NOVEL WEB 2. The Awakening of Darkness
It was a day like any other. The sun was slowly setting over Rivemont, bathing the mountains in a glowing red light.
Ale and his grandfather, Karl, were busy finishing the last tasks of the day. Life in Rivemont was peaceful, far from the turmoil of the outside world. Yet, since that morning, Ale had been feeling something strange. A dull, inexplicable unease weighed on his mind.
As he returned from the market, laden with provisions, he crossed paths with a group of travelers he had never seen before. Their faces were hidden beneath heavy dark hoods, and when Ale met their gaze, a cold shiver ran down his spine. One of the men smiled at him, but it was not a warm smile. It was cold, calculating, and filled with something unsettling.
Shaken by the encounter, Ale hurried home. When he arrived, Karl was waiting for him, preparing the fire for the evening. When Ale mentioned the travelers he had seen, Karl froze briefly before placing a reassuring hand on his grandson's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Ale," he said in a calm voice.
"Rivemont is safe from the dangers of the world. Here, we are protected by the mountains and the divine spirits."
"You're probably right, Grandpa," Ale replied, trying to convince himself.
But that night, Ale had a disturbing dream. He found himself in a dense, dark forest where the darkness was so thick that he couldn't see more than a meter ahead of him. Strange and unsettling whispers floated all around him, while an oppressive presence seemed to press down on his shoulders. Suddenly, a cold, sinister voice rose from the darkness, whispering incomprehensible words, but they were filled with palpable malice. Then, a towering shadow emerged from the darkness, extending a clawed hand toward him. Ale woke with a start, drenched in cold sweat, his heart racing.
The next morning, Ale told Karl about his dream. Karl listened in silence, his face marked by unusual seriousness.
"That was no ordinary dream, Ale," Karl said after a moment of silence.
"You felt their presence. The followers of the spirit of darkness… They are not just legends. They've been hiding in the shadows for a long time, waiting for their moment."
Ale was stunned by his grandfather's words.
"The followers? But… people say the Spirit of Darkness was sealed centuries ago by the divine spirits."
Karl nodded slowly. "Yes, but evil never truly disappears. It hides, it waits. And it seems that something has awakened it recently. These followers, these cults, seek to plunge the world into chaos to strengthen their master's influence."
As they spoke, an explosion echoed in the distance, shattering the tranquility of the village.
A cloud of black smoke rose from the center of Rivemont, followed by horrified screams. Karl and Ale rushed outside, horrified by what they saw: the group of travelers Ale had crossed earlier had revealed their true nature. They stood in the middle of the village, chanting sinister incantations, surrounded by black flames that consumed everything in their path.
The villagers, gripped by panic, tried to flee, but the followers were relentless. One of them, dressed in more elaborate robes than the others, appeared to be their leader. He raised his arms toward the sky, summoning a demonic creature born from the shadows. The beast lunged at the villagers with terrifying violence.
Karl grabbed Ale by the arm. "We have to run, now!" But before they could escape, the leader of the followers noticed them.
His eyes narrowed when he saw Ale, and a wicked smile stretched across his face.
"You…" he murmured in a deep, guttural voice. "I can sense noble blood within you. What an honor it would be to sacrifice your lineage in the name of our master…"
Karl's face went pale. "Ale, run!" he ordered, but Ale stood frozen, paralyzed with terror as the shadow creature drew closer.
In a desperate effort to protect his grandson, Karl stepped in front of the beast, his sword trembling in his hand.
He fought with desperate strength, managing to wound the creature, but it retaliated violently, throwing Karl to the ground, gravely injured. Horrified, Ale rushed to his grandfather's side. He summoned fireballs and hurled them at the monster. While his attacks hit the creature, they weren't enough to stop it.
"Ale…" Karl whispered, his voice weak. He lifted himself with the last of his strength and pulled a necklace from beneath his clothes—the one the prince had entrusted to him long ago. "This pendant… It's the gift your mother gave your father. Take it… and find the Light Prince…"
Ale grasped the necklace, his vision blurred by tears. "Grandfather, no..."
But Karl, aware that his time was running out, placed a reassuring hand on his grandson's shoulder. "You must run, Ale. Flee and grow stronger. Don't let the darkness consume you. Find the Light Prince, uncover the truth, and perhaps one day, you can put an end to this evil."
Without waiting for a response, Karl charged at the monster, his gaze resolute. Murmuring barely audible words, his body began to swell with heat. A powerful energy coursed through his veins, his muscles tightening as the magic surged within him.
"Goodbye, my child…" were his final words before, in a burst of light and fire, Karl exploded upon the creature, engulfing the beast in a massive blast of flames.
Ale, though shattered by grief, knew he had no other choice. He had to flee, just as his grandfather had commanded. Clutching the necklace tightly to his chest, he cast one last tearful glance back. Then, standing tall, he turned and ran, ready to disappear into the mountains.
The followers, seeing their prey escape, tried to give chase. But Karl's sacrifice bought enough time for Ale to flee without being caught.
Ale ran without looking back, feeling his heart break with each step. He knew he had just lost the only family he had, but he now carried within him a promise: to survive, to find the Light Prince, and to fulfill his grandfather's final wish.