Chapter 11 – The Echo of Shadows
– The Silence After the Blood
Kael was sitting among the trees, his daggers stuck in the ground, his hands covered in dry blood.
The massacre of Nyxarion's men still burned in his mind like an unquenchable fire.
The forest was calm… but inside him, there was only storm.
—"I… I killed them all…" —he murmured with a broken voice.
His breathing quickened, memories struck him: the screams, the torn flesh, the metallic stench.
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– The Dark Whisper
A murmur, almost imperceptible, slipped into his mind.
"More blood… more power… You and I are the same, Kael. You were born to destroy."
The shadows at his feet trembled, spreading out as if trying to engulf him.
Kael clenched his teeth and held his head.
—"Shut up! You're not me!"
The whisper laughed, low and cruel.
"You can resist now… but sooner or later, you will call for me."
---
– The Void
Days later, Nyxarion's generals searched tirelessly through the forest.
They checked every corner, sniffed out the dry blood, interrogated villagers.
—"Nothing remains," —one of them growled, frustrated—. "It's as if the Black Wolf never existed."
The rumor began to fade. In taverns and villages, people stopped talking.
Fear turned into silence.
The Black Wolf became a ghost.
---
– The Years of Shadow
Kael never appeared again. He hid from the world, burying himself in the forest alongside the memories of Elyndra.
He trained alone, perfecting his skills with daggers, the fire and wind magic his master had taught him, and the darkness that pursued him like a curse.
There was no laughter, no companionship.
Only the echo of Elyndra's voice and the weight of his oath:
"I will bring down all that stands in my way… I will revive my clan… even if I must walk among shadows."
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– The Farewell
Time passed. The forest changed, and so did he.
From a lost child, Kael became a seventeen–year–old youth.
One morning, standing before the house where he had lived with Elyndra, he remained silent.
The wood was worn, covered in moss, but it still held the warmth of a home that no longer existed.
—"Master…" —he whispered, his throat tight—. "Thank you… for giving me a place, for teaching me to fight, for being my mother when I had nothing."
His eyes grew wet. He touched the door one last time, as if still expecting it to open and see her smiling at him.
As he turned and began to walk away, the wind blew strongly through the trees. Among the whispers, a familiar voice reached him.
"You are not alone, Kael… I will always be with you."
Kael froze, eyes wide. Tears ran down his cheeks, but he smiled faintly.
—"I know, master… I know."
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– The New Path
Kael kept walking, leaving behind the house that had been his refuge.
Each step drew him further from his childhood and closer to the world that awaited him.
The wind caressed his face once more, as if pushing him forward.
There was no turning back.
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– Cliffhanger
Far away, in Nyxarion's fortress, the villain studied a map with a frown.
—"Years… and not a single trace of the Black Wolf…" —he muttered in frustration.
But deep within his instincts, he knew:
That boy was not dead. That monster would return.
And as the sun rose over the horizon, Kael moved forward, carrying the weight of his oaths… and the birth of a new legend.
To be continued…