The night air was thick with the scent of smoke and the distant sounds of battle. Flames licked at the sky from the palace, and the cries of soldiers in the field mixed with the chilling clang of steel. Kael's heart raced as his family rushed through the royal gardens, the path toward the river becoming the only escape from the chaos that was consuming their world.
King Darius, his father, had suspected the coup for weeks. He had already moved his family into hiding, but even he could not have predicted the scale of the betrayal. The enemy's forces, led by his most trusted general, had stormed the palace. Now, the king's throne was nothing more than a symbol of what once was.
"Come on, Kael! Move!" His mother, Queen Elara, urged as she pulled him along, her face pale but determined. The distant sound of the enemy closing in quickened their pace.
Kael's younger brother, Markus, was ahead, his small frame barely visible in the darkness. As he neared the boat waiting on the riverbank, the faintest glow appeared on the ground beneath him—a magic circle. Before Kael could shout a warning, there was a deafening crack. The earth seemed to tremble as an explosion tore through the boat, turning it into a ball of flame.
The fire roared violently, engulfing Kael's siblings in a wave of destruction.
Kael was thrown back by the shockwave, his body slammed against the ground, his ears ringing. He gasped for breath, choking on the smoke that filled the air. The world around him was a blur of fire and chaos. His heart sank as he realized what had just happened. The boat, their only escape, had been destroyed—and his siblings were gone.
"Markus! Clara!" Kael's voice cracked, but there was no response. The fire had consumed them in an instant.
His hands shook as he tried to push himself to his feet, but his body felt heavy, blood soaking into his tunic. He tried to call out to his parents, but the sight before him made his heart freeze.
Standing in the shadows of the trees, grinning coldly, was the king's right-hand man—the military general. His once-loyal companion. The man who had betrayed them all.
"You think I'll let you go?" the general's voice was low, filled with contempt. He didn't even flinch at the explosion or the carnage he had caused.
King Darius roared in fury, his eyes wild with grief and rage. He charged forward, his sword drawn, aiming straight for the general's heart. He was faster than a lion, his grief giving him strength, but the general merely raised a hand, his lips curling into a smirk.
Before Kael could move, a volley of arrows suddenly shot from the trees—dozens of them, each one imbued with dark magic. They pierced his father's chest in a shower of blood. Darius stumbled, faltering just inches from the general, his sword outstretched. The sheer weight of the arrows drove him to his knees, and then his body collapsed forward, lifeless.
Kael's breath caught in his throat. "No... No!" He screamed, his mind failing to process the death of his father. His chest felt hollow, as though the very air had been stolen from him.
The general let out a low chuckle, his face twisted in a sadistic grin. He wiped his mouth, his eyes glinting with sick satisfaction. The sight of the dying king only seemed to thrill him more.
"Such a pathetic end for the mighty King Darius," he sneered, licking his lips. His gaze shifted to Queen Elara, and the grin on his face deepened, turning darker. "Keep that bitch alive," he said, not coldly, but with a perverse smile, wiping off the drool that trickled down the corner of his lips. His eyes locked onto Elara, looking at her as if she were nothing more than prey, food to be devoured. "She'll be a lot more useful alive than dead... and I can't wait to taste the rewards of my victory."
Kael's stomach churned with disgust. His vision blurred with tears, but he knew that he had to act. His mother was not going to be some plaything for this monster.
Elara, despite the blood of her family staining the earth around her, remained composed. Her eyes met Kael's, and in that moment, she silently vowed to protect him, no matter the cost. "Kael... you must live. You must survive. For them. For our family. Please..." she whispered, her voice a broken but fierce command.
Kael wanted to scream, to fight, but he was too weak—too wounded. His limbs felt heavy, and every breath seemed like a battle. He watched as his mother took a step forward, her eyes now filled with deadly intent, and with a sudden movement, she threw herself between Kael and the incoming threat.
An arrow, dark and gleaming, shot from the general's bow. In that moment, Elara, with her last ounce of strength, lunged forward, her body intercepting the deadly projectile meant for Kael.
The arrow tore into her chest, sinking deep. The blood poured from the wound, staining her gown as she staggered, gasping for breath.
"Mom!" Kael screamed, his voice breaking as he tried to crawl toward her. But his mother was already crumbling, her legs giving way beneath her. Her face was pale, her eyes wide in pain, but her lips trembled as she whispered her last words.
"Live on... and find true happiness," she said softly, her voice carrying a sense of deep, undying love.
With a final push, she shoved Kael toward the river, her hand pressing against his back, forcing him into the cold, rushing waters. She had given everything for him to live.
Kael's hand reached out toward her, his fingers trembling in the air, but the river's current pulled him away. His body was tossed about, and his mother's lifeless form vanished from his view.
"No!" Kael's voice broke through the silence, but it was too late. The river swallowed him whole, and the last thing he saw before his vision went dark was the bloodstained earth where his family had fallen. The bitter taste of betrayal and loss filled his mouth as the world around him went black.
END