---
Night was slowly growing darker.
The forest stretched on in silence. 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 one guided by a worker who kept his eyes forward and his mouth shut. A third worker held the reins of the merchant's carriage, steady and unhurried. They were not fighters. They were never needed to be.
At the front rode Arthur — heavy armor, sitting perfectly straight on his horse. His eyes never stopped cutting through the darkness.
No fatigue. No restlessness.
Just cold alertness.
To the left of the carriage rode Leo — leather armor, hand always resting on his sword hilt, silent as stone.
To the right was Jack. Loaded crossbow in hand, eyes darting at every sound like a nervous hunter 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 flickered between his fingers and his eyes were closed.
He had always traveled like this.
---
The wind shifted.
Tree branches swayed hard. Black clouds thickened across the sky until the darkness felt suffocating.
Then a deep rumble rolled through the entire forest.
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 for a moment.
"I'll check the area."
---
He dismounted.
Despite the heavy armor, his footsteps made no sound on the ground. He moved to an open spot where the trees stood a little further apart, planted his sword into the earth and closed his eyes.
A faint blue wave rippled out from the blade — spreading through the ground, past bushes and trees, washing over the entire area like a silent radar.
After a few moments Arthur 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 quickly.
The three workers climbed down without a word — wagons were parked side by side, the tent was staked into the ground, and dry wood was gathered and stacked near the fire pit. Once their work was done, they slipped quietly back into their wagons. No fuss. No questions.
Clad released a small spark from his palm — dry wood caught fire instantly. A controlled flame, just enough for warmth.
The merchant, his son, Leo and Jack all gathered under the canopy near the fire.
The boy's eyes kept drooping with exhaustion, though he was fighting to stay awake.
The air had grown colder.
Then — a light drizzle began.
Jack held out his hand, felt the drops, glanced around.
He said nothing.
Leo stood at the edge of the canopy — eyes fixed on the darkness beyond.
Arthur sat near the fire, but his gaze was somewhere far away.
---
Then the blue light flickering between Clad's fingers suddenly stopped.
His face hardened.
"Wait."
His voice was low — but it cut through the air like a blade.
Everyone froze.
Jack's crossbow snapped up instantly.
"What is it?" Arthur's hand moved to his sword hilt.
"Something's there..." Clad said, eyes locked on the bushes ahead. "Very weak... but there's magical energy. It just flared up."
Arthur's brows tightened. "Impossible. I just scanned the entire area. There was nothing."
"I know." Clad's voice carried the same confusion. "But it's there now."
Their eyes met.
Arthur glanced back at Leo and Jack. "You two — stay here."
Leo stiffened without a word.
Jack kept his crossbow aimed at the dark.
---
Arthur drew his sword.
A sharp 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 both of them stopped dead.
---
From under the canopy, the merchant watched as his two most seasoned men stood completely frozen.
The drizzle was getting heavier.
"What's there?" the merchant asked quietly.
Arthur turned.
His grip tightened on the hilt.
"A child."
The merchant's eyes narrowed.
"...A child?"
---
In the dim magical light, a small boy lay unconscious on the ground.
Clothes torn to shreds. Fresh cuts on his knees and elbows — like he had fallen while running hard.
"How did this not show up in my scan?" Arthur asked in disbelief.
Clad dropped to one knee. He held his hand over the boy and blue light spread outward.
A moment later — his eyes went wide.
"A seal..." he whispered. "Whoever hid this child wove an illusion of the highest order. Your pulse washed right over it, Arthur."
He looked up slowly.
"But the seal is breaking now — and his true energy is leaking out. That energy, in a forest like this, is like a..."
Clad's words didn't finish.
His eyes suddenly went wide with fear.
His gaze fixed on something just behind Arthur —
Deep in the darkness.
"Arthur!"
---
Arthur didn't waste a single second.
A veteran knight's body moves before his mind does.
He gripped his sword with both hands and without looking — swung a blind strike with full force into the darkness behind him.
The air split.
*SLASH!*
A horrible shriek rang out through the trees.
And in the next moment —
Warm, reeking drops of blood splattered across Arthur's iron armor and face.
The silence had been broken.
---
**[Chapter 1 End]**
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