The forest felt eerie as Arcanos returned home, the thick canopy above barely allowing sunlight to penetrate. His steps were quiet on the damp earth, though his heart pounded in his chest. The dilapidated house loomed before him, a sad silhouette against the fading light. The structure was barely standing—its roof sagged under the weight of age, wooden beams warped from time and neglect. Ivy and moss clung to its crumbling walls, and shattered windows allowed the cold wind to whistle through. It was an abandoned relic on the outskirts of Khyronia, forgotten by the world, just like he and Luna.As he approached the threshold, Arcanos immediately sensed something was wrong. The air felt heavy, tense. The makeshift arrangement he and Luna had painstakingly set up over the last few days was destroyed. The table, once their only furniture, lay on its side, its legs snapped. Broken pieces of crockery littered the ground, crushed underfoot as if someone had stormed through in a fit of rage.His breath caught in his throat as dread settled over him. His eyes darted around the room, but there was no sign of Luna. Panic rose in his chest."Luna?" he called, his voice a shaky whisper.There was no response. His heart raced as he frantically moved from room to room, but the wreckage only grew worse. His sister was nowhere to be found. He froze, staring at the shards of a small mirror Luna had treasured. It lay on the floor, cracked and smeared with dirt. The sight of it broke something inside him.She's gone. Someone has taken her.A sickening realisation gripped him—Valak's men had found them. The thought of his sister, captured by Valak's ruthless forces, was almost too much to bear. His hands shook as fury bubbled up inside him, but fear tempered his rage. If they had taken her to Valak's fortress, she was as good as dead.But there was no time to waste. He needed help, and he knew exactly where to find it.A Few Hours EarlierLuna stood on the sagging porch of their new home, her eyes scanning the horizon. The sun was beginning to set, casting an orange glow over the forest, but it did little to calm the growing anxiety in her chest. Arcanos had left hours ago, and though he'd promised he'd be back before dusk, there was still no sign of him. She bit her lip, brushing a lock of hair from her face as she stared into the fading light.Her breath hitched when she saw movement in the distance. A figure was emerging from the trees. Relief flooded through her, but it quickly turned to confusion. The silhouette was too tall, too broad to be her brother. As the figure moved closer, Luna's heart began to race. It wasn't Arcanos.It was a man. Dressed in a long black cloak, his face obscured by the hood, he moved with a predatory grace. Fear seized her as more figures appeared behind him, all dressed similarly in dark armour. Each bore the insignia of Valak's forces—red and silver emblems emblazoned on their chest plates, marking them as the tyrant's elite soldiers.Her pulse quickened. There were too many of them to count, at least ten, maybe more. They moved silently, their footsteps muffled by the damp earth. But it was the man in the front who drew her gaze. He was taller than the others, his armour more ornate, with intricate designs etched into the metal. His hood fell back as he approached, revealing a cruel, angular face framed by short, dark hair. His eyes glinted with malicious intent, and his lips curved into a smirk as he locked eyes with her.Luna's blood ran cold. She recognised him from the stories—Ryker, Valak's eldest son, and one of the most feared men in the kingdom. His reputation for brutality rivalled even that of his father.She stepped back, her body trembling. She knew she had to run, but her legs felt heavy, rooted to the spot in fear."You can run if you like," Ryker said, his voice low and mocking, "but it won't make any difference."Luna spun around and bolted into the house, her heart hammering in her chest. She could hear them behind her—the sound of their boots pounding against the ground as they pursued her. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she raced through the darkened corridors of the house, her mind screaming at her to run faster.But they were faster. Stronger. She barely made it out of the back door before Ryker's hand closed around her wrist, yanking her back with a force that sent her crashing to the ground. She cried out as pain shot up her arm, but she couldn't stop. She had to escape.Before she could get to her feet, Ryker was on her. His cold, cruel eyes met hers as he drew a short sword from his belt. Without a word, he slashed at her shoulder, the blade cutting through her skin with ease. Luna screamed, clutching her wound as blood soaked through her clothes. The pain was overwhelming, but Ryker showed no mercy. He grabbed her by the hair, pulling her up to face him."Valak wants you alive," he sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "But if you give us trouble, I might have to break a few rules."He slapped her hard across the face, the force of the blow sending her staggering. Tears welled in her eyes as she fought against the terror rising in her chest. The other soldiers closed in around her, their faces hidden beneath their helmets. She was trapped. There was no escape.Without another word, they bound her hands and dragged her through the forest. Her vision blurred with pain and fear, her mind numb to the horrors that awaited her in Valak's fortress.Present TimeArcanos's fists clenched at his sides, his heart pounding with rage and fear. Luna was gone, and there was no question who had taken her. Valak. The tyrant who had taken everything from them—who had destroyed their lives. Arcanos's breath came in shallow gasps as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. He wanted to storm Valak's palace and tear it down brick by brick. He wanted to make them all pay for what they had done.But he wasn't strong enough. Not yet.He couldn't rely on raw emotion to save his sister. He needed help—real help. And there was only one place he could get it.Modred and Malachi.He turned on his heel and set off through the forest, his pace quickening with each step. The wind howled through the trees, whipping through the branches as darkness settled in. The journey to Modred's home wasn't far, but the weight of what had happened to Luna made every step feel like a thousand.As he neared the clearing where Modred and his father lived, something caught his attention—a rustling in the bushes. Arcanos's instincts kicked in, and he slowed his pace, his eyes scanning the darkness around him.Out of the shadows, seven men appeared, their faces obscured by dark masks. They moved with deadly intent, their weapons gleaming in the moonlight. Arcanos barely had time to react before they were on him.One of them swung a sword at his head, and Arcanos ducked just in time, the blade whistling past his ear. He lashed out with his fists, striking one of the men in the stomach, but it wasn't enough. They were too many. Too strong.He fought back with everything he had, but for every blow he landed, two more came at him. His body ached from the impact of their strikes, blood trickling down his face as he struggled to stay on his feet. He tried to summon his magic, but nothing happened. Panic surged through him—he was powerless.One of the men raised his sword, ready to strike the final blow.