The night Rowan Thorne was born, Elmshade was plunged into an eerie silence, as if the earth itself had paused its breath in anticipation. The howling wind and the rustling leaves in the trees only amplified the tension, making the night feel heavier. The village that had been known for its quiet, simple life now stood at the edge of something much darker. Something the old seer had warned of for years.
Inside a modest cottage at the outskirts of the village, Elysia Thorne, pale and exhausted from childbirth, cradled her newborn son with a soft, protective smile. Rowan was tiny, delicate, with a shock of dark hair and soft, innocent features. Her hands trembled as she brushed the tiny tufts of hair from his forehead, whispering his name, "Rowan... My precious Rowan."
But that night was far from peaceful.
A sharp knock on the door broke through the calm. Elysia turned her head to see Alden, her husband, staring out the window with a worried frown. His features were weathered from years of hard work, his brown hair tousled from a restless night. There was something unsettling in his eyes.
Elysia's heart sank as she saw the expression on his face. It wasn't fear, but a kind of recognition—an understanding of something terrible that was about to unfold.
He moved toward the door, opening it slowly. Standing in the doorway was Nara, the village seer, her eyes wide with a mixture of concern and dread. She was not a woman who often ventured into the village, let alone come to a family's home, but tonight was different. Her face was drawn, her voice shaky as she spoke.
"Alden… Elysia… It's begun." Nara's voice was barely a whisper, but it carried the weight of a prophecy long foretold.
Alden stiffened. "What do you mean? What's begun?"
"The prophecy, Alden," Nara said, her voice trembling. "The child born under the dark omen. The one who would bring destruction. The one who would cast the village into chaos. He's here."
A chill passed through the room, an unnatural coldness that seeped into Elysia's bones. She looked down at Rowan, her son, her heart aching. "No... This is just superstition. Rowan is a child. He's innocent."
Nara's expression darkened. "I've seen the signs, Elysia. The darkness that comes with him will not be denied."
Elysia shook her head in disbelief, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "No. You're wrong."
But Nara didn't seem to hear her. Her gaze turned toward the window, her face stricken with fear. "The villagers already know. They're starting to whisper. They'll come for him, Alden. They'll destroy him. The prophecy is not just words—it's fate."
Alden clenched his fists, his face hardening. "Let them come. We'll protect him."
But Nara's voice cracked as she spoke again. "It won't be that simple. The people are afraid. Fear turns even the best of us into monsters."
Before either of them could say anything more, a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the village, a cry of terror that sent a shiver down their spines.
Alden's gaze sharpened. "Stay here. Lock the doors. I'll see what's happening."
He hurried outside, and Elysia's heart hammered in her chest. She could hear the sounds of chaos—the pounding of feet, the frantic shouts of villagers, and the roar of something far worse. Something monstrous.
Nara's voice was low and grim. "It's them... the beasts. They've come."
The darkness outside thickened as Alden ran toward the village square. There, a sea of monstrous shapes swarmed the village, their claws and fangs dripping with blood. The beasts, creatures born of nightmares, had appeared on the outskirts, and now they were tearing through the village, attacking the terrified villagers.
Alden shouted commands, gathering the men to defend their homes, their families. The clash of metal against beast echoed through the village as villagers fought for their lives.
Elysia, trembling with fear, wrapped Rowan in a blanket, holding him close. "Please… Please be safe," she whispered to him.
Her heart raced as she heard more screams, the frantic pounding of feet as people fled for their lives. In the chaos, one thing was clear—the village was no longer safe. And they had to leave.
Elysia dashed to the back door, glancing once more at the bloodshed unfolding outside. She had to protect Rowan, no matter what. She slipped into the darkness, moving quickly through the trees that bordered their home. The night felt suffocating, and her legs wobbled under the strain of childbirth.
But she pressed on, her heart a storm of fear and desperation. Behind her, the sounds of death continued, the growls of the beasts drawing closer with every step. She couldn't afford to look back. Rowan needed to be safe.
Her breath came in ragged gasps as she stumbled through the dense underbrush, her arms clutching her son to her chest. She ran until her muscles screamed in protest, her body on the brink of collapse.
But then, from the corner of her eye, she saw them.
A group of villagers. Their faces were twisted in fear and anger, their eyes wide with terror. They had escaped the beasts, but there was something darker in their expressions. Something that made Elysia freeze in her tracks.
"Give us the child!" one of them shouted, his voice cracked with fear. "The prophecy must be fulfilled! He's the cursed one!"
Elysia gasped. "No! Rowan is innocent!"
But the villagers, driven by fear and superstition, closed in. They saw only what they wanted to see—the child of the prophecy, the bringer of destruction. To them, he wasn't Rowan. He was a monster.
"No!" Elysia screamed, clutching Rowan tighter as she turned and fled.
She ran blindly into the forest, the villagers hot on her heels. Her breath grew shallow, her vision blurred, but she couldn't stop. She wouldn't stop.
The villagers gave chase, their footsteps pounding behind her like thunder. Elysia's legs gave out as she reached a thick bush. Without thinking, she crawled into the underbrush, pressing herself low to the ground and covering Rowan's tiny body with her cloak. She could hear the villagers coming closer, their voices hoarse with anger and fear.
One of them spotted her. "There she is! She's hiding the cursed child!"
Elysia's heart raced as she tried to remain still, her breath coming in short, desperate gasps. She had to protect him. She couldn't let them take him.
With a sudden surge of adrenaline, she pushed herself up, pulling herself from the bushes, ready to run again. But she didn't get far. The villagers were too close.
Elysia turned to face them, her voice breaking. "Please… Please, don't do this."
But their faces were already set. They saw only the prophecy, and they would stop at nothing to fulfill it.
Meanwhile, Alden, drenched in sweat and blood from the fight, had broken free from the beast's onslaught. His heart was pounding, but it wasn't the battle that kept him going. It was Elysia. It was Rowan.
He pushed through the forest, shouting her name at the top of his lungs. He had to find them. He had to make sure they were safe.
Finally, he came upon a small clearing. His eyes widened as he saw the burning remains of their home in the distance, smoke billowing into the sky. He called out again, his voice hoarse.
"Elysia!"
He found other survivors—villagers who had escaped the carnage—but their faces were grim, hollow with grief. They didn't look at him as they spoke, their eyes focused on the ground.
"Where is she?" Alden asked, his voice barely controlled. "Where is my wife? My son?"
One of the men looked up, shaking his head. "They didn't make it, Alden. Elysia… she's gone. And the child too."
Alden's heart stopped. "What? No—no, that can't be. Rowan… Rowan is alive."
The villagers looked at him, their eyes filled with cold, empty resignation. "It's cursed, Alden. The child... the prophecy. You've seen it, haven't you? That's why the beasts came. They came for him."
Alden's eyes narrowed in fury, his voice rising in a storm of rage. "No! You're wrong! My son is not cursed! He's just a child! You—" He lunged forward, grabbing the man by the collar, shaking him violently. "Where is he?"
But the man said nothing, his face hollow with the weight of what they had all endured. The other villagers turned away, leaving Alden standing alone in the clearing, his world crumbling beneath him.
His mind snapped. A wave of insanity took over, filling him with an overwhelming urge to destroy, to burn everything to the ground. Rowan was still alive. He had to be.
Alden let out a roar of rage, his fists clenched at his sides. The village was burning. The beasts were still out there. And Rowan… his son… was gone.