Darkness never kept the Boy away. His golden eyes could pierce night as easily as day. But this night was different—thick and heavy, swirling like liquid smoke. It whispered to him, calling his name.
He followed the voice until he reached a small campfire glowing softly in the dark. The warmth wrapped around him, and the scent of roasting rabbit and herbs drifted through the air. The fire's light revealed a figure across the flames—the never-aging Komodo King. His eyes gleamed like molten gold.
The King rose with a graceful bow. His breastplate shimmered with hidden enchantment. He offered the Boy wine from a silver flask and half of the rabbit.
> "I am a traveler," said the King, "on a quest to free two imprisoned twins—children of the light—held by cruel guardians who call themselves Mother and Father."
The Boy listened, heart pounding, as the King told of a once-great animal kingdom brought to ruin by those same guardians, its people enslaved, its light extinguished. Every word struck like a spark.
Why had his parents never spoken of this?
Fueled by the King's tales—and by the enchanted wine—the Boy's anger grew. When the King offered to help him unlock his true power, the Boy accepted without hesitation.
---
The Corruption
The King lifted a golden chalice that shimmered in the firelight.
> "This will not hurt," he promised, "much."
Before the Boy could answer, a vampire slipped from the shadows, its claw glinting silver. With a single stroke, it opened the Boy's throat. His golden blood poured freely, caught by another vampire in a wooden goblet until it brimmed with light.
The King knelt beside him, raising the golden chalice of thick red liquid—his own vile elixir.
> "One cup holds what you were, child of light," he whispered, nodding toward the wooden goblet. "The other holds what you may become."
He pressed the golden chalice to the Boy's lips. The taste of iron and fire burned down his throat. Pain exploded through him. His wounds sealed shut. His black hair streaked white, his olive skin paled, and an ancient hunger took root inside.
The wooden goblet of golden blood sat forgotten beside the fire, its glow fading into ash.
He was no longer merely a son—he was the beginning of something unholy.
---
The Fall of the Castle
In her chamber, Mother gazed into the night, wondering where her son had gone. Regret flickered through her. She couldn't even recall the reason for their quarrel.
Then came the screams.
The gates exploded inward. Beasts surged into the courtyard—shadow demons, vampires, and half-formed monsters tearing through her guards.
With a wave, she raised the ground into a wall of earth, dividing her defenders from the invaders, but winged creatures descended over it, raining death.
Father appeared beside her. Seeing the commander on the distant hill, he vanished—reappearing before the Komodo King.
> "You," Father said.
"Me," the King replied, smiling. "I told you this day would come."
He raised one finger toward the castle.
Father turned just as a shadow pierced through Mother's back. The window shattered. Her body fell. He vanished again, catching her before she struck the ground.
---
The Betrayal
At the window stood the Boy. His eyes glowed red-gold. He had entered unseen.
When Mother turned toward him, confused, he struck—his hand bursting through her chest.
He dropped her heart at his sister's feet and stepped into the night.
The Girl followed, horrified.
Below, Father held Mother's body, grief consuming him. The Girl hurled herself at her brother, her magic tearing the courtyard apart. Guards, allies, and monsters alike fell to her fury.
The Boy only laughed, moving too fast to track. When she lunged again, he struck her across the face so hard she vanished into the wall, leaving a crater behind.
He licked his fingers, tasting Mother's golden blood.
And in that instant, he saw everything—her endless lifetimes of love and sorrow, the burden of creation, the pain of sacrifice. The knowledge crushed him. Tears filled his eyes.
His sister rose again, wreathed in dark fire. Her grief turned to corruption, infecting everything around her. Friends tore at one another like rabid beasts. The monsters melted in agony.
The Boy, broken by guilt, turned to ash.
---
The End of the Age
Father stood amidst ruin. His daughter—the last spark of Mother's heart—was lost to madness.
> "Stop," he whispered.
And the world obeyed.
All life within the castle stilled. His daughter fell lifeless into his arms.
With tears hidden beneath his hood, Father tore the world apart. The heavens screamed as the Veil was born, separating realms of Blessed, Afflicted, and Mortal.
He placed the Blessed in their own realm, reset mankind to its dawn, and vanished into shadow.
Only the strongest of the Blessed could later cross the thinning Veil to guide humanity again. But some of the Afflicted survived too, slipping between worlds to hunt both man and magic.
And so the realms were divided—until the Veil would one day thin again.
End Chapter 17