The Chronicles Of Eternity

---

Kael walked with purpose, his cloak pulled tight against the early chill of morning. The path ahead sloped downward, winding between gray hills dotted with dry grass and rock. Behind him, the village of Kaelun shrank into the mist.

He didn't look back.

The shard—Aunnex—rested against his chest, its faint glow tucked under fabric. It didn't burn anymore. Now it pulsed like a heartbeat, steady and sure, pulling him east.

He adjusted the straps of his pack and kept moving.

For hours, the only sound was the crunch of his boots and the occasional birdcall. A part of him expected someone to shout after him. A hunter. A watchman. Maybe Lira.

But no one came.

Not until a rock hit the back of his shoulder.

He spun around, hand dropping to his side. Not for a weapon—just instinct.

There she was, arms crossed, standing on a ridge ten paces behind him.

Lira.

"Seriously?" he muttered.

"Nice to see you too," she said, descending casually as if they'd planned this.

Kael stared at her, silent for a moment. "How long have you been following me?"

"Since you passed the third stone marker."

"That was hours ago."

"I'm patient."

He let out a breath, then turned to walk again.

She followed.

"No 'go home' speech?" she asked.

"I figured you'd ignore it anyway."

Lira gave a small smile. "Smart."

They walked for a while without speaking. The sun broke through low clouds ahead, casting long shadows across the valley. The road was quiet, worn by carts and boots that hadn't passed in weeks.

Finally, Kael glanced sideways. "The elders?"

She shrugged. "I spoke to them. I didn't just run off."

"You got their permission?"

"More or less."

"Lira…"

"They blessed the journey," she added, cutting him off. "On the condition that I wouldn't go alone."

Kael slowed his pace. "So…?"

She tilted her head. "You really think I came unprotected?"

A voice answered before he could.

"Not a chance."

A tall figure stepped from behind a nearby tree, dusting leaves off his shoulders. Dark-skinned and broad-chested, with a sharp scar beneath his left eye, Alfred looked like he hadn't rested in days—and didn't need to.

Kael blinked. "You too?"

Alfred rolled his eyes. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm here for Lira."

"Thanks," Kael said dryly.

Lira stepped between them. "He's not lying."

Alfred gave a low grunt. "Elders thought you might need someone who could knock your head straight if needed."

Kael let out a short laugh. "Wonderful."

They resumed walking.

The trail narrowed, and Kael found himself walking beside Lira again. She kept her gaze forward, but her fingers occasionally brushed the edge of her tunic, like she didn't know what to do with her hands.

Kael noticed, but said nothing.

At midday, they stopped under a shaded outcrop to rest. Alfred dropped his pack without ceremony and sat against a tree.

Lira sat beside Kael, pulling her knees close.

He glanced at her.

She looked tired, but not weak. Her eyes followed the distant path ahead like it held something only she could see. When the wind pushed her hair across her face, she didn't brush it away. She just breathed—slow, quiet, steady.

"You didn't have to come," he said softly.

She smiled without looking at him. "I know."

He looked away. "This journey—it's not a game. I don't even know what we're walking into."

"I didn't follow you because I wanted adventure."

"Then why?"

She finally looked at him. "Because I believe in you."

Kael's throat tightened. He shifted his gaze to the road.

"Careful," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "Belief can be dangerous."

"So can loneliness," she replied.

That silenced him.

---

They moved again before sundown. The hills began to open into wider plains, and small ruins dotted the landscape—abandoned waystations from the old trade routes.

As they crossed a shallow stream, Kael offered his hand to help Lira across.

She took it.

Their fingers touched briefly—just enough to spark something unspoken between them.

He didn't say anything. Neither did she.

But Alfred, watching from the far bank, narrowed his eyes.

He didn't trust Kael. Not yet.

And even if Lira did, he was here to protect her from things she couldn't see. That included whatever Kael might become.

---

By nightfall, the wind had shifted cold. They found shelter beside the crumbled remains of an old watchtower, its stones half-swallowed by moss. Alfred cleared the area while Kael gathered dry wood.

The fire crackled soon after, casting flickering orange light over their tired faces.

Kael sat with his legs stretched, rubbing a sore spot near his ribs. Lira sat across from him, arms wrapped around her knees, watching the flames quietly. Alfred leaned against a rock nearby, sharpening a short blade with slow, deliberate strokes.

None of them spoke for a while.

Eventually, Lira broke the silence. "You always this quiet?"

Kael raised an eyebrow. "You knew I was."

She tilted her head. "Yeah. I just hoped travel might loosen the stiffness."

"I talk," he said. "Just not when there's nothing worth saying."

"I'll keep asking until something is," she said with a faint smile.

Alfred snorted.

Kael looked up. "Something funny?"

"You two. Acting like this is some kind of walk through wildflowers." Alfred's tone was dry. "We're being followed."

Kael tensed. "What?"

"I saw the signs before sundown. Bent grass, scattered stones, drag marks. Someone's been tracking us since midday."

Lira stood quickly, reaching for the staff strapped to her back.

"How close?" Kael asked, standing too.

"Too close."

The first arrow hit the tree behind Kael.

Then chaos erupted.

Shouts split the night air—rough voices, fast-moving shadows darting through brush and broken stone. Bandits. Not soldiers, but fast, hungry, and cornered. Six at least. Maybe more.

Kael dove for cover behind a fallen log as a second arrow zipped past his ear. Lira yanked her staff free and spun toward the closest shape, landing a crackling blow to the ribs. The attacker dropped with a grunt, rolling through the dirt.

Alfred had already closed the gap with two more. He fought like a wrecking ball—shoulder lowered, slamming into one bandit with enough force to launch him back into a tree. He didn't wait for the next. A clean elbow to the face. A brutal knee to the chest.

Kael emerged from cover, ducked low, and swept a leg out from under one of the attackers coming at Lira's side. The man crashed hard, but another replaced him immediately, swinging a short, curved blade.

Kael caught the attacker's wrist, twisted, and drove his knee into his gut. The man crumpled.

"Circle's closing!" Alfred growled, blocking a strike with his forearm. Blood dripped from a shallow cut on his shoulder, but he barely reacted. "They're herding us in!"

"We can break left!" Lira shouted, backing toward Kael, her chest heaving.

Kael turned just as another bandit charged. He dropped low, drove a punch upward into the man's jaw, then pulled Lira out of the way as another came at them from the side.

"They won't stop!" Lira said, frustration growing in her voice. "They're too desperate!"

One of the attackers threw a lit torch into their fire pit, scattering flame and embers through the brush. Smoke thickened the air.

"Alfred—get behind them!" Kael shouted.

The older warrior grunted in acknowledgment and disappeared into the brush.

Kael stepped forward, blocking a swing, then landing a palm strike against a bandit's shoulder—dislocating it with a sickening crunch. But even as the man dropped, another came in behind him.

Kael spun—and that's when it happened.

A sharp, brutal crack to the back of his skull.

He stumbled forward, eyes wide, breath caught in his throat. His legs gave way, and the world tilted sharply. He caught a glimpse of Lira, turning, her mouth forming his name.

The sounds of the fight distorted. Distant. Hollow.

Voices blurred.

Alfred's battle cry roared somewhere behind him.

Lira's scream cut through it all.

Then—blackness.

Kael hit the ground hard, Aunnex slipping from beneath his tunic and clattering to the dirt beside him, its light flickering once... then dimming.