I'm nineteen now.
Four years have passed since the war. Four years since Mazza and Amera vanished. Four years since we buried Dixon and Cast at the falls.
In that time, we rebuilt everything.
The land of Valstar became our new home. We constructed a city from nothing—walls, homes, markets, training grounds. We called it the Kingdom of Forsaken, though it's less a kingdom and more a city that behaves like one.
No throne. No crown.
Just leaders.
The Council
I am the head leader.
Jax commands the city guard—defense, patrols, internal security.
Flake protects the outer lands—scouting, border defense, threat elimination.
Cedric, the blue knight, and Cole, the gold knight, lead the military arm. They may not possess the same magic we do, but they trained elite chasers into disciplined knights. Their loyalty is unshakable.
Jack oversees the rear defenses and runs intelligence. If someone needs to be questioned, he handles it.
Together, we protect the northern territories from anything that threatens peace.
The Citizens
Our people came from everywhere.
Refugees from fallen kingdoms. Survivors of Mazza's reign. Families looking for safety.
They chose Forsaken because they believed in what we were building.
Many of them are armed now—not with blades, but with guns. Strange weapons. No magic in them. Just metal, fire, and lead. Collectors brought them from distant lands. Some call them "gun chasers," but that's a joke. There's nothing mystical about pulling a trigger.
Still, the weapons work.
And in a world still healing from war, that's enough.
Home
I sat on the edge of my bed, silk sheets beneath me, staring at the wall.
My room was simple. A nightstand. A window. A letter I hadn't opened in weeks.
Downstairs, in the living room, sat my newest companion—a phoenix egg. It hadn't hatched yet, but I checked on it daily. Phoenixes were rare. Valuable. A symbol of rebirth.
Fitting, I suppose.
The door opened.
Jax walked in, smiling faintly.
"The bandits were caught," she said. "They tried to steal goods from some travelers."
I looked up. "That's the sixth attack this week. Why do they want the goods so badly?"
"No idea. But Jack's interrogating them now."
I stood. "I'll see them myself. Tell Jack to squeeze as much as he can before I arrive."
She nodded. "Will do." She paused at the door. "It's nice to see you today."
"Same here."
She left.
The Letter
I walked to the nightstand.
The letter sat where it had been for weeks. Unopened.
The front read: "From Manner."
My mother's name.
The first time I received it, I froze. Memories I had buried for over a decade clawed their way back to the surface.
I set it down.
Backed away.
And walked out.
The Jail
On my way to the prison, citizens waved and greeted me. I returned each one without slowing.
At the entrance, Jack met me.
"They're from the Kingdom of Mere," he said. "Started this life after the kingdom fell. They've been raiding supply routes ever since."
I nodded slowly. That kingdom had fallen during Mazza's reign—when I was still under his control.
"Thank you. Stay at your post."
I walked inside.
The jail was crowded.
Criminals from across the land filled the cells—thieves, traitors, deserters. Most had been caught by Flake during her patrols.
I approached the guard. "Where are the bandits?"
"Back cage. Right side."
I found them easily.
And stopped.
A familiar face sat among them.
"Well," I said. "The Bandit Bunch. I didn't think Flake could catch you. You're supposed to be sneaky."
The leader—Zamu—smirked. "Flattered you've heard of us."
"Your streak of robberies is famous. Hard to miss." I leaned closer to the bars. "Why are you targeting our supply routes?"
He leaned back, crossing his arms.
"No reason. We just do what we do. Rob."
I studied him.
He wasn't going to talk.
"Then you're guilty of robbery and assault," I said. "You'll be here a long time."
I left without answers.
Flake
I rode out past the gates to find her.
It didn't take long.
Bodies flew through the air ahead of me—bandits, tumbling and groaning.
Flake sheathed her sword and turned as I approached.
"Found more of them," she said. "These ones terrorized a nearby town."
"Good work." I dismounted. "Do you know what the Bandit Bunch was trying to steal earlier?"
"Food, mostly. The leader kept insisting they were innocent, but he couldn't prove it. So I brought them to Jack."
"Thank you. Bring these ones to the jail too."
She nodded. "See you later."
The Letters
When I returned home, two more letters sat on my doorstep.
I froze.
My hands trembled as I picked them up.
The first read: "From Neuro."
My father.
The second: "From Tasarrow."
I opened Tasarrow's letter first.
"This message is to the Leaders of Forsaken. Our town is under attack by southern invaders. Please—whoever receives this—help us. We need you."
I moved immediately.
Cedric received his orders within the hour: take twelve knights to Tasarrow and defend the town until the conflict was resolved.
He departed before sunset.
I informed the other leaders. If invaders were pushing north, war might follow.
The Kingdom of Bane
I borrowed knights from Cole and guards from Jax.
We rode south.
The Kingdom of Bane was the second most powerful territory in the land. If they were behind the attacks, I needed to know.
The ride was long but uneventful. When we arrived, the King of Bane stood waiting—mounted on a horse, his army assembled behind him.
I didn't dismount.
"You will pay for invading our allies," I said.
The King sneered. "You come here to threaten me? Don't expect us to back down."
He raised his sword.
Archers took position along the walls. Flaming arrows filled the sky.
I activated my knight armor.
Cast a shielding spell.
The arrows struck—and vanished. Absorbed into the barrier like stones into water.
The King's eyes went wide.
"You will do well to listen," I said calmly. "If you attack us—or any of our allies—again, I will come for you personally."
I let that hang in the air.
"And I will kill you."
His face turned red. His body trembled.
I turned my horse and led my men home.
The Truth
By the time we returned, night had fallen.
I went straight to my room.
Sat on the bed.
And finally opened the letters.
From Manner (Mother):
"Hello. This is Manner. This message is to my son.
I want to Inform you that I am aLive. The main message is that your homeLand is no more. It was attacked by two people—a man and a woman. They killed everyone who remained. But your father and I Made It out alive.
We are comiNg TowArds The cIty of Forsaken in two weeks.
See you soon, son."
I stared at the page.
My parents were alive.
And they were coming here.
From Neuro (Father):
"This is Neuro. This message is for the leader of Forsaken—my son.
What is wrong with you? Why did you run away, you little brat? You caused us so much trouble. When we get there, you're going to get it. I mean it."
I set the letter down.
My hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Of my two parents, my father had always been worse. Cold. Violent. A drunk who beat me for reasons I never understood.
At least my mother showed something—even if it was distant.
Him? Nothing.
I didn't sleep that night.
The Border
Morning came too quickly.
I sat downstairs, eating leftover pork, staring at the table.
Jax walked in.
"News," she said. "The southern territory built a border. They're cutting off all goods coming from their region."
I exhaled slowly. "That's going to be a problem."
She studied me. "What's wrong?"
I looked up.
"My parents are coming. In two weeks."
Her eyes went wide. Her mouth opened and closed.
"WHAT? How are they—where were they—why are they—"
"I don't know." I raised a hand. "We'll deal with it when the time comes. Right now, we need a new supplier."
She steadied herself. "You're right. Let's focus."
The Conference
I gathered the leaders in the conference hall—a large room with a table, chairs, and guards. No thrones. No ceremony. Just decisions.
"The southern territory has cut us off," I began. "We need new sources for goods. Ideas?"
Flake spoke first. "We ask around. North, west, east. Someone's willing to trade."
Cedric added, "I found a kingdom on my way back from Tasarrow. They have resources."
Cole nodded. "I know a man named Claude. Runs a resource-hunting service. If we pay well, he'll deliver."
Jack shook his head. "I haven't left the city recently. I don't have contacts."
I considered each option.
"Cole—find Claude. Make a deal."
He nodded.
The meeting ended.
The Artifact
As the others left, Cole lingered.
"There's something else," he said quietly.
I waited.
"A distant town was attacked. Man and woman. Both using magic."
My blood went cold.
"You think it's them?"
"I do." He reached into his coat and pulled out an object. "One of my knights found this at the site."
A pyramid.
Gold edges. Obsidian center. Red eyes on every face.
I took it carefully.
"I had it examined," Cole continued. "The decipherer said it predates Mazza. It belonged to a group called... the Illuminati."
I stared at the artifact.
"Put it in the vault," I said. "With the others."
He nodded and left.
The Code
I climbed to the leaders' chamber—a room built to store important correspondence.
I retrieved my mother's letter.
Read it again.
And noticed the strange capitalizations.
Inform. aLive. Land. But. Made. It. comiNg. TowArds. To. The. cIty.
I pulled out a blank page.
Wrote down only the capital letters.
I-L-L-U-M-I-N-A-T-I
The paper slipped from my fingers.
The Illuminati.
That's who my parents had been running from.
That's who they were warning me about.
Jack walked in.
"What's wrong?"
I looked at him.
"Something bad is about to happen."