In the darkest alley, when all hope seemed lost, that’s when the most unexpected help emerged from the shadows, where desperation met fate.

I had no clue where the safe path was. All I knew was that I couldn’t pause, couldn’t hesitate, because if I did, those Silverlions would catch up, and it’d be game over for me.

Running wasn’t exactly my thing, but when you’ve got three of those bastards chasing you down, you don’t really get to pick your battles. You just go.

Their armor clinked behind me, their boots thudding against the cobblestones like war drums calling all to battle. I could almost feel the heat of their breath on my neck.

Yeah, stopping? Not an option. Not if I wanted to see another sunrise or taste the sweet ale that always seemed to make everything better, no matter how screwed up the day got.

I risked a quick glance over my shoulder. Sure enough, they were still there. Those Silverlions never gave up. Their shadows stretched long, persistent, and they weren’t slowing down anytime soon.

The alleyways twisted like some sadistic maze built to trap guys like me. I thought I’d lost them. Up ahead was a narrow passage that looked like it might buy me a few precious seconds. So I went for it, ducked in fast. But I wasn’t lucky. Not this time.

Their voices bounced off the brick walls, too close, too loud. They were still on me, cutting down the distance with every second that passed.

The panic? Yeah, it started to sink in. Desperation clawed at my throat like a wild animal. I could feel my chest tighten.

I needed to think. I needed some way to lose them. Anything, really. My eyes scanned the alley ahead. That’s when I spotted it, a stack of crates. Small, but maybe just enough to stall them. Perhaps I could buy myself a sliver of time.

I threw my shoulder into the crates without a second thought, not even caring if it hurt. The entire stack toppled over right in the Silverlions’ path. Wood splintered and cracked through the air. For a split second, I felt something close to satisfaction.

It wasn’t much, but it was mine. A small win. And right now, I’ll take anything that gives me an edge.

But the feeling vanished as quickly as it came. The Silverlions weren’t stopping for a few broken crates. Hell, they seemed to enjoy it. I heard curses fly from their mouths as they tore through the wreckage like a pack of wild dogs.

I veered left, then right, trying to find something, anything, that might give me a place to hide. But where? This town didn’t exactly have many safe spots for someone like me.

The Royal Rose? Nah, they’d find me there in no time. The old church? Maybe, but it was too far, too risky. My little mansion? Yeah, right. Just putting a bow on it and handing myself over. I wasn’t that stupid.

But why were they after me, anyway? Was it Catherine’s orders? Was it because I’d given her the jitters at the lunch reception by bringing Jitters along? That probably didn’t help my case, but nothing really surprised me anymore. Maybe she thought I was some uncontrollable Stormbourne, something that needed to be “handled” before she could marry into my family. I didn’t know.

The thought of going out like this, cut down in some stinking alley by a bunch of puffed-up soldiers, made my stomach flip with unease.

Before I could even finish thinking about it, I saw them again, just a flash in the corner of my eye.

Damn it. The chase was back on, and they were getting closer. My legs were burning, my lungs screaming, begging for a break. But I couldn’t stop. Not yet. Not while there was still a chance, however slim.

Then, of course, the inevitable happened.

As soon as I turned the corner and entered a wider street, my foot caught on something. Some stupid loose stone. Just another piece of bad luck that seemed to have it out for me. I went down hard. The impact knocked the wind out of me, and for a moment, all I could do was lie there, staring up at the darkening sky.

This was it, huh? The end of the line. No way out of this one.

Unless, by some miracle, I caught a break. But honestly? I wasn’t holding my breath. I was screwed.

The Silverlions slowed their pace as they closed in, their smug grins plastered across their faces. The biggest of the bunch, the one who looked like he could rip a tree out of the ground with his bare hands, laughed when he saw me sprawled on the ground.

“Pathetic,” he sneered, his voice dripping with derision. “The son of the strongest swordsman in the kingdom, running away like a scared little rabbit. Why don’t you stand up and fight, boy? Or are you too much of a coward?”

I couldn’t fight. Not now. I needed a few more seconds, so I tried to buy some time.

“What’s this about, huh? What did I do to piss off your lady? You’re really gonna kill me in the middle of the street? Isn’t that a bit extreme?”

The big guy snorted, stepping closer, his blade catching the light. “She doesn’t need a reason to get rid of trash like you. Tonight, the fall of House Stormbourne begins.”

His words hit harder than I expected. It wasn’t just a threat. It was a declaration. But I couldn’t afford to dwell on it. He raised his sword, and I could feel the air shift as he prepared to strike.

But then, something made him hesitate. His eyes flicked away from me, a trace of doubt crossing his face.

I followed his gaze, wondering what had caught his attention. That’s when I saw him.

A man, or at least what looked like one.

He was probably in his forties, though he looked older; worn down by a life that had clearly taken its toll. A gray cloak hung off his thin frame, threadbare and stained with who knows what. He limped on his left leg, leaning heavily on a cane. In his right hand, he clutched a half-empty bottle of wine, swaying slightly with every step. A thin beard covered his chin, but it was the scar running down his left cheek that really stood out. Pale and jagged, it told me this man had lived through things most people would run from. He looked like a vagrant, someone who had been wandering the streets for far too long.

The Silverlions froze, clearly thrown off by the man’s sudden appearance. He wasn’t the sort of person you’d expect to see in a place like this, especially not at this hour. Yet, something about him made even battle-hardened soldiers hesitate.

As for me? I didn’t know if he was friend or foe, and frankly, I wasn’t concerned about it. Right now, I wasn’t picky. I just needed a way out, and this was the only chance I had.

I looked up at the vagrant, this ragged old man who had appeared out of nowhere like some kind of miracle.

“Please… help me, sir,” I said, my voice just above a breath, barely reaching his ears.

He tilted his head, studying me with sharp, knowing eyes. There was something in them that reminded me of my father. That same unshakable calm, the look of a man who had seen enough to know exactly how to handle the worst of situations. Slowly, he took a swig from his bottle, letting the wine drip down his chin before finally speaking.

“Three grown men against one kid? That doesn’t seem quite right, now does it?”

The Silverlions didn’t like that. The big guy, the one leading this little hunt, snarled, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword.

“Don’t interfere, old drunk. This isn’t your business.”

But the vagrant just chuckled, like none of this was even worth worrying about.

“And what if I want to butt in?” His voice was light, almost amused. “What’re you gonna do about it?”

The Silverlion’s grip on his sword tightened even more. “Then you’ll die just like him.”

The vagrant didn’t even blink. “So be it, then,” he said, like the whole thing was nothing more than a mild inconvenience.

That was all it took.

The nearest Silverlion lunged, his sword catching a flash of the dim alley light. But the vagrant moved faster. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled a wine bottle straight at the soldier’s head. It shattered on impact, glass spraying everywhere as wine mixed with the thin trickle of blood that ran down the Silverlion’s face. He staggered back, cursing, dazed and unsteady.

And that’s when the real fight kicked off.

The vagrant moved with a strange smoothness, nothing like his ragged looks suggested. That cane of his, which had seemed like a crutch not even worth a second glance, now pulsed with a dark energy.

When the second Silverlion went for his neck, the vagrant blocked it clean with the cane. There was a sharp clang, and a flicker of that same dark aura ran along its length. The blade hit like it was striking a steel rod, not wood. Didn’t even budge him. He followed up with a swift kick to the soldier’s gut, launching him several yards back.

The first Silverlion, the big guy, didn’t wait. After wiping the blood from his face, he rushed forward again, sword slicing at the air. But the vagrant? He slid aside like it was nothing, like the fight had only just begun and he had all the time in the world. With one quick move, he spun and cracked the cane down on the guy’s wrist.

I heard the snap. Real clean. The sword clattered to the ground as the Silverlion cried out. Before he could even raise his other hand, the vagrant swung the cane hard into his temple. That one dropped him cold. Maybe dead. Hard to tell in that moment, and honestly, I wasn’t planning to check.

The last Silverlion saw both of his boys laid out and started circling. Eyes locked in, sword raised, hoping for a slip-up. But the vagrant didn’t give him one. Not a chance.

The guy lunged all in, probably thinking he had the edge. Yeah, no. The vagrant’s cane cut right through the opening like it was slicing through paper. The soldier’s chest opened up, blood pouring fast. He stumbled back, then dropped in a heap.

Seriously, can I even believe this?

A vagrant, someone who looked like he’d been scraping by on leftovers for years, just wiped the floor with three trained soldiers. And he did it with nothing but a walking cane. It was like watching a master swordsman at work, only this guy didn’t need a blade.

That limp I saw earlier? Completely gone. He moved like he’d never been injured in his life. Smooth, controlled, and fast. And that cane? It wasn’t just a cane anymore. It had changed. Every time it clashed with a sword, the dark aura flared up, and the steel seemed to shudder away, like it wanted nothing to do with him.

The last Silverlion still standing? His eyes said it all. Full-blown panic. After staggering up from the kick to his gut, he finally seemed to grasp what he was facing. He knew he was outmatched. No shame in admitting it, honestly.

He dropped his sword and bolted, his boots pounding the ground as fear took over.

But the vagrant wasn’t letting anyone walk away.

With one clean, diagonal swing of the cane, he sent a wave of dark energy slicing through the air. It hit the fleeing Silverlion square in the back. The guy let out a choked cry before collapsing face-first into the dirt. He didn’t so much as twitch after that.

I struggled to my feet, trying to wrap my head around what had just happened. Three Silverlion soldiers lay scattered around me, their armor cracked and blood pooling beneath them. The wounds were deep, jagged. And the way that armor had been torn open? That wasn’t something any regular blade could manage.

What the hell was that cane?

More importantly, could I buy one in a store?

The vagrant cursed under his breath, staring at the shattered remains of his wine bottle.

“Damn it! Why the hell did I throw my last bottle at that bastard?” He turned toward me, his eyes narrowing. “Hey, kid. You got money?”

“Huh?” I blinked, still dazed, still trying to process everything that had just gone down.

“Money,” he repeated, sharper now. “You know, gold, coins, whatever you’ve got. Hand it over.”

“Oh yeah… sure,” I muttered. My fingers fumbled with the pouch at my waist. Hands still shaking, I pulled out a handful of gold coins. Didn’t even count them. Just gave him everything.

He snatched the pouch, weighed it in his hand, then tucked it under his cloak without another word.

“You’d better get going, kid,” he said, voice gruff but steady. “This isn’t the kind of place you stick around in. Not someone like you.”

I nodded. Didn’t argue. I felt relief, sure, but there was confusion swimming in my head too.

“Okay… Thanks, sir. I owe you one.”

He didn’t answer, and I didn’t wait.

I turned and ran back toward the estate, boots pounding the dirt. I didn’t know what kind of mess I’d just stepped into, but I sure as hell wasn’t planning to hang around and dig any deeper.

I needed to warn everyone.

Whatever this was, it was bigger than me. And something tells me we’re only at the beginning.