianna rode alongside, her eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.
"You could relax for once," I called through the window.
"Relax and let you get stabbed? No thanks," she replied flatly.
The guards chuckled.
The journey went normally without any problem for 3 days , but the next day we went through a bigger and starange forest, the scenery grew wilder. Trees thickened. The road narrowed.
One guard turned in his saddle. "We're entering the outskirts of the Harthwood."
I nodded, not feeling particularly worried. Until something snapped overhead.
Arrows.
A volley rained down like death from the canopy. Shouts erupted. Horses neighed.
"Ambush!" a guard screamed, just before he collapsed under a wave of violet mist.
The mage.
He cast something strange—thick, toxic fog that numbed the body and blurred the mind. I felt my knees give. My head hit the carriage floor.
Only Serianna stood.
She launched into the fray like wildfire, her flames devouring blades, melting steel. But there were too many.
Wounds appeared—slashes across her thigh, a stab near her ribs. Her breath grew ragged.
I watched helplessly as she dropped to her knees.
And then—
Something in me broke.
The world bent.
A terrible silence fell. The air turned heavy, dense with something ancient and furious.
A man screamed as his body twisted in the air—snapped like a twig.
Then another. And another.
There were no incantations. No gestures. Just pressure. Will. Rage.
The forest floor ran red.
The mage froze, then vanished into the trees in pure panic.
Then, nothing. Silence reclaimed the woods.
---
When I came to, I was lying beside the carriage.
The guards were stirring. Confused. Groggy.
Serianna was bandaged and breathing—barely.
One guard rubbed his head. "someone must've saved us. A powerful one... whoever it was."
"Yeah... those bandits were flattened," another muttered.
No one looked at me.
The towers of Velhalen glowed in the distance under the evening sun.
I could still feel the magic humming beneath my skin. Whatever had awakened… it wasn't gone.
Not yet.