The city was silent.
Not the peaceful kind—but the heavy silence that presses on people after a disaster. Smoke still floated in the air, mixing with dust and the faint metallic scent of broken metal and cracked stone.
Buildings leaned like tired giants. Streets were torn apart. Flames flickered where energy attacks had struck. Yet even in the ruins, people clung to life—injured, bleeding, shaken, but alive.
Alive because two figures had taken on a monster none of them could comprehend.
The shadowed warrior.
And the man everyone believed was just Liora's father.
The murmurs spread quickly:
"That wasn't normal strength."
"He fought like a legend from the old stories."
"Who fights a monster like that without abilities?"
"That shadow… that thing—what was it?"
But before confusion could become curiosity, both fighters vanished in an instant—speed breaking the sound barrier.
And only a few seconds later, a scream ripped through the survivors:
"Liora's gone!!"
Panic replaced relief.
The heroes saved the city—
but they took Liora with them.
---
Far Away — The Chase
The world blurred into streaks of color as Kaelith sprinted with inhuman speed, carrying Liora in his arms.
Her hair whipped across her face.
The wind slapped her cheeks.
Her voice struggled against the pressure.
"W–where… ARE… you taking meeee—!"
Her words snapped apart in the rushing air.
Then—
BOOOOM.
The ground behind them detonated.
Kaelith stiffened.
Liora twisted—barely—and her heart nearly stopped.
Her parents were behind them.
Running.
Fast.
Too fast.
They weren't just closing the distance—
they were catching up like predators who had locked onto their target.
Her father's expression was frighteningly calm.
Her mother's eyes were sharp, cold, focused.
Liora felt her stomach drop.
Who ARE my parents?!
Then Kaelith's voice echoed inside her head, frustrated and breathless.
'Why are you so heavy? Damn it—they're almost on us.'
Liora forgot about the situation for half a second.
'I AM NOT HEAVY.'
Kaelith ignored her indignation.
'Why are you made of bricks—'
'ANSWER my question! Why are we RUNNING?'
'Because of your parents.'
'WHY are we running away from my parents?! You're literally kidnapping me!'
Kaelith didn't respond.
He couldn't.
His thoughts were too loud—
and through the bond, Liora heard flashes of them.
—If she dies, I die.
—If I open a portal, the woman will hijack it. I can FEEL it.
—I can't fight. Not now. Not while still recovering.
—Not again. Not another trap. Not another death waiting behind a smile—
Liora frowned.
'Kaelith… what happened to you before?'
He tightened his grip slightly.
'Nothing you need to know right now. Hold on.'
---
Flashback — Kaelith's Last Memory Before the Necklace
Darkness.
Chains.
Cold air biting into his skin.
He remembered a woman's voice—soft, gentle, terrifying.
"Shadow Prince… you've caused enough chaos."
He remembered smiling at her, even while bound.
"I wasn't done yet."
Then came the pain.
The spell.
The crushing force.
He remembered the faint outline of her silhouette—
someone impossibly powerful.
Then nothing.
Only the endless sleep inside the necklace.
---
Kaelith forced the memory away. Now wasn't the time.
But the fear lingered.
Liora felt it all through the bond.
---
"STOP!"
Her father's command shook the air.
Kaelith nearly tripped.
Fifty feet behind.
Forty feet.
Thirty—
WHOOSH!
The earth twisted beneath his feet—her mother's technique.
He stumbled—
but instead of letting Liora fall, he twisted midair, slamming onto his back while keeping her safe in his arms.
The impact rattled his bones.
The world spun for Liora.
Her vision blurred into static before settling.
And when she finally blinked—
Her father stood before them, a black dragon-lined sword in his grip.
Kaelith rose slowly, shadows curling around him, forming a mask over his mouth and jaw.
He looked feral.
But fear still clung to him like night dew.
Then—
"STOP!"
Liora's scream exploded through the clearing.
Both men froze instantly.
Her father lowered his sword.
Kaelith's shadows stilled.
Both appeared before her in less than a second.
She pointed at her father.
"Dad, WHAT are you doing?! How are you this strong and fast? And why is Mom—"
She pointed at her mother, who was calmly sharpening blades like she was preparing for a hobby class.
"—why is Mom THROWING KNIVES like she's in an assassin tournament?!"
Kaelith nearly snorted.
"Looks like the jig is up, old man."
Her father shot him a warning glare that could kill a weaker man.
Kaelith pretended not to notice.
Her mother sighed softly and approached Liora.
Kaelith instantly shadow-stepped behind Liora, using her as cover.
'If she moves wrong, I'm gone. I don't trust that woman.'
Liora didn't blame him.
Her mother hugged her gently.
"My baby girl… you are old enough now."
Old enough for what?
Liora swallowed hard.
Her mother stepped back, her expression shifting into something ancient and heavy.
"It's time you learned the truth. The full truth."
The air shifted.
Her mother disappeared—
and in the next instant, four clean slices echoed like whispers.
A tree collapsed in perfect pieces.
Wood shaped itself into elegant chairs.
Her father sat first.
Her mother sat beside him.
Liora sat slowly, heart pounding.
Kaelith… stayed standing.
Her parents didn't offer him a seat.
He didn't ask.
Cold sweat covered him.
'They're going to kill me. I just know it.'
He positioned himself behind Liora again—like a shadow guard.
Her parents exchanged a look—a silent agreement.
Her mother inhaled deeply.
"Liora… before we explain who we are… there's something you must understand."
Liora's breath caught.
Her mother continued.
"Everything we hid… was to protect you."
---
Flashback — When Liora Was Born
A soft cry echoed in a hidden sanctuary made of crystal walls and floating symbols.
Her mother held newborn Liora gently.
Her father stood over them, exhausted from battle, covered in scars that healed slowly with golden light.
A woman robed in white spoke solemnly.
"This child carries both your bloodlines. She must be hidden."
Her mother looked devastated.
Her father looked furious.
"We will not abandon our daughter," he growled.
The robed woman touched Liora's forehead as glowing markings formed.
"Then mask your power. Mask her lineage. Mask everything."
Her mother nodded, tears falling silently.
Her father placed his hand over Liora's heart.
"We will protect you, little star."
---
Back to Present
Liora blinked fast, overwhelmed.
"Mom… Dad… what ARE you?"
Her mother exhaled slowly.
"You will learn it all. But first."
Her father pointed at Kaelith.
"This one. He needs to know what he is dealing with."
Kaelith stiffened.
Liora glanced at him.
"Sit."
Kaelith grumbled—and obeyed.
Shadows curled protectively around him like a blanket.
Her father leaned forward.
"Kaelith, Shadow Prince… you should have stayed sealed."
Kaelith's eyes widened.
"You— you know who I am?"
Her mother smirked slightly.
"We knew before you were even born."
Kaelith paled.
Liora's eyes widened.
Her mother looked at her daughter with a sad smile.
"And you, Liora… you are not who you think you are either."
The world froze.
Her breath stopped.
Her father continued, voice heavy.
"You are… the heir to two forgotten bloodlines. The kind that once shaped worlds."
Liora felt her heartbeat in her ears.
Kaelith stared at her in shock.
Her mother touched Liora's cheek gently.
"My love… your destiny was never meant to be simple."
The wind stilled.
The air held its breath.
And the truth…
was only just beginning.