"The Blighted?" Kael murmured again, as if the name itself left a taste of ash in his mouth.
Bram shoved his sword into its scabbard with a huff. "You've been saying that for an hour. You planning to explain it, or just keep sounding mysterious?"
Kael didn't answer right away. The morning mist curled around his boots, pale and restless. "Old story," he said finally. "About men who lost themselves to power. They stopped being human… and became something else."
"Something else," Bram repeated, chewing on the words. "That supposed to comfort me?"
"No." Kael's tone was dry. "It's supposed to warn you."
Bram tossed the last of his apple core into the mud. "You could've started with that instead of the cryptic act."
Kael didn't smile this time. "Would you have listened?"
Bram shrugged. "Probably not."
They walked on. The village behind them shrank into the fog—its burnt edges and broken fences swallowed by the gray. By the time the last rooftop vanished, the road had turned to packed soil, and the forest loomed ahead like a black mouth.
---
The forest swallowed them whole.
Sunlight barely pierced through the thick canopy. Roots coiled like sleeping serpents across the ground, and the air carried a damp, mossy weight that muffled sound.
"Still think this was a good idea?" Kael murmured.
"Quiet," Bram said. "You hear that?"
They both stopped.
Silence.
Even the birds had gone mute.
Kael's fingers twitched near his weapon. "Something's watching us."
"Probably your paranoia," Bram muttered, but his hand slipped toward his hilt anyway.
Then—rustle.
Kael moved in a flash, blade slashing into the thickets.
"Whoa—Kael! What the hell—?!"
A snarl tore through the bushes as a beast lunged out—low, sleek, skin like burnt bark and eyes faintly glowing red.
"A Ravager hound," Bram hissed. "That's low-tier but dangerous."
Kael's voice stayed flat. "Shouldn't be here."
The hound lunged again. Kael sidestepped, blade slicing once. The creature dropped, body smoking with faint embers from his strike.
Bram kicked the corpse. "You always this dramatic?"
Kael wiped his blade clean. "So much for your 'shortcut.' Guess we get a workout instead."
"Ha-ha. Real funny." Bram scanned the shadows, uneasy. "That thing's habitat is miles east. What's it doing here?"
Kael didn't answer. The wind had stopped again.
---
A low growl echoed through the trees. Then another. Then dozens.
Bram's shoulders tensed. "Please tell me that's your stomach."
Kael's voice hardened. "No."
Shapes began to emerge—wolf-lings, vinehounds, ember serpents slithering from the shadows. Their eyes—every single one—glowed an eerie purple.
They didn't attack at first. They watched.
Bram swallowed. "Why are they just standing there?"
Kael's jaw clenched. "They're waiting."
"For what?"
The beasts' eyes flashed. All at once—they pounced.
Blades clashed. Fire erupted.
"Left!" Kael barked.
Bram ducked under a wolf-ling's jaw and slashed through its neck, his blade igniting crimson fire. Kael spun beside him, his aura flaring orange-gold, slashing clean arcs that cut through scales and hide like paper.
"Vinehounds—front!" Bram shouted.
Kael thrust his palm. Flames spiraled forward, coiling into a burning vortex that consumed the first line of beasts. The air sizzled.
"Since when did your fire look like that?" Bram yelled, sweat streaking down his temple.
"Since now," Kael growled, stabbing through an ember serpent's skull. "Focus!"
Minutes stretched. The forest filled with screams and firelight. When silence finally returned, the clearing was a battlefield of smoking carcasses.
Both men stood panting, blades still glowing faintly.
Bram spat blood, dropping to one knee. "Damn it. Why didn't our blades cut through at first?"
Kael stared at his sword. "They dealt no damage until we used colour magic."
Bram frowned. "So... they're resistant to normal steel?"
"I don't understand it myself," Kael murmured, kicking a corpse over. All the beasts—wolf, serpent, vinehound—had the same thing in common.
Their eyes were purple. Still faintly glowing, even in death.
"Different breeds," Bram muttered. "Same eyes. That's not natural."
Kael's gaze darkened. "It's like they were hiding. Waiting for something."
"Or following us," Bram said quietly.
The silence that followed carried weight.
---
They started walking again—slower this time. The forest felt tighter, air heavier.
Then Kael stopped.
"What is it now?" Bram asked, annoyed.
Kael's eyes were fixed ahead. "Smoke."
Bram squinted. "Where?"
Kael lifted a finger toward the tree line—above the horizon, a thick black plume rose, curling into the sky.
Bram frowned. "That's… the village."
Kael's tone dropped, cold. "Bram… the village."
Bram tried to laugh it off. "Relax. Maybe it's a festival fire. You know how villagers—"
"No," Kael cut in sharply. "The bodies_"
"Bodies?" Bram blinked. "You can't see that far, Kael."
Kael's breathing slowed. His pupils dilated, almost glowing. "Yes… I can. I can see the square. The streets are empty. The smoke—it's coming from human bodies."
Bram's humor faltered. "That's impossible. You're not a hawk."
Kael took a shaky step back. "Then why can I see that far?"
---
The wind shifted. Kael looked down at his hands.
His veins glowed faintly—streaks of colour pulsing beneath his skin. Tightening with each pulse.
"Bram… something's happening." Kael whispered, pain gripping his body.
"What—what's wrong with your hands?"
"I don't know." Kael clenched his fists. The air shimmered around him. Sparks danced off his fingertips. "It's like—like everything inside me is burning."
He released it.
A burst of flame exploded outward, scorching the nearby roots.
"Damn—Kael!" Bram shouted, jumping back. "You trying to roast me alive?!"
Kael stared at the fire. It burned hotter, brighter, more alive than any colour magic he'd ever summoned. "This isn't normal."
Bram glanced at his own sword. The crimson glow along its edge pulsed brighter too. "Wait… mine's reacting too."
Kael turned toward him. "That's not coincidence."
Bram grinned nervously. "You think it's from killing all those beasts?"
"Beasts don't boost power like this," Kael said. "Not for mercenaries. But maybe…" His voice darkened. "Maybe we're not ordinary mercenaries anymore."
Bram barked a laugh. "Then let's hunt down more magical beasts and see if the theory works. If it does, we can exchange their heads for some cool cash."
Kael gave a short laugh. "You'd turn anything into a business."
"Hey, power's nice. Fame's better." Bram sheathed his sword with a grin. "The antisocial Mercenary and his dashing sidekick."
Kael shook his head. "You're insufferable."
They laughed—short, easy, trying to ignore how the air itself trembled around Kael's aura.
Then he froze.
---
Kael's laughter died. His gaze unfocused, like he was seeing something far away.
"Kael?" Bram asked.
Kael's voice cracked low. "The village… it's actually burning!"
Bran stumbled forward, panic gripping his tone. "what in the world happened down there"
Bram caught his arm. "Kael, stop—"
But Kael jerked free and bolted.
"Kael!" Bram shouted, sprinting after him.
Branches whipped past as Kael tore through the forest, speed blurring the world. Bram's lungs burned as he tried to keep up.
"Since when are you—this—fast?!" Bram wheezed. "Wait up!"
Kael didn't slow. His focus was absolute. His steps left faint scorch marks on the ground.
Bram cursed under his breath, forcing more colour into his limbs. His vision sharpened, his hearing spiked—suddenly, he could see Kael clearly even at that distance.
"What's happening to us?" he breathed.
Then came the sound.
A low, guttural growl that didn't belong to any beast they'd faced.
The ground shuddered. Birds scattered in a frenzy. Trees trembled as something massive stirred behind them—something that reeked of blood and magic and hunger.
"Kael!" Bram yelled, spinning back, sword half-drawn. "Something's coming!"
Kael didn't answer. His eyes were locked on the rising smoke ahead. "It'll have to wait."
The growl deepened—a roar that split the forest like thunder.
They vanished through the trees—toward the burning horizon.
Behind them, the shadows moved.
And from within the darkness, a colossal form lifted its head—eyes glowing the same impossible purple as the beasts before.