Episode 6 — Nightmare

The upper room of Aeralith Camp fell into silence.

Two blades faced each other in the dim light—one held by the Commander of Thornvyl, the other by Kael Verix.

Outside, wind howled softly through the broken window.

For a brief moment, the entire battlefield seemed to hold its breath.

Then the screams began.

Not one.

Many.

Echoing through the wooden halls below.

Thornvyl soldiers.

The Commander’s eyes sharpened instantly. He turned toward the doorway.

Heavy footsteps approached—uneven, dragging across the corridor.

A shadow appeared.

Then a figure stepped into the doorway.

The Scarred Man.

His clothes were torn. A deep cut across his shoulder bled slowly. In his hand, he held a sword.

Behind him, in the dim hallway, bodies of Thornvyl soldiers lay scattered across the floor.

For the first time, the Commander’s expression changed. Confusion flickered across his face—then realization began to form.

But before he could react—

A sharp metallic sound cut through the room.

Kael moved.

Not fast. Not dramatic.

Just precise.

His blade drove forward.

Clean. Direct.

The sword pierced the Commander’s abdomen.

Blood burst across the wooden floor as the Commander gasped, a sharp cry escaping him.

The room froze.

His eyes widened in shock as he looked down at the blade buried inside him… then back at Kael.

Kael’s expression did not change.

Cold. Unmoved. Almost inevitable.

Behind them, the Scarred Man stepped further into the room, breathing heavily as he watched the scene unfold.

And in that moment, the Commander understood.

This had never been a battle.

It was a trap.

Wind roared louder outside. Curtains whipped through the broken window as blood dripped slowly from the Commander’s armor.

One drop.

Then another.

The nightmare had begun.

Downstairs, the hall of the House of Evolution had fallen into a different kind of silence—the kind that comes only after violence.

Broken furniture lay scattered across the floor. Blood trailed along wooden boards. A fallen chair rocked slowly back and forth.

From behind an overturned table, three figures peeked out.

Vihaan glanced left. Then right.

No soldiers.

No guards.

No voices.

Only the whisper of wind slipping through shattered wood.

“They’re… gone,” Liorin whispered.

Eryx shook his head, scanning the hallway again.

“No. They’re fighting upstairs.”

Vihaan didn’t hesitate.

He moved toward a cracked window along the side wall. The glass had already fractured from the arrows that struck earlier.

He gripped the frame and pushed.

CRACK.

The window gave way as cold wind burst inside.

One by one, they slipped out.

Vihaan first.

Then Liorin.

Eryx last.

They landed outside in the shadows of the building, breathing hard. Quickly, they crouched and moved along the outer wall until they reached a corner where broken crates and stone blocks provided cover.

There they stayed low, hidden, watching.

Above them, the fight continued.

Upstairs, the room had grown quiet again.

The Thornvyl Commander lay on the floor, blood spreading slowly beneath him.

Kael stood over the body.

His Aeralith sword dissolved into pale particles and vanished from existence.

The Scarred Man remained nearby, breathing heavily, wounded but alive.

Beyond the doorway, Thornvyl soldiers lay scattered across the corridor—the result of the Scarred Man’s brutal counterattack.

Kael stepped closer to the fallen Commander and looked down at him quietly.

Then he spoke.

“Do you know why he died?”

The Scarred Man wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and smirked faintly.

“Because… he tried to kill you.”

Kael’s gaze didn’t change.

“No.”

A pause.

“He died because he became uncautious.”

The word hung heavy in the air.

“Uncautiousness makes the stronger person weaker… than the weak one.”

Slowly, Kael turned toward the Scarred Man.

Before he could react, Kael grabbed his jaw firmly—controlled, precise. Their faces were inches apart.

“And your uncautiousness… is the reason for our retreat.”

The Scarred Man’s smirk faded.

For the first time, doubt appeared in his eyes.

“This is my first… and last mistake.”

Outside, night had fallen.

Wind rose across the House of Evolution as leaves swirled violently across the ground. Dark clouds gathered above the building, rotating slowly in a circular pattern.

Lightning flickered inside the storm—but it wasn’t normal lightning.

It looked like sparks tearing through the sky.

Thornvyl soldiers stopped and looked upward.

The trio outside did the same.

The air had changed.

It felt unnatural.

Inside the upper room, Kael still held the Scarred Man’s jaw.

“Yes,” he said softly.

A faint, cruel smile appeared.

“This is your last mistake.”

Above them, the storm tightened.

Clouds spun faster.

Energy gathered at the center of the sky.

Then—

A massive lightning strike formed.

Not white.

But violent and blinding.

It crashed through the roof.

BOOOOOM.

Wood exploded apart as debris flew everywhere. The lightning tore through the shattered ceiling and struck directly downward—straight into the Scarred Man, still held in Kael’s grip.

Energy erupted violently.

Light filled the entire room.

And when it faded—

The Scarred Man was gone.

Not fallen. Not burned.

Shattered.

Fragments scattered across the floor as smoke slowly rose.

The room fell silent again.

Kael’s hand remained exactly where it had been, suspended in the air.

Completely unharmed.

Not even a tremor.

Outside, the storm slowly began to calm.

Kael lowered his hand.

His expression remained unchanged.

Cold. Controlled.

The nightmare had begun.

Outside the ruined House of Evolution, the storm faded.

Winds slowed. Clouds still swirled above, but the lightning had stopped. Ash and dust drifted through the moonlight air.

The building stood half-destroyed.

From the shadows near the outer wall, the trio finally moved.

Vihaan looked once toward the shattered roof, then said quietly,

“We have to leave. Now.”

Eryx nodded.

Liorin took a breath and stood.

They began running along the outer path, staying low as they moved past broken fences and scattered debris.

Every step careful.

Every breath sharp.

Ahead of them, the forest looked dark… but free.

For a moment, it seemed like they might escape.

Then—

A shadow dropped from above.

THUD.

Right in front of them.

The trio stopped instantly.

Dust rose around the figure.

Vihaan’s eyes widened slightly as he recognized the silhouette.

“…Kael?”

The dust cleared.

Kael stood there—perfectly still.

Calm. Composed.

His long coat fluttered slowly in the fading wind. Moonlight fell across him as his white eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, like distant stars.

No anger.

No rush.

Just quiet control.

Behind him—the ruined camp.

In front of him—the trio.

No one spoke.

The atmosphere felt heavy. Almost unreal.

Then Kael finally spoke.

“When I saved you… I never imagined that you would be the ones who would betray me.”

The words struck hard.

Vihaan stepped forward slightly.

“I have never betrayed you… if you are on the right side.”

A pause.

“And which… is the right side?” Kael asked.

No one answered.

Not Vihaan.

Not Liorin.

Not Eryx.

A faint smile appeared on Kael’s face, followed by a quiet laugh—thoughtful rather than mocking.

“Everyone believes the path they are walking is the right one.”

He began to turn away.

“But if you think logically… there is no difference between you and me.”

The trio watched him closely.

Then Kael paused mid-step.

Without looking back, he said,

“Don’t be afraid. I am not going to kill you.”

Confusion crossed their faces.

Kael walked a few more steps, wind lifting his coat again.

“Grow.”

His voice turned colder.

“And when you become capable enough to compete with me… then I will treat you as opponents.”

He glanced back one last time, his glowing eyes meeting theirs.

“Until then… I am a nightmare for you.”

Then Kael bent slightly and leaped.

The air burst beneath him as he rose rapidly into the night sky. His silhouette crossed the moon for a brief second—

Then vanished into the clouds.

Silence returned to the forest.

The trio stood there, stunned.

And somewhere high above them—

The nightmare was still watching.

The sky slowly returned to silence.

The violent wind that had roared only moments earlier began to calm, leaving the forest unnaturally still. Dark clouds drifted apart, revealing scattered fragments of the night sky above.

For a few seconds, no one moved.

Vihaan kept staring at the place where Kael had vanished into the darkness. Liorin’s fists tightened at his sides, tension running through his shoulders. Eryx exhaled slowly, trying to steady his breathing.

Behind them, broken wood still burned.

The House of Evolution stood half destroyed, flames licking through shattered beams while smoke rose into the night air.

Eryx finally spoke, his voice low.

“He could have killed us…”

Liorin didn’t take her eyes off the sky.

“But he didn’t.”

Vihaan’s voice came quieter than either of them expected.

“No… he did something worse.”

They both turned toward him.

Vihaan looked at the ruined camp, then back at the sky.

“He gave us time.”

A cold silence followed.

Somewhere deep in the forest, the faint sound of marching boots began to echo through the trees.

The trio turned toward the sound.

Through the darkness between the branches, points of light slowly appeared.

Torches.

Dozens of them.

Thornvyl soldiers.

The army had arrived — too late.

Commander’s Soldiers Arrive

The soldiers slowed as they approached the ruined House of Evolution.

What they saw made them stop.

The structure was shattered. Lightning-scorched wood still crackled softly. Bodies lay scattered across the ground.

One soldier dropped to a knee beside the fallen commander. Another lifted his gaze toward the sky, as if searching for something that had already disappeared.

A whisper moved through the ranks.

“Kael…”

The name spread quietly among them.

Fear.

Respect.

And anger.

Hidden in the Shadows

Behind a broken section of the outer wall, the trio watched everything unfold.

Liorin spoke first.

“We should go. Now. Before they see us.”

Eryx nodded slightly.

“Or before Kael decides to come back.”

Vihaan didn’t move.

His eyes stayed on the burning camp.

Then slowly, he turned toward the Thornvyl soldiers.

Something in his expression had changed.

The Trap in the Forest

Moments later, the trio broke into a run.

Dry leaves cracked beneath their feet as they rushed deeper into the forest. Behind them, the ruined House of Evolution faded into shadow, its flames flickering faintly against the night sky.

Branches whipped past their faces. Their breaths grew heavier with every step.

For a moment, it felt like they might actually escape.

Then—

SNAP!

The ground jerked violently.

Ropes tightened around their ankles in an instant.

All three of them were yanked off balance and slammed hard onto the forest floor. Dust and leaves burst into the air around them.

Vihaan clenched his teeth.

“Damn… it’s a trap.”

The ropes pulled tighter, locking their legs together.

Eryx tried to push himself up but immediately lost his balance and fell again. Liorin quickly scanned the forest, her eyes sharp and alert.

Something felt wrong.

The forest had gone too quiet.

Too prepared.

From the darkness between the trees, figures began to appear.

One step at a time.

Boots crunching softly against the forest floor.

Moonlight reflected off armor.

Four Thornvyl soldiers emerged, surrounding them in a tight circle.

Their bows were already drawn.

Arrows aimed directly at the trio.

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