The flames devoured the walls of Olthar Palace,
while the sky rained ash instead of water.
The screams of women, the clash of steel, the crumbling towers—
all of it declared the end of glory.
In the heart of this hell, Vann ran.
His face was smeared with blood and dust,
his leg throbbed with pain,
and his mind refused to grasp the truth—
everything he had ever known was burning.
Suddenly, from within the smoke, a massive shadow emerged,
walking with calm, unhurried steps—
as if death itself meant nothing to him.
Vann froze in place when he heard the unmistakable, thunderous voice:
> "Rise, prince... It is not your time to die."
He slowly raised his head…
and saw the man even soldiers dared not look at directly.
Sir Kaiden Rovahl—the Black Knight.
The living legend of Valdera.
Said to be undefeated, a nightmare whispered by northern knights to frighten their children.
A deep scar ran across his face, from his eye down to his chin.
His black armor reeked of old blood and ancient wars.
> "The Black Knight..."
Vann whispered, hardly believing he still lived.
Kaiden grabbed the wounded prince's arm and pulled him forward without looking back.
> "The king is dead. The throne has fallen.
But you haven't... not yet."
He carved a path through the bodies of invaders and rising flames,
his long blade harvesting souls with terrifying ease.
He didn't speak.
He didn't shout.
He simply killed—
as if darkness itself fought beside him.
They escaped through the eastern gate,
reaching a hidden passage behind the royal stables.
Even there, Kaiden didn't pause.
He opened a stone gate and led Vann to the horses.
> "Where are we going?"
Vann asked, bleeding and breathless.
> "To the forest," Kaiden replied.
"Where greed cannot reach,
and no one dares to follow."
They rode together under a pale moon,
away from the flames that consumed Valdera.
.
Neither spoke along the way,
but Vann's heart knew one thing for certain:
This night would change everything.
In the depths of the Druan Forest,
where survival was the only law,
Vann's new life began—
under the watch of the Black Knight.
He escaped the fire, but the real battle was just beginning.