The journey to the forgotten kingdom began before sunrise.
Kael walked beside Seraphina through the ancient forest of Aurelian, but his mind was far away.
Too many questions filled his thoughts.
For eighteen years, he had believed he was powerless. He had watched other nobles display their magic while he stood in silence, pretending that their insults did not hurt.
But now he knew the truth.
He was never without power.
His power was simply waiting.
"Why didn't you tell me before?" Kael asked.
Seraphina continued walking.
"Because you were not ready."
Kael frowned.
"Ready for what? To know who I am?"
"Ready to carry the weight of knowing."
The old woman stopped beside a river covered with glowing flowers.
"Power is not what makes someone strong, Kael. The choices they make with that power do."
Kael looked at the reflection of his face in the water.
"I don't feel like an heir."
Seraphina looked at him.
"That is why you may become a better one."
Before Kael could answer, the river began to change.
The water turned dark.
A strange sound echoed from beneath the surface.
Seraphina immediately stepped in front of him.
"Stay behind me."
Kael grabbed his sword.
"No."
The old woman looked surprised.
"You still don't understand the danger."
"Maybe not," Kael replied. "But I know running away will not reveal the truth."
For a moment, Seraphina said nothing.
Then she smiled.
"Your father would have said the same thing."
Kael froze.
"My father?"
Seraphina looked away.
"One day, you will learn everything about him."
The water exploded.
A creature rose from the river.
Unlike the Shadowborn, this creature looked almost human. It wore broken armor and carried an ancient blade covered in dark energy.
Kael felt something familiar.
The echo.
The creature looked at him.
"The heir..."
Its voice was weak and painful.
"You have returned."
Kael stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
The creature lowered its weapon.
"I was a knight of Elysium."
Seraphina's face became serious.
"No..."
The knight looked at her.
"You remember me, keeper."
The old woman gripped her staff.
"You were lost during the fall of the kingdom."
The knight laughed sadly.
"We were all lost."
Kael looked between them.
"What happened to him?"
Seraphina answered quietly.
"When Elysium fell, many warriors were corrupted by darkness. Some became monsters."
The knight looked at Kael.
"But some of us waited."
"Waited for what?"
"For the return of the heir."
The knight removed his helmet.
A scar crossed his face.
"My name is Arven. I served your family before the kingdom was destroyed."
Kael stared at him.
"Why help me?"
Arven looked at the glowing mark on Kael's hand.
"Because I failed your father once."
Silence filled the forest.
"What do you mean?"
The knight lowered his head.
"When the kingdom was attacked, your father ordered me to protect you."
Kael's heart raced.
"You knew me?"
Arven nodded.
"You were only a baby."
The world seemed to stop.
"My father saved me?"
"Your father sacrificed everything for you."
Kael looked down.
All his life, he had wondered why he was different.
Why he was hidden.
Why everyone treated him like he did not belong.
But now he understood.
His family had not abandoned him.
They had protected him.
A sudden darkness covered the sky.
Seraphina looked upward.
"We have to move."
Arven grabbed his sword.
"They know we found the path."
Kael looked around.
"Who?"
The knight's expression became cold.
"The servants of the one who destroyed Elysium."
The ground shook.
From the distance, a figure appeared among the trees.
A person wearing a black cloak.
Unlike the Shadowborn creatures, this person looked human.
The stranger smiled.
"How touching."
Kael stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
The figure removed his hood.
A familiar face appeared.
Someone Kael had seen in the royal records.
Someone who should have been dead.
Seraphina whispered in horror:
"No..."
The stranger smiled.
"Hello, nephew."
Kael's eyes widened.
To be continued...