**Chapter 7: The Betrayal of Caden**
The night was thick with fog, the air damp and cold, clinging to Riven's skin as he walked through the dense forest. The camp had fallen into a tense silence, the usual murmurs of conversation replaced with whispers of doubt. There was no mistaking the heavy feeling that weighed on everyone's heart—Caden, their trusted ally, had vanished without a trace, and no one knew where he had gone.
The memory of Caden's behavior in the past few weeks lingered in Riven's mind. He had been distant, always looking over his shoulder, his eyes filled with a quiet unease that Riven had chosen to ignore. The signs had been there, but Riven had trusted him—trusted him as a brother in arms, as one of his closest companions. And now, that trust felt like a distant echo, shattered by the sudden disappearance of the one person he had believed would never betray him.
"Where did he go?" Zephyr's voice cut through the stillness, his tone hard with suspicion. His eyes scanned the perimeter of the camp, the tension in his posture betraying his growing unease.
"We'll find him," Riven replied, his voice firm despite the uncertainty gnawing at him. "And when we do, we'll get the truth from him. We need answers."
But deep down, Riven could already feel the crushing weight of what the truth might be. He had seen the look in Caden's eyes—the same haunted look that had once mirrored his own, when the darkness of the world seemed too heavy to carry. That same look had shifted in the past days, replaced with something else… something far darker. Riven couldn't shake the feeling that their friend had already made his choice.
The forest was still, but the tension between them was palpable, the crackling of their fire in the distance seeming like the only sound in the world. The unease in the air seemed to suffocate everything around them, as if the very trees were holding their breath.
"I've been tracking his movements," Nyx said suddenly, her voice calm but sharp. "He's been heading east. Toward the mountains."
Riven nodded, his eyes narrowing. "Malakar's forces are based there. That's where he's gone."
Zephyr clenched his fists, his jaw set in a grim line. "So, Caden's with them, isn't he? After all this time, after everything we've fought for, he's been working for Malakar from the start."
Riven didn't speak. The words felt like stones in his chest, and the reality of them was too much to bear. His mind was racing, but his heart was still trying to process the betrayal. He had always trusted Caden—had seen him as an extension of their family. How had it come to this?
Suddenly, a crackling noise broke the silence, followed by a figure emerging from the shadows. Riven's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, his body tensing. But when the figure stepped into the firelight, his heart nearly stopped.
Caden.
His former comrade stood before him, his clothes torn and bloodied, but it wasn't the state of his appearance that made Riven freeze—it was the expression on his face. The anger in Caden's eyes was unmistakable, but there was something more. A sense of resignation, as though he had already made peace with whatever was about to happen.
"You're here," Riven said, his voice hoarse. "I didn't expect to see you again. Not like this."
Caden's gaze flickered briefly to the others, then returned to Riven. "I never wanted this," he said, his voice low, filled with regret. "I never wanted to betray you."
Riven's eyes narrowed, the hurt of his words stinging more than any sword ever could. "Then why? Why did you leave us? Why did you choose to side with Malakar?"
Caden hesitated, his eyes clouded with emotion. "I didn't have a choice. Malakar… he offered me something I couldn't refuse. He promised me power, he promised me the chance to change the world—"
"By destroying everything we've fought for?" Zephyr's voice was cutting, his fists clenched at his sides. "By betraying us, your friends, your family?"
"I didn't betray you," Caden snapped, his voice suddenly sharp. "I didn't want this! You don't understand. Malakar's vision—his plans—they were too powerful. You couldn't stop him, and I… I thought maybe I could change things from the inside. I thought I could control him."
Riven's heart pounded in his chest. "So you thought you could play both sides? Use us and him?" The bitterness in his voice was thick, each word a reminder of the trust that had been shattered.
"I never meant to hurt you," Caden whispered, stepping closer, his voice breaking. "But Malakar—he's different. He's not the man you think he is. He can see through everything. He knows our every move. He's been planning this for years."
Riven's chest tightened. "And you just walked away from us for him?"
"I didn't walk away," Caden said quickly. "I was forced to leave. He has leverage over me—he has something I care about." His voice faltered, but he quickly regained his composure. "But you need to understand, I'm not the villain here. Malakar is far worse than you know."
Riven's grip tightened on his sword, the betrayal too much to bear. "Then why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you ask for help?"
"I couldn't. I couldn't risk it," Caden's voice was barely a whisper now. "I was too far in. I thought I could stop him. I thought maybe—"
Before he could finish, a sharp cry broke the tension. From the shadows, a group of heavily armed soldiers emerged, surrounding the camp. At their forefront was a familiar face—the cruel smirk of one of Malakar's most loyal generals.
Riven's heart skipped a beat. "Caden…" he said, his voice filled with disbelief. "This was a trap?"
Caden's face twisted in pain, but it was too late. The soldiers closed in, their weapons drawn, and Caden was already retreating, his eyes wide with fear. But instead of fighting, he looked at Riven one last time, his voice breaking as he whispered, "I'm sorry."
In the chaos that ensued, Caden made a desperate move. He broke away from the group, diving toward the prisoners Malakar's forces had taken—those who had been held captive in a nearby camp. With one last, desperate act of defiance, he sacrificed himself to buy them a moment of escape. His body was torn apart by the oncoming forces, and Riven could only watch as his former comrade fell to the ground, his life extinguished in an instant.
The battle raged around them, but Riven's mind was numb. The anger, the pain, the confusion—they all blended together into an overwhelming storm of emotions. Caden had betrayed them, but in the end, he had tried to atone for his actions, even if it was too late.
As the dust settled and the last of the enemies were driven off, Riven knelt beside Caden's fallen body, his chest heavy with the weight of his betrayal.
"I'm sorry," Riven whispered, the words tasting bitter on his tongue.
But there was no forgiveness for what had been done. Caden's sacrifice could not undo the damage, and Riven knew that the road ahead was only going to get darker.
The betrayal had been devastating, but it had also revealed something important: Malakar was already within their ranks, working from the shadows. Riven's resolve hardened. This war wasn't just about defeating an enemy—it was about surviving it.
And he would stop at nothing to ensure that those who remained would live to see the end of this nightmare.