Kael walked without direction.
The forest swallowed the sky above him. The branches intertwined, blocking even the pale moonlight. Roots rose from the ground like claws, catching his feet and forcing him to stumble. The deeper he went, the thicker the forest grew. Hours passed. Perhaps days. He had lost count. It did not matter. Nothing mattered anymore.
The world felt empty. Every sound reminded him of what had been taken. The crunch of leaves under his boots echoed like footsteps that would never return. The wind through the branches whispered like voices he could no longer hear. Every shadow, every rustle of a bird's wings, seemed to mock him.
Father. Mother.
His chest ached. He sank to his knees beside a fallen tree.
"I am alone," he whispered. No answer came. Only the wind replied, bending the branches and shaking the leaves, a cold reminder of the silence that now defined his life.
Mirevale was gone. Burned. Erased. The homes were reduced to ash and blackened frames. The market collapsed under scorched timbers.
Kael clenched his fists until his hands shook.
"What am I supposed to do now?"
He had no home. No reason. No future. Only memories that throbbed like wounds. Every step through the forest felt heavier than the last. He moved as if carried by instinct, his mind numb, his heart a hollow chamber echoing grief.
The thought came quietly, almost too softly to notice.
If I end it, no more pain. No more remembering. No more waking up alone.
He stared at the forest floor. The moonlight glinted off fallen leaves, shimmering like the eyes of those he had lost.
"I am tired," he said softly.
The forest said nothing.
Night crept in unnoticed, chilling his bones. The air grew damp, carrying the scent of earth and decay. Kael wandered aimlessly until he saw it, half-hidden beneath vines and shadows. A dark opening in the rock face. A cave.
I will rest. Just for tonight.
Inside, the cave was damp and silent. Water dripped slowly from the ceiling, echoing in the darkness. Kael pressed his back against the stone, pulling his knees close to his chest. Darkness was safe. Or so he thought. He closed his eyes.
Maybe I will not wake up.
Something moved. Wet, heavy. The sound of claws scraping stone. Kael's eyes snapped open. The ground shook beneath him.
Red eyes gleamed in the darkness.
The spider emerged. Its body towered over him, five meters tall. Each leg scraped the cave floor, cracking stone. Thick silk dripped from its fangs. Its mandibles clicked in the silence.
Kael froze. His body screamed to run.
He bolted. The cave trembled with every step. Rocks tumbled from above. A massive boulder crashed down behind him, blocking the entrance. Dust filled the air. He skidded to a stop, trapped.
The spider screeched. Its sound was like metal tearing, a high-pitched wail that reverberated through Kael's bones.
Kael pressed himself against the wall. His breath came in ragged gasps. So this is it. No escape. No strength. No one left to save me.
He closed his eyes. "I am ready."
A sharp crack of sound split the cave. A flash of light filled the chamber. The spider screeched again and then fell silent. Kael opened his eyes. The creature had collapsed. Its body lay broken, as if struck by something he could not see. Silence returned, heavy and thick.
Then came footsteps. Slow, deliberate.
A human appeared between Kael and the corpse. Tall. Calm. Unharmed. A faint glow shone from a mark on their hand. An Astral Mark.
Kael's heart skipped. Marked.
The figure spoke. "Are you okay?"
Kael could not move. His hands shook uncontrollably. His mind refused to process what he saw.
"W-Why?" he finally managed.
The stranger tilted their head. "Why what?"
"Why did you save me? You are marked."
The stranger blinked, then laughed lightly. "Huh? Isn't it normal to save someone who is in danger?"
Kael stared at his own hands, ash clinging to the fabric of his clothes. "...I thought you're here to kill me too."
The marked human's smile faded. "What kind of world do you think we live in?"
Kael did not answer. He could not. Words felt meaningless.
The stranger crouched slightly, placing a hand near Kael's shoulder. "I know you feel lost. But surviving is the first step."
Kael swallowed, his throat tight. "I… I have nowhere to go. Everyone is gone."
The figure nodded. "Then start here. One step at a time. No one can take your life from you if you refuse to let them."
Kael closed his eyes and exhaled. The weight of grief pressed down on him, but for the first time since Mirevale burned, he could breathe without collapsing entirely.
Hours passed in silence. The stranger did not speak, only kept watch. The shadows of the cave shifted as if alive. Kael let himself lean against the stone, his body trembling, the remnants of fear and exhaustion washing over him.
He thought of his father. The way he had always guided him, steady and strong. His mother's gentle hands, the way she smiled even in hard times. Mirevale, the people he knew, the market, the children laughing along the dirt roads, all gone.
The stranger did not leave. They waited until Kael finally spoke.
"Who are you?"
The figure shrugged lightly. "Does it matter? I saved you. That is enough for now."
Kael frowned, the ghost of his fear fading into cautious curiosity. "Marked humans… they were the ones who burned my home. Why would you be different?"
"Because not everyone follows the same path," the stranger said. "Some choose to destroy. Others choose to protect."
Kael's hands clenched and unclenched. "I don't even know what to do now."
"Then start with surviving," the stranger replied simply. "You can figure out the rest later."
For the first time in weeks, Kael allowed himself to sleep. His body leaned against the cool stone, the sound of dripping water and his own shallow breathing filling the silence. The forest outside seemed far away, as if nothing from the past could reach him here.
When he woke up, the cave was still. The spider was gone. But the sense of presence lingered, a reassurance that someone, somewhere, had chosen differently.
Kael rose, stretching stiff muscles. The world outside was still dangerous, still unkind, and still unforgiving. But for the first time, he realized he had survived. That meant something.
He stepped out of the cave. The moon had shifted, casting silver light on the trees. Shadows moved, but he no longer flinched. The forest did not feel quite as empty.
Kael clenched his fists, not in anger, but in determination. He had nothing left, and yet he still had himself. He had survived when all else had fallen. That was the start of something.
But Kael remained. And this life, though fragile and broken, refused to end.
(End of Chapter 4)