The battlefield went still the instant Druaka's body struck the ground. Screams froze mid-shout. Men and women, soldiers and ogres alike, paused in horrified disbelief. Time itself seemed to hold its breath.
Kael didn't move at first. His gaze, locked on Druaka, burned with a fury that made the air around him ripple. The chaos magic inside him reacted instinctively, coiling and writhing in his veins like a living thing. Shadows leapt from the earth, snaking around him, merging with his form until sinew, scale, and claw erupted from within.
Wings unfurled in a deafening gust. His body elongated, muscles thickened, and horns curved skyward. Black and red scales glimmered like molten metal under the sunlight. His eyes, molten with rage, scanned the battlefield. A roar tore from his throat—a sound that shattered morale and split the sky.
The enemy froze. Their formations crumbled before Kael even moved. Arrows clattered harmlessly off his scales. Spears bent or shattered as he swiped them aside. Horses bolted, men fled in terror, stumbling over their fallen comrades, their fear palpable. Every face turned pale, every weapon trembling in hand, every heart seized by panic.
Kael moved. He didn't hesitate. He became a whirlwind of shadow and fire, claws tearing through armor, wings smashing soldiers aside, teeth snapping through shields as if they were paper. Every swing of a limb, every beat of his wings left devastation in its wake. The battlefield became a nightmare of screaming men, splintered weapons, and scorched earth.
The enemy commander, once so confident, paled beneath Kael's gaze. He barked orders that went unheeded, his soldiers scattering like leaves in a storm. Panic spread faster than any blade could strike. Soldiers turned on one another in blind fear. Some fell to the chaos magic surging from Kael's form, shadows lashing and fire burning with precision guided by his wrath.
Kael's claws raked through ranks, tearing men from the ground and crushing shields effortlessly. Shadows spiraled around him, slamming into soldiers like living weapons. Spears, swords, and axes became meaningless toys against the overwhelming might of the dragon.
The enemy commander tried to flee, but Kael's wings carried him faster. He landed before the man, claws sinking into the earth, shadows curling around his foe. The commander's sword wavered uselessly as Kael's hand wrapped around him, crushing the armor and bones beneath. He struggled, his eyes wide with sheer terror, but Kael's power left no escape.
One motion. Snap. The sound of the commander's neck breaking echoed like thunder. The battlefield went utterly silent, save for the distant cries of scattered survivors. The army, broken and leaderless, fled in panic, tripping over corpses, their morale shattered beyond repair.
Kael's chest heaved, wings folding slightly as he began to shrink back into his humanoid form. Scales faded into skin, claws retracted, and shadows dissolved into nothing. But as he looked around, something struck him harder than the enemy's defeat.
The Hollow.
His people.
The faces staring back at him weren't full of awe or admiration. They were wide-eyed, horrified. Fear. Terror. He had become a monster in their eyes—an unstoppable force of destruction, utterly consumed by rage. Children clutched their parents, soldiers hesitated, and even the council members looked shaken to their core.
Kael's fists clenched, rage now mingled with shame. He had protected them. He had destroyed their enemies. But at what cost?
The Hollow was safe, yes. But Kael realized, with a cold pit forming in his stomach, that he himself had become a danger to those he loved. The fire of chaos magic still pulsed in his veins, unspent, raw, uncontained.
Without a word, without waiting for anyone to speak, Kael leapt into the air. His wings caught the wind, propelling him toward the woods beyond the Hollow. Fear, anger, and shame drove him deeper into the forest, away from the eyes of those he had sworn to protect.
Behind him, the battlefield lay in ruins. The enemy was scattered and broken. His people were safe, yes—but they looked at him as though he were the true threat.
And Kael let the wind carry him, lost in the fear and fury of a power he hadn't yet mastered.