VoidSpecter

Betrayed. Forgotten. Erased from history.

Kael Draven was once a loyal knight of the Divine Order, an elite warrior who fought in their name. But when he uncovered their darkest secrets, they silenced him—branding him a traitor and executing him without hesitation.

Yet death was not the end. An unknown force grants Kael a second chance, sending him twenty years into the past. Now, in his seventeen-year-old body, he has one goal: to bring down the Divine Order from the shadows.

Armed with knowledge of the future and a system that grants power at a deadly cost, Kael must rebuild his strength, gather allies, and navigate a world where his enemies still hold absolute control. But the deeper he digs, the more he realizes—the Divine Order’s corruption runs far deeper than he ever imagined.

The world believes the Divine Order is untouchable. Kael will prove them wrong.

This time, he won’t fight for them. He will bring them to ruin.

Eclipsed monarch

The forest was deathly silent, save for the distant crackling of flames and the fading screams of the dying. Kael moved swiftly, his boots barely making a sound against the damp earth. His mind was already calculating his next move—get away from the battlefield before reinforcements arrived.

A guttural snarl, low and menacing.

His steps halted. Slowly, he turned.

The creature stood at the treeline, illuminated by the flickering glow of the burning camp. It was unlike anything he had encountered before—a hulking mass of sinew and darkness, its form vaguely humanoid but grotesquely twisted. Patches of matted fur covered its body, and its elongated limbs ended in razor-sharp claws. Its eyes burned with a sickly, unnatural light, locked onto him.

Kael's grip on his dagger tightened. Running was pointless now. The beast was hunting him, and he had no choice but to face it.

Kael barely managed to sidestep as its claws slashed through the space where he had been standing a moment ago. The force of the swing shattered a nearby tree trunk, sending splinters flying.

He moved instinctively, weaving through the trees, using the terrain to his advantage. But the beast was relentless. It crashed through obstacles with terrifying speed, closing the distance in seconds.

Kael's mind raced. A direct fight would be suicide. He needed to find a weakness.

Ducking under a swipe, he rolled across the ground and slashed his dagger along the beast's flank. The blade barely cut through its thick hide, leaving only a shallow wound. The creature didn't even flinch.

Too durable. He needed a new approach.

The beast attacked again, its claws carving through bark as Kael leaped onto a fallen log, using it as a springboard to propel himself backward. His eyes darted around the forest, searching for anything he could use.

Then he saw it—a narrow ravine just ahead.

The beast, enraged, roared and gave chase. It was faster, but Kael had the advantage of foresight. As he neared the edge of the ravine, he gathered his strength and leaped.

He barely made it, landing hard on the opposite side and rolling to absorb the impact. He turned just in time to see the beast leap after him—

Mid-air, the creature realized its mistake.

Kael had jumped just far enough. The beast had not.

It slammed into the rocky edge, claws scrabbling for purchase. For a brief moment, its glowing eyes met Kael's. Then, with a final snarl, it plummeted into the darkness below.

Kael exhaled slowly, his muscles tense, waiting.

He stood there for a moment longer, catching his breath. Then, without another word, he turned and disappeared into the night.

Chapter 23: The Beast That Followed