Kael woke to silence.
The fire had long since died, leaving only faint embers glowing in the ash. The forest around him was still, cloaked in a heavy mist that clung to the ground like a warning. His body ached from the previous day's travel, but something felt… off.
He reached out instinctively to the space beside him.
Empty.
"Elara?" he called softly.
No answer.
He sat up, heart beginning to pound. Her bedroll was gone. No footprints. No sign of struggle. Just absence.
A chill ran down his spine—not from the cold, but from something deeper. Something primal.
He stood, scanning the trees. The cursed sword on his back pulsed faintly, sensing his unease. He didn't know why, but dread was clawing at his chest. Elara never wandered off without saying something. Not even to gather herbs. Not even to scout.
Then he saw it.
A scrap of cloth snagged on a branch. Her cloak.
And beneath it, a note pinned with a dagger.
"Come alone. She's waiting."
Kael's breath caught. His fingers trembled as he pulled the note free. The handwriting was jagged, rushed. The dagger was familiar—mercenary steel.
He clenched his jaw.
The mercenary had found them.
And he had taken her.
...
Kael ran.
The forest blurred past him, branches clawing at his cloak, roots threatening to trip him. His breath came in ragged bursts, each one sharper than the last. The cursed sword pulsed against his back, sensing his fury, his desperation.
He didn't stop until he reached the clearing.
And there she was.
Elara lay crumpled on the ground, her body bruised and battered. Her cloak was torn, her skin pale. Black veins crawled up her neck like ink spilled across parchment. Her chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths.
Kael dropped to his knees beside her. "Elara," he whispered, voice cracking.
Her eyes fluttered open. "Kael…" she rasped.
A slow clap echoed through the trees.
The mercenary stepped into view, his armor gleaming in the moonlight, a cruel smile carved across his face.
"You're late," he said.
Kael stood, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. "What did you do to her?"
The mercenary shrugged. "She resisted. I had to teach her a lesson."
Kael's knuckles turned white. "You poisoned her."
"Spider venom," the mercenary said, holding up a small vial. "Rare. Lethal. She's got ten minutes, maybe less."
Kael's heart pounded. "Give me the cure."
The mercenary twirled the vial between his fingers. "You want it? Trade me the sword."
Kael hesitated.
Elara stirred. "Kael… don't…"
He looked down at her, then back at the mercenary. "I'll do it."
The mercenary laughed. "How funny. The grumpy boy who didn't care about anyone is now trading his soul for someone he just met."
Kael didn't respond.
The mercenary tossed the vial into the air—and caught it. "But there's a catch. You have to beat me first."
Kael drew his sword. "Then I'll beat you."
...
Steel screamed against steel.
Kael lunged, his blade slicing through the air. The mercenary blocked with ease, countering with a brutal strike to Kael's ribs. Pain exploded through his side, but he didn't stop.
He swung again—missed.
The mercenary slammed a fist into his jaw. Kael staggered, blood spraying from his mouth.
"You're weak," the mercenary sneered. "You always were."
Kael roared and charged again. Their blades collided, sparks flying. The mercenary twisted, catching Kael's arm—crack.
Kael screamed.
His sword dropped.
The mercenary kicked him in the chest, sending him crashing into a tree. He collapsed, coughing blood, vision swimming.
"You can't win," the mercenary said. "She's dying. And you're pathetic."
Kael looked at Elara. Her eyes were half-closed. Her skin was turning gray.
He pushed himself up, trembling.
"I'll trade the sword," he said again. "Just give me the cure."
The mercenary smiled. "Beat me first."
Kael picked up his sword with his good arm. His broken one hung uselessly at his side.
He charged.
The fight became a blur of pain.
Kael's leg snapped under a brutal kick. He collapsed, screaming. Blood poured from cuts across his body. The mercenary laughed, circling him like a predator.
"She's got five minutes," he said. "You're running out of time."
Kael crawled forward, dragging his broken body across the dirt. He looked at Elara—her lips were blue now. Her breath shallow.
He clenched his fist.
"I won't let her die," he whispered.
The cursed sword pulsed.
Feed me.
Kael hesitated.
Then he let go.
Dark energy erupted from the blade, enveloping his body. His eyes turned black, his veins glowing with eerie light. The pain vanished. Replaced by hunger.
He stood.
The mercenary's smile faltered. "What… what are you?"
Kael didn't answer.
He attacked.
...
Kael moved like a shadow.
The cursed energy wrapped around him, whispering promises of vengeance. His broken body no longer felt pain—only hunger. His blade glowed with a sickly black aura, pulsing with rage.
The mercenary swung first.
Kael dodged.
Then he struck.
The sword tore through flesh, slicing the mercenary's arm clean off. Blood sprayed across the clearing. The mercenary screamed, stumbling back, clutching the stump.
Kael didn't stop.
He slashed again—cutting through the man's leg. The mercenary collapsed, howling.
"You… monster…" he gasped.
Kael stood over him, breathing heavily, eyes burning with fury.
"Give me the cure," he said.
The mercenary laughed.
A broken, manic laugh.
"There is no cure," he said. "I threw it away. Hours ago."
Kael froze.
"What?"
The mercenary grinned through the pain. "She was never going to live. I just wanted to see you break."
Kael's sword trembled in his grip.
"You lied…"
"I wanted to see the look on your face," the mercenary said. "And it's beautiful."
Kael's hands shook. His breath came in ragged bursts. Despair clawed at his chest.
"Why?" he whispered.
The mercenary's eyes gleamed. "Because the world is cruel. And the strong prey on the weak."
Kael hesitated.
Then he raised his sword.
And brought it down.
The mercenary's head rolled across the dirt.
Kael dropped to his knees beside Elara.
Her skin was pale. Her breath shallow. Black veins pulsed across her body. Fever burned her cheeks.
He lifted her head gently into his lap.
"Elara," he whispered. "I'm taking you back. We'll find help."
She smiled weakly. "Kael… it's spider monster venom...a very strong one. You can't find a cure in the city. Even if you had gold… no one would give it to you."
Kael trembled. "There has to be something…"
She shook her head. "It's okay."
She moved her trembling hand towards him.
He held her hand tightly.
"I don't understand," he said. "Why do I care so much? I barely know you."
Elara chuckled, coughing blood. "Because I'm the first person who didn't treat you like some cursed child."
Kael looked down, tears streaming. "I liked your laugh. The way you acted like the world wasn't falling apart."
She smiled. "I wanted to be free. Even if just for a little while."
Kael nodded. "You were."
She looked up at him, eyes glassy. "Can I tell you something?"
He nodded.
"My village was very far away from here, it was a peaceful village. I lived with my parents and younger sister."
She coughed.
Well that peace was destroyed when the wraiths attacked," she said. "My parents died trying to protect us and buy time for us to escape, but how could I leave them to die just like that?"
"But I was too weak so I had to obey. I ran with Elowy, my sister, and we saw them getting torn apart, the screams and blood being spilt. Seeing my parents and friends dying in front of me killed something inside me."
"I tried to cover Elowy's eyes with my trembling hands, but I couldn't. We were just 10 and 9 years old, how could we experience such a scene? So I ran with her and never looked back."
Kael listened, silent.
"How unlucky were we to run into a group of bandits? We were caught by them and sold in the slave market. I tried as hard as I could to protect her, hugged her and told her everything would be okay..." she sobbed. "And then they took her...I tried to stop them… but I was too weak, too fucking weak, I was fragile like a glass that could be broken with any slight push compared to those men."
She coughed again, blood staining her lips.
"I never saw her again."
Kael's grip tightened.
"How cruel can you be to sell someone as a slave like cattle, no matter what race, it is just wrong," she said
"I was sold to a merchant, a fat disgusting motherfucker who liked young girls", she said, her voice filled with disgust. "He… hurt me and raped me. Over and over. I tried and really tried to stop him. I screamed, cried, but he never stopped. It seemed like he enjoyed my wailing. Then I stopped crying. I stopped feeling. I became he is disgusting plaything"
Kael's body trembled.
"At thirteen, as if the world decided to bless me after all the suffering, I awakened. I killed him since he was not an awakened, it was much easier, I tortured him, cut all his limbs, fingers and his pathetic and disgusting male organ that he probably used to rape other girls before me, so I took revenge for them."
She spoke with disgust in her tone."You should have seen his face, begging me for his life, fucking pig."
"I thought I'd feel something after killing him, but I didn't, I just felt empty."
She looked at him. "Then I met you."
Kael couldn't speak.
"I hated men," she said. "But you… You were different. You were pure. Even with that cursed sword."
Kael's tears fell freely.
Kael's forehead touched hers, and he hugged her, saying, "I am so sorry for what happened to you. I did not imagine that you had carried such a dark past; you always looked so carefree with that smile. If-if-if I knew, I'd have treated you so much better. I'm so sorry, Elara."
She touched his face with her bloody hands. "Don't apologize, silly, you did nothing wrong, hehe, despite you being grumpy, I always always felt safe and comfortable around you, thank you for that."
Kael's tears ran down more.
"I'm sorry for trauma-dumping," she whispered. "But can you promise me something, Kael?"
He nodded. "Of course, anything."
"Try smiling more, don't always be so grumpy at everything, try to enjoy your life more."
She chuckled. "You're cute when you smile."
Kael laughed softly, through tears. "Okay..." his voice breaking, "I promise you I will smile more and look at things differently, even though it is gonna be hard, I will do it."
She reached into her cloak and pulled out a necklace. Inside was a tiny picture—two blonde girls, smiling.
"Find her," Elara said. "Find Elowy."
Kael took the necklace, voice trembling. "I promise I will find her no matter what."
She smiled.
"Thank you…"
"I really wish I could stay longer, but I can't anymore. I really wish to travel and spend more time with you, seeing you go strong and go to the academy together, I really do."
"I don't want to die, Kael." she trembled and sobbed weakly.
Those words hurt more than any cut on his body, and seeing her crying was like he was getting stabbed in the heart a thousand times.
"I am so scared of what is on the other side, I'm scared of death."
"It is okay, I'm here," Kael said.
She looked at him.
"As for my last request...will you please embrace me before I go?"
"Of course..." Kael hugged her so tightly and caressed the back of her head.
She felt so warm being wrapped in his arms.
BA-DUM, BA-DUM, BA-DUM.
Her fear slowly faded away just as her vision slowly darkened.
A lot of the best memories of her short life flashed through her eyes.
The ones of her parents praising her after she made a drawing of them, another of her playing with her sister and lastly, the ones of her short time with Kael.
BA-DUM, BA-DUM.
Kael heard her heart beat slowly, slowing down.
BA-DUM.
"Thank...you..." Elara whispered for one last time.
"..."
Then silence.
Her hand that was gripping his went limp and loosened its grip.
Her chest stopped rising.
The silence was so suffocating. The fact that he would not be able to hear her voice again hurt him even more.
Kael stared at her face; she had that same sweet smile on her face.
Even in death, she still smiled. She looked to be at peace...
His chest hurt so much because of that smile.
The tears couldn't stop falling.
She...she is gone.
Only the sobs of a boy could be heard in the silent forest.
...
Kael held her body for hours.
Kael didn't leave right away.
He stayed with her body long after the moon had dipped below the trees.
The cursed sword rested at his waist, silent now, as if mourning too.
He dug the grave with his bare hands.
Each handful of earth was a prayer. A scream. A memory.
When it was done, he laid her gently into the hollow, wrapping her in her cloak. Her face was peaceful now, as if the pain had finally let go.
He took her staff—the one she always carried, carved with runes and worn from travel—and stabbed it into the soil above her grave. It stood tall, like a sentinel. A monument to her strength.
Then Kael looked down at the necklace in his hand.
The tiny picture inside showed two brown haired girls, smiling in a world that no longer existed.
He didn't bury it.
He placed it around his neck, the cold metal pressing against his chest like a vow.
"I'll find her," he whispered. "Elowy. I swear it."
The forest was silent.
No monsters came.
No wind stirred.
It was as if the trees themselves bowed their heads.
Kael stood slowly, the cursed sword heavy at his waist.
He didn't smile.
Not yet.
But he would.
Someday.
He turned and walked into the mist, leaving behind the grave, the staff, and a piece of his heart.
He buried her beneath the silence, but carried her memory in the weight of a promise.
The story of the girl who smiled despite the cruelty of the world has finally ended.
**********
A/N: I went all out for this chapter, trying to make it as impactful as possible. I was even holding back not to cry;-;
Tell me what you think!