The forest was silent again, but this time it felt different. The battle with the Wardens had left its mark on Kael, not just in the physical wounds that throbbed on his body, but in the way his mind now buzzed with the dark energy of the Void. He could feel it, deep inside, coiling around his soul like a serpent, always watching, always whispering.
Liora had insisted on treating his wounds, but Kael had pushed her away, not wanting her sympathy or her help. He had made his choices, and now he had to face the consequences alone.
He walked through the forest, barely aware of his surroundings. The world felt… muted. The trees loomed over him like silent sentinels, their branches creaking in the wind as though whispering secrets he couldn't understand. His body moved on instinct, following the familiar path he had walked so many times before. It wasn't until the soft murmur of water reached his ears that he realized where he was.
The old stone bridge.
The bridge that led to the village he once called home.
Kael froze. His breath caught in his throat, and for a moment, the world around him seemed to disappear. Memories—long buried—flooded his mind. The village, the laughter, the warmth of a home that no longer existed. His mother's face, smiling as she brushed his hair. His father's hands, rough from years of labor, but always gentle with him. And then… and then the fire.
The betrayal.
The burning village.
The people who had once been his family, his friends, had turned on him. His home had become ashes, and Kael had become a shadow of the person he had been.
"No," Kael muttered under his breath, his hand instinctively gripping his sword. He hadn't come here to remember the past. He had come for power, for revenge. "I'm not that person anymore."
But the memories would not let him go. They clung to him, wrapped around his heart like chains.
Suddenly, he heard it. A voice. Soft, almost lost in the wind, but unmistakable.
"Kael…"
He whipped around, his hand moving to his blade, but there was no one there. Only the trees, their shadows stretching long across the forest floor.
"Kael…" the voice repeated, louder this time. It came from the direction of the bridge.
Kael's heart skipped a beat. His breath quickened as he stepped toward the bridge, his eyes scanning the darkened surroundings.
And then, standing at the center of the bridge, was a figure.
"It can't be…" Kael whispered, his voice shaking.
The figure was tall, cloaked in a tattered black robe. The face was obscured by a hood, but Kael knew who it was before they even spoke.
"Mother?"
The figure lowered their hood, revealing a face that Kael had not seen in years. It was her—his mother. But she was different. Her eyes were empty, hollow, as if something inside her had been lost. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and she looked… wrong.
"Kael," she said softly, her voice hollow and distant. "You've come back."
Kael's hands clenched into fists. His heart ached with a mix of grief and anger. "You… you're dead. You all are. You burned with the village."
His mother's lips curved into a sad, empty smile. "I never died, Kael. I was taken."
The words felt like a slap to his face. "Taken? What are you talking about?"
The figure took a step forward, the shadows of the forest twisting around them. "It wasn't just fire that destroyed your village. There was something far darker at work. And you—your heart—was the key."
Kael's mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of the past. "What do you mean?"
The figure reached out a hand, its long, bony fingers brushing Kael's cheek. "You are part of a prophecy, Kael. The prophecy of the Betrayer. Your fate was sealed the moment you were born. And now… now you have a choice."
Kael took a step back, his chest tightening. The Void inside him stirred, reacting to his growing anger and confusion. "No. I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask for any of this!"
His mother's eyes softened, a flicker of something that resembled sorrow in their depths. "You may not have asked, but this is who you are. And the path you're walking will only lead to more destruction."
"Shut up!" Kael shouted, his voice raw with pain. He drew his sword, the blade humming with the power of the Void, and swung it toward her.
But the moment his sword made contact, the figure vanished, melting into the shadows.
Kael froze, breathing heavily. The world around him felt suddenly oppressive, as if the very air had thickened. He was alone on the bridge once more.
"Was it a hallucination?" he muttered to himself. His mind was reeling. He was still trying to process the encounter when he heard Liora's voice from behind him.
"Kael, are you alright?"
He turned to face her, trying to steady his breath. "I… I saw something. Someone. It looked like my mother. But it wasn't her."
Liora approached cautiously, her eyes searching his face. "It sounds like an illusion, a trick of the mind. The Void—"
"No," Kael interrupted, his voice firm, though the confusion still gnawed at him. "It was her. But something is wrong. She said I was part of a prophecy."
Liora didn't respond immediately. She seemed to be weighing his words carefully before speaking.
"There's a lot we don't understand about the Void," she said. "Maybe… maybe we should go back to the village. Look for answers. If your mother was part of something greater, there may be clues there. Something that can help us understand what's really going on."
Kael hesitated. The thought of returning to the place that had once been his home—only to be reduced to ashes—filled him with rage and sorrow. But Liora was right. The answers he sought, the truth behind the prophecy and the power within him, might lie there.
"Alright," Kael said finally, his voice cold and resolute. "Let's go. But this time, I won't let the past control me."
Together, they began their journey back toward the ruins of the village. But as they walked, Kael could feel the Void stirring inside him, urging him forward.
Whatever lay ahead, Kael knew one thing for certain. The past was never truly gone. It always found a way to return, whether he was ready for it or not.