Day 7: The Last Step, Confronting the Darkness
Kael woke up on his seventh morning with the determination to set out on the journey one last time. His eyes were surrounded by deep red circles from the exhaustion of a week-long journey. But the desire and goal within him made him stronger with every step. He had to find the princess; In this dark world where she was lost, in this cold, lonely forest, he had only one goal left: to save her.
Only a few hours of travel remained, but Kael felt the wise man's warning still ringing in his ears. "There are always those in the shadows." Now this was not just a warning, it was a threat. The kidnapping of the princess was a harbinger of war, and Kael was close to confronting the darkness within himself and understanding what those shadows really were.
When the sun appeared on the horizon, Kael finally began to walk towards the last castle, the gate of the great palace. The coldness of the air seemed to suck him in. But saving the princess wasn't like winning a war. It was a matter of choice, of decision. And this decision could lead Kael to death.
The silhouettes of the palace's outer walls created a void in Kael's heart. So much time had passed that his promise to protect her meant everything he'd ever done. But nothing was as important as the secret of which dark hands the princess was really being held by and why.
Finally, when he arrived in front of the palace, everything stopped. All the lights inside seemed to reflect the chaos of the past. There was only one person who could clear the way for him to enter. Major Aldric. Kael had to kill him to protect the princess. Even though he wanted everything to be solved, he would not forget his duty. He realized that Aldric's path was dark; The man who had once fought for the princess's safety was now a threat to her.
As Kael's steps moved towards the grand gate of the palace, he felt like time had stopped for a moment. Aldric's dark figure appeared before his eyes. The moment the Major saw Kael, he responded with a smile, but this smile was a reflection of the dark power accumulated over the years. A wave of pain awoke in Kael's soul and a wave of anger in his heart. All of Aldric's lies and betrayals were made evident to Kael until the very end.
"Come, Kael," Aldric said, the sarcastic tone in his voice clearly focused on Kael. "Your time has come. If you want to save the princess, you must get past me first."
Kael took a deep breath. There was a certain determination in his eyes. All his pain and losses on this journey were here to be reckoned with one last time. Aldric's cold, knife-like gaze hid the real culprit in the princess's kidnapping and the truth that pushed him on a dark journey.
And then, one step, one move, and a big fight began.
Aldric made the first blow. His sword slammed down towards Kael's chest. Kael suddenly dodged the blow by leaping to the side and swung his sword in response. Aldric quickly retraced his steps and summoned one of his archers. While defending himself, Kael was also quickly analyzing his enemies' movements. He was treading carefully, because this was just a duel; It was the beginning of a war.
Two more soldiers were approaching Kael. One with his short shield, the other with his sword. Kael dealt a devastating blow to the stomach of the man who swung the shield. The man fell to the ground in surprise. The other soldier tried to attack from behind, but Kael quickly twirled his sword, targeting the open spot on his arms. He received a deep wound, but he knocked his enemy down.
Aldric took a step back amid the chaos. But Kael's eyes were moving towards him patiently. He had overcome many obstacles, but this final confrontation would be the end of everything. Gaeling himself together, Kael combined all his strength and delivered a final blow to Aldric.
Aldric made a last-ditch effort to defend. But Kael stood up to him with determination. The sword dealt a sharp blow to the major's shoulder. Aldric collapsed to the ground. Kael, his body tired but determined, kicked the door of the dungeon where the princess was located. That moment was the end point of a journey where everything was left behind.
Inside the dungeon, the princess's pale face lit up at the sight of Kael. The princess was weakened by the effects of her long prison life with her hands tied. Kael paused for a moment. At this moment, the meaning of the entire journey changed. For him, the princess was not just a goal, but a salvation.
Kael took her in his arms and started walking towards the palace with a deep breath. He took the princess on his back and stood like a hero in front of the palace. But his body could not carry it any further due to fatigue and injuries. Kael collapsed while taking his last step.
And the safety of the princess was secured with her body in front of the palace. As Kael's eyes closed, his soul once again found peace at the end of his journey.
When Kael opened his eyes, he was surprised by the soft bed beneath him and the warm atmosphere of the room. For a moment he couldn't remember where he was. However, his mind quickly recovered; He remembered that he saved the princess and managed to return to the palace. A slight smile appeared on his face, but this peace was short-lived.
"Princess… Is she safe?" he muttered. He tried to get up, but his body was tired and heavy. While he was lost in thought, he heard a light knock on the door. It was the servant of the palace who entered.
> "His Majesty is waiting for you. "You need to get ready immediately."
Kael shook his head, confused. He tried to recover within an hour and prepared to appear before the king. But a feeling inside told him that things were not right.
When Kael entered the doors of the great hall, he was stunned by what he saw. Instead of King Alric, a young and confident figure sat on the throne. The coldness in the man's eyes and the arrogance on his face disturbed Kael. While trying to understand who this man, who was not well known in the palace, was, he noticed his name being announced loudly:
> "Young Duke Cailan Fenrose, before you Kael Drevos!"
Cailan Fenrose was the head of a powerful noble family in the east of the kingdom. However, Kael was surprised when he succeeded the king at such a young age. The advisors sitting next to the throne were also watching Kael carefully.
Cailan started speaking:
> "Kael Drevos, you have caused a great tragedy in the palace. You are accused of murdering our major. After his death, it was reported that our organization was weakened by our enemies. Isn't this a sign of betrayal?
Kael's breath hitched. These accusations were completely ridiculous!
> "Your Majesty! The major had kidnapped the princess! I saved her and almost lost my life trying!" he objected.
However, a look of doubt appeared on Cailan's face.
> "Do you know where Princess Lyria is? "You claim to have saved her, but no one in the palace saw her."
Kael was deeply frightened when he heard these words. "I brought the princess to the palace… I carried her myself," he thought. But he didn't understand why she wasn't here.
IT WILL CONTINUE
FROM THE NEXT VOL
As Kael woke up in the dark cell of the Oblivion Dungeons, his body was heavy and his mind was blurred. The pain in every muscle reminded him of the pain of the drama he was going through. His struggle to save the princess had resulted in failure on the one hand, and a deeply unfair accusation on the other. His appearance before the king had cost him a lot. Now he was in prison, no one believed him, and he didn't even have a chance to defend himself. Aldric's death, the disappearance of the princess... And now, at the end of it all, Kael was thrown into a dark cell, just a guilty man.
Darkness was slowly falling on everything. Kael tried to loosen his chained hands. The pain in his hands was like a reminder with every movement. An inner anger and disappointment was calling out to him deeply. "Was it all in vain?" he thought. What did he fight so hard for? Knowing whether he was doing the right thing didn't mean anything on its own. The mystery behind the princess's disappearance was hiding a truth behind it. However, while he thought everything could pass, he found himself in a dark cycle.
He felt left in this cell, in this darkness. However, even the soulless darkness within him reminded him of something. He had to be released from the dungeon. He should have taken revenge. He had to find the princess. Because nothing could be a more honorable goal than the iron bars of the dungeon and the darkness shrouded in night.
Kael kept his eyes closed for several days. He got lost in his thoughts. The single window in a secluded corner of the dungeon offered him a little light, but this light never comforted Kael. His eyes opened without stopping for a moment. He just bowed his head and thought. There was a way for everything. Kael's eyes suddenly lit up as he stared at the dark walls. Inside the dungeon, everything had a plan. Kael refused to surrender to his fate.