Ace moved quietly through the jungle, patrolling as he had done countless times before.
The forest was calm—until the sound of panic reached him.
Metal rattled. Horses screamed.
Ace broke into a run.
Ahead, a royal cart lay half-destroyed on the forest path, surrounded by Evil Eyes. Two soldiers were already dead, their bodies motionless on the ground. The king stood with his sword drawn, desperately trying to protect the queen as the creatures closed in.
Ace didn't hesitate.
Raising his hand, he chanted a single spell.
Flames erupted.
In an instant, the Evil Eyes were reduced to nothing but scorched shadows. Not one remained.
Silence followed.
The king and queen stared at Ace in shock—alive only because of him.
That night, Ace was invited to the palace.
The royal family insisted that Ace and his family attend a grand royal dinner, one that would be shared with rulers from other kingdoms. Word of the boy who wielded fire spread quickly.
Ace accepted.
When he returned to the forest and told Vargan and Darian, Darian's face lit up with excitement.
"That's amazing!" he said. "You saved the king!"
But Vargan didn't smile.
Instead, his single eye darkened.
"You will go," Vargan said slowly. "Darian and I will stay here and protect the forest."
Ace nodded, though unease stirred within him.
The next day, Ace was summoned to the palace.
There, he met the prince—the future king, set to inherit the throne in a week's time. The prince's expression was polite, but his eyes told a different story.
Cold. Jealous.
"You claim to be strong," the prince said. "Prove it."
He ordered Ace to enter a cave overflowing with Evil Eyes.
Ace understood immediately.
This wasn't a test.
It was punishment.
Still, Ace bowed and left without argument.
Back in the forest, the sun climbed high—but Ace never arrived for mountain training.
At first, Darian shrugged.
"He's probably patrolling."
But Vargan stood still, sensing the air.
"I can't see his energy," Vargan said.
Darian turned sharply.
"What?"
Vargan clenched his fist.
"Something is wrong."
Far away, deep within the darkness of the cave, Ace walked forward—unaware that he was stepping into a trap designed not to test his strength…
…but to erase him.