Kellan walked through a few shady streets, making sure he was far enough away from the inn. His eyes wandered over the roofs and alleys, and finally he sighed softly, closing his eyes, and his silhouette, which had only just been clear in the night light, seemed to fade. A random passer-by, if he had looked in that direction, would have seen only the shadows of no movement, no figure. Kellan vanished into the darkness, like a spirit that had returned to its domain.
The empty fish market was perfectly quiet, broken only by the occasional creaking of boards in the stalls that were not well attached. The air still carried a faint smell of salt and fish, although the traders had left the place many hours earlier. Kellan appeared in the middle of the square, just as suddenly as he had disappeared before. His movements were almost silent, and his presence was difficult to feel. He looked at the row of buildings surrounding the market. Finally, his eyes rested on one of them on the building of the destroyed orphanage.
On the surface, the place looked as if it was barely holding together: the ruined shutters, the crumbled roof, and the shabby walls painted a picture of misery and despair. However, Kellan knew it was just a façade. Something much viler was hidden under this wall. The gang that controlled the orphanage used the children not only as cover, but also as a labor force for messengers, pickpockets, and sometimes even bait for their dastardly businesses.
Kellan walked toward the building, his footsteps still quiet but determined. When he reached the rusty door in the back, he stopped, reaching out to touch it. A gentle touch of his hand was enough to feel a simple magic seal, intended to warn the bandits of the approaching intruder.
– Anything. – he muttered under his breath, raising his fingers. A quick gesture of the hand was enough to make the seal fade into the air like dust in the wind.
He opened the door and slipped inside without making the slightest noise. The interior was dark, but his eyes, accustomed to the darkness, could easily see the details. A narrow corridor led to the main hall, where the light of a faint fire cast flickering shadows on the walls. There were three men sitting at the table, looking tired but alert. On the benches along the walls slept a few children, thin, pale, clearly neglected.
Kellan watched for a moment, clenching his hands into fists. He would have been able to deal with the bandits in no time, but he knew that the children could wake up, and he wanted to avoid that. So, he began to act methodically.
The first target was the guard guarding the entrance to the basement, who was standing in the corridor. Kellan approached him silently, like a shadow. The man did not even have time to scream, one precise cut made him slump to the floor, and the floor turned crimson. Kelan, leaving the man gasping for his last breaths, moved on.
He approached the main hall. He knew he had to act quickly before the others knew what was going on. Using a few precise gestures, Kellan cast a sound suppression spell that engulfed the entire room. From now on, no one outside will hear what is going to happen.
The first man at the table raised his head as if he sensed something. However, he did not manage to get up. Kellan appeared behind him in a split second, grabbing his neck and twisting it in an unnatural way. Thanks to the spell, you could not even hear the bones breaking. The other two jumped up from their seats, but they were too slow. Kellan knocked the weapon out of the hand of one of them, throwing it against the wall with force, leaving a clear mark on it. The last one tried to reach for the hidden dagger, but was quickly disarmed, it was impossible to hold the weapon with broken arms.
Not a minute passed for the hall to be cleaned. Kellan turned, looking at the children. Fortunately, neither of them woke up, and he felt relieved.
He shifted his gaze to one of the bandits, who had regained consciousness and tried to move. Kellan knelt beside him, looking him straight in the eye. His eyes changed, completely black. They gave the impression that a person was looking into an impenetrable emptiness.
– What you were doing ended tonight,– he said quietly, but with a force that left no room for doubt.
The bandit turned pale at the darkness that lurked in Kelan's eyes, trembling, as if the presence of a man were drawing the last of his courage from him. Kelan's black, impenetrable eyes pierced his soul, telling him to speak, but his tongue caught in his throat. Kellan raised an eyebrow, sensing hesitation.
– I have patience. – he said coldly. – But do you, have it? –
He did not wait for an answer. With a gentle movement of his hand, he summoned a wisp of black energy that encircled the bandit's hand, tightening around his fingers. The man screamed in silent pain as he saw his hand go numb.
– In the basement... They hid the rest of the weapons and... and children, – he finally coughed out. –There... there are more. But I beg you, do not hurt me!
Kellan got up, ignoring the man's pleas, shortening his suffering, and headed for the basement entrance. Walking up the wooden stairs, he drew a long, slender sword for the first time. The metal flashed in the dim light of the torch, and the blade emanated an icy coldness.
Seven bandits were waiting for him in the basement, sitting at the chests that served as a makeshift table. At the sight of them, Kellan assessed the situation, some of them were armed, others had melee weapons nearby. In the corner, he saw several children huddled together, who was asleep, although their faces expressed tension, as if they instinctively felt danger.
One of the bandits, their leader, stood up with a loud slam of his chair. He was clearly larger than the others, and he had a heavy axe slung over his shoulder. He looked at Kellan with contempt.
– Who the hell are you? – He growled, grabbing the axe.
Kellan did not answer, slowly moving his gaze over the crowd. There was tension in the air. The bandit leader raised his hand, giving the signal to attack.
The first of the bandits rushed with his sword, but Kellan was faster. One smooth movement – and his opponent's blade and hand were on the ground, and the owner fell a moment later. The other attacked from the side, hoping for a surprise advantage, but Kellan spun around in a flash, using the hilt of his sword to strike him in the temple. The attacker slumped lifeless.
The other bandits hesitated for a moment, but seeing their leader rushing into the fight, they attempted a joint attack. Kellan raised his free hand, and dark runes flashed in the air. The spell unleashed an icy blast that swept through the room, freezing the floor, and immobilizing several bandits. Their feet and legs were stuck to the ice, preventing them from moving.
The bandit leader, however, reached Kellan, swinging his axe with great force. Kellan parried the blow without any problem. Blocking the blade of his axe, Kellan capitalized on his opponent's momentum to launch a counterattack. However, the leader was on a different level than his subordinates. He had anticipated such a situation, which allowed him to shield himself from the killing blow.
– It's over. – he said quietly, but he did not kill him right away.
The commander did not give in, he still had three men with him. If they attacked at the same time, Kellan would have no way to defend himself. He gave his men a warning look, signaling them to attack together. The other three bandits, though clearly confused and terrified by the sight of Kellan, immediately rushed toward him. The chaos grew.
The first of them, armed with a short sword, tried to attack from the side, counting on the opponent's distraction. Kellan, anticipating the movement, took a step back and spun in place, misleading his opponent's blade. Before the bandit knew it, Kellan delivered a swift slash, cutting his weapon in half and himself.
The other two attacked simultaneously. One raised a heavy club, the other pulled a hidden dagger from his sleeve. Kellan dodged the swing of his club, and the bandit's weapon slammed into the frozen floor, creating tiny cracks. Shards of ice flew into the air. At the same time, Kellan grabbed the other attacker's hand, twisting it with brutal precision. The dagger fell from the bandit's hand, and he was thrown against the wall with such force that he broke through to the next room.
The latter, seeing that his companions fell one by one, began to retreat towards the door, looking for a way to escape.
– You're not going anywhere. – Kellan said in a cold, collected tone.
A bunch of ice spires shot out of the floor, blocking the exit. The fugitive froze, looking at Kellan, his face betraying pure panic. However, before he could beg for his life, Kellan knocked him down with a blow to the neck with one precise movement, leaving him on the ground lifeless.
The commander remained, who watched the whole scene with a grim expression on his face. He seemed aware that the situation was lost, but instead of giving up, he rushed to another attack. This time, he surprised Kellan, landing quick, precise blows with his axe. His every move betrayed experience and strength, but Kellan remained completely calm.
With each successive stroke of the commander, Kellan moved increasingly smoothly, like a dance. Finally, taking advantage of his opponent's momentary distraction, he deflected his opponent's axe and made a quick, almost invisible slash. The axe flew from the commander's hands, and his hand was immobilized by the ice bonds that suddenly grew on his wrist.
Kellan looked at the commander, who, immobilized by the icy bonds, was still trying to break free. His every move only accelerated the growth of the ice, which began to climb up his shoulder, taking control of his body. His breathing became shallower, and there was a mixture of anger and terror in his eyes.
– Your actions have determined your fate. – Kellan said coldly, watching the ice slowly climb up to his neck. – In your next life you will have the courage to choose a different path.
The commander tried to say something, but his voice was choked as the ice reached his throat. After a while, his whole body was covered with a transparent, frosty shell, and the last remnants of the warmth of life fled away in silence.
Kellan turned, looking at the children who were watching him from hiding. Some peeked out from behind the old, worn-out beds, others clung to the walls. Their eyes, full of fear and confusion, lingered on his face. Then he realized that his eyes were still in a dark form, completely black, like an abyss.
He took a step towards the children, wanting to calm them down.
– You're no longer in danger. – he said quietly, his voice reassuring, but the fear in the children's eyes only deepened. They retreated even more, some of them quietly began to cry.
Kellan realized that he was now as terrifying to them as the ones he had just defeated. He sighed heavily, allowing the magic that filled his body to calm down. The darkness in his eyes was gone, but the children still looked at him with fear.
I am not who they need, he thought, turning around.
Somewhere in the distance, on the upper floors, footsteps were heard. He understood that they were nuns who had heard the fight and were now coming down to check what had happened. Kellan decided not to wait for their reaction. He knew that their presence would bring more comfort to the children than his gloomy figure.
He moved towards the exit, his footsteps silent, almost invisible. On the threshold, he paused for a moment, looking at the ruined room and the defeated opponents.
– That's enough for today. – he muttered under his breath, then disappeared into the shadows, leaving silence behind.
When the nuns arrived, they found only children huddled in corners and the bodies of the bandits immobilized with ice. Their terror echoed through the building and the immediate area.
– What happened here? – She whispered, shocked, embracing one of the children.
However, she did not find an answer to this question. Kellan, in the shadow of the surrounding streets, had long since disappeared, leaving nothing behind but the cold and the memory of the night's revenge.
Kellan appeared in a narrow, shady alleyway, where the dampness from the nearby harbor still wafted. He leaned his back against the cool wall, closing his eyes. Inside it was full of magic, dark and wild, like a raging sea. He clenched his fists, feeling the coolness of this force slowly penetrate his body.
– Calm down... He whispered to himself, his voice trembling with tension.
His breathing quickened, and the darkness that had disappeared from his eyes began to gleam again in their depths. He could feel the darkness trying to get out, as if it wanted to control him. A whisper echoed in his head, distorted and ominous.
– Why are you resisting? You saw their faces. They stopped seeing you as a savior a long time ago. To them, you are just a monster... So why not take on this role? –
– No, it is not. Kellan straightened abruptly, his voice filled with a force that muffled the whisper.
He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, stretching it out just enough to see the reflection of his own eyes in the blade, one of which was natural, the other emptiness. Darkness pulsed in him.
– I decide who I am. You are only a shadow.
With the power of will, he focused on silencing the magic. He began to breathe deeply, slowly exhaling. The icy energy inside him began to retreat, as if reacting to his determined will. The burning rage turned into cold control, and the darkness in the eyes disappeared completely, giving way to a steely gaze.
After a few minutes, Kellan pulled away from the wall, feeling his body and mind rebalance. He looked at his hand again, as if checking that everything was under control.
– I will not forget what you can do, but I am the one who sets the boundaries. His voice was calm now, but full of determination.
As he was about to move on, he felt a strange tension in the air. He looked up and saw a silhouette at the end of the alley. There stood a figure, bathed in semi-darkness, who was waiting. Kellan recognized her in the blink of an eye, it was the same person he had seen earlier on the roof.
The figure wore a long cloak, and the hood cast a shadow over his face, but from underneath it his eyes flashed, piercing, almost glowing in the darkness. She did not speak or make a move. She stood silently, looking straight at him.