The borderlands village lay in silence. Smoke drifted from cold hearths, and families knelt in the square, bodies jerking as if unseen ropes dragged them down.
A man collapsed to his knees, choking. "Please—make it stop! These chains are tearing through me!"
A woman beside him gasped, clutching her chest. "It feels like something's crushing me from inside!"
Mira's fists clenched. "They're being forced down… just like the others."
Draven's gaze hardened. "Phantom shackles."
At the center stood a Dominion handler, gripping a shackling rod glowing with runes. Heavy iron chains wrapped around a massive Ironhide Rhino beside him. The beast strained, foam dripping from its jaws, muscles twitching under the rod's command. The runes burned like brands into its hide.
The handler's voice rang sharp. "Stay down! Crawl if you must, but you will not rise without the Dominion's word!"
Mira started forward, but Draven raised his hand. His voice carried, calm and steady.
"No one deserves chains. A bond is only true if it's chosen."
The handler sneered and thrust the rod high. "Obey me, beast! Crush him—trample the Chainbreaker!"
The Rhino bellowed, forced forward.
Stonehide leapt to meet it, horns slamming against claws in a crack that shook the square. The ground split under their clash.
Feyra's vines lashed through the soldiers, dragging men down. The Raven's cry split the sky as lightning scattered steel.
Draven stood firm. The Codex manifested at his side, pages glowing as they turned. His voice rang clear.
"These chains won't hold. Not while I'm here."
Light spread out from the Codex. The phantom shackles snapped like breaking glass. Villagers fell gasping, clutching their arms.
One man staggered upright. "The chains… they broke! I felt them snap!"
A woman shook her head, tears in her eyes. "They weren't real, but they cut deeper than any rope."
Mira's voice trembled. "They looked like nothing, but they held you all the same."
Draven's gaze stayed on the handler. "The Dominion calls them phantom shackles. To everyone else, they're just invisible chains."
The Codex pulsed, words flickering across the page in fire.
"Phantom shackles bind. The unseen breaks with choice."
The villagers whispered it, almost afraid. "Phantom shackles…"
The handler snarled, forcing the rod higher. "Obey me, beast! Kill him!"
The Rhino staggered, eyes red with pain, body quivering. For a heartbeat it lurched toward Draven—then it stopped. A guttural roar split the air.
Chains burst apart, runes cracking as sparks showered the square. The beast swung its massive head.
The handler screamed, but the horn struck full in his chest. His body lifted and slammed against the stones, blood spraying. The rod shattered beside him.
Steam hissed from the Rhino's nostrils as it stamped the earth until the ground cracked. For the first time it stood free. Slowly, it turned toward Draven, lowering its horn—not in submission, but in choice.
The Codex opened to a blank page. Light poured from the beast, etching its form in glowing lines. A new page burned into being:
"Ironhide Rhino — Noble+
Horn burns as forge-iron.
Hide endures as living steel.
Tremor Stomp steadies allies, scatters foes."
The Rhino's horn glowed red like molten metal. Its hide hardened with a dark sheen, every plate gleaming like hammered steel. When it stamped its hoof, the ground shook, steadying the allies near it.
A blacksmith stepped forward, soot still clinging to his arms. "Name's Joran. Been at the smithy since I was a boy. That horn—glows like fresh-forged steel. Never thought I'd see that shine on a beast."
The Rhino tossed its head at the praise, snorting loud and proud. A few villagers laughed nervously. Mira covered her mouth, smiling.
"Did it just show off?"
Draven shook his head. "Seems even freed beasts like to be admired."
The Codex flared one last time.
"Chains fall. Choice awakens. The freed rise higher."
The Ironhide Rhino bellowed, the sound rolling across the village like thunder.
The soldiers who could still stand fled in panic, dragging their wounded.
An elder stepped forward, leaning on his staff. His voice was rough but steady. "Name's Brenn. I've seen many winters under the Dominion's grip. Tonight I saw it break. We'll remember this."
Draven answered, voice firm. "I didn't free you so you'd kneel again. Stand. Walk on your own feet."
The people rose.
Joran crossed his arms, still staring at the beast. "Men might argue about words. But when a beast grows stronger the moment it's freed… nobody can deny that."
Draven's gaze swept the villagers, his words simple and steady. "Your chains are gone. No mark decides your worth anymore. From this day on, you choose your own steps."
The square filled with voices — some weeping, some calling him Chainbreaker. Above them, the Ironhide Rhino stood tall, horn glowing red, tossing its head proudly every time someone praised it.
💖 Enjoying the story?
👉 Support me on Patreon: patreon.com/sa2quasar