Night was slowly growing darker.
The forest stretched on in silence. There was no village, no settlement. Just dense trees, darkness, and the whisper of wind.
The merchant sat in his carriage with his son. Both were quiet.
Behind them, two wagons loaded with goods followed at a steady pace, each guided by a worker who kept his eyes forward and his mouth shut. A third held the reins of the merchant's carriage, steady and unhurried. They were not fighters, and they had never needed to be.
At the front rode Arthur in heavy armor, sitting perfectly straight on his horse. His eyes never stopped moving through the dark. No fatigue, no restlessness — just cold alertness.
To the left of the carriage rode Leo in leather armor, hand resting on his sword hilt, silent as stone. To the right was Jack, loaded crossbow in hand, eyes jumping at every sound like a man who had seen one too many dark forests.
Behind the carriage rode Clad, sitting a little too comfortably on his horse. A soft blue light drifted between his fingers and his eyes were closed.
He had always traveled like this.
---
The wind shifted.
Branches swayed hard. Black clouds thickened across the sky until the darkness felt close and heavy. Then a deep rumble moved through the forest, and the horses grew restless.
The merchant looked up. "Arthur."
Arthur pulled his reins.
"Would it be safe to camp here?" the merchant asked. "Or should we push on? I don't want a repeat of last night."
Arthur scanned the treeline. "I'll check the area."
He dismounted. Despite the armor, his footsteps made no sound. He moved to a gap in the trees, planted his sword into the earth, and closed his eyes.
A faint blue wave rippled out from the blade — spreading through the ground, past roots and trunks and undergrowth, washing over the surrounding area in silence.
After a moment, he opened his eyes.
"Did you pick up anything?" he asked, turning toward Clad.
Clad opened his eyes and shook his head. "Nothing. No corrupted energy. The area is clean."
"Good. Set up a perimeter."
---
Everyone moved.
The workers climbed down without a word. Wagons were parked side by side, the tent staked into the ground, dry wood gathered and stacked. Once done, they slipped back into their wagons without a sound. No fuss, no questions.
Clad released a small spark from his palm. The wood caught instantly — a controlled flame, just enough for warmth.
The merchant, his son, Leo, and Jack gathered under the canopy. The boy's eyes kept drooping, though he was still fighting to stay awake.
The air had grown colder.
A light drizzle began.
Jack held out his hand, felt the drops, glanced around. Said nothing. Leo stood at the edge of the canopy, eyes on the dark. Arthur sat near the fire with his gaze somewhere far away.
Then the blue light between Clad's fingers went still.
His face changed.
"Wait."
Low. Quiet. But it stopped everything.
Jack's crossbow came up instantly.
"What is it?" Arthur's hand moved to his hilt.
"Something's there." Clad's eyes were fixed on the bushes ahead. "Very faint — but there's magical energy. It just flared."
Arthur's jaw tightened. "Impossible. I scanned the entire area. There was nothing."
"I know." Clad didn't look away. "But it's there now."
Their eyes met.
Arthur glanced back. "Leo, Jack — stay here."
Leo went still. Jack kept the crossbow aimed at the dark.
---
Arthur drew his sword. Blue light ran along the blade.
The two of them moved toward the bushes without a sound. Clad lit a dim glow on his fingertip. They pushed the branches aside —
And stopped.
---
From under the canopy, the merchant watched his two most experienced men stand completely frozen.
The drizzle was getting heavier.
"What's there?" he asked quietly.
Arthur turned. His grip tightened on the hilt.
"A child."
The merchant's eyes narrowed.
"...A child?"
---
In the dim light, a small boy lay unconscious on the ground. Clothes torn. Fresh cuts on his knees and elbows — like he had been running hard and fallen.
"How did this not show up in my scan?" Arthur asked.
Clad dropped to one knee and held his hand over the boy. Blue light spread outward from his palm.
A moment later, his eyes went wide.
"A seal." His voice had dropped. "Whoever hid this child wove an illusion of the highest order. Your pulse passed straight over it."
He looked up slowly.
"But the seal is breaking now — and his energy is leaking out. That kind of energy, in a forest like this, is like a..."
He didn't finish.
His gaze had moved past Arthur. Fixed on something in the dark behind him.
"Arthur!"
---
A veteran's body moves before his mind does.
Before the warning fully left Clad's lips, Arthur gripped his sword with both hands and swung — hard, blind — into the darkness behind him.
The air split.
*SLASH.*
A horrible shriek tore through the trees.
Warm blood hit his armor.
The silence was gone.
---
**[Chapter 1 — End]**