The Hunt Begins-2

Darkness lingered in Kalen's veins.

Even though he had rejected the First Shadowborn, the whispers hadn't left him. They coiled around the edges of his thoughts, watching, waiting.

His body ached as he sat up, the world around him still spinning from what he had just experienced.

Renna and Varik knelt beside him, their faces etched with concern.

"You were out for a while," Renna said, voice tight. "What the hell happened down there?"

Kalen inhaled sharply.

How could he even explain it? That beneath the Temple lay something far older than the gods themselves? That he had spoken to the first of his kind and been offered the chance to become something beyond human?

That he had turned it down—but not escaped it?

Kalen clenched his fists.

"I met him," he finally said. "The First Shadowborn."

Varik stiffened. "Wait. What?"

Renna's expression darkened. "That's impossible. He—he was just a myth. A cautionary tale."

Kalen shook his head. "He's real. And he's still alive."

A heavy silence settled between them.

Varik broke it first, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, uh… what did he want?"

Kalen met their eyes.

"He wanted me to join him."

Neither of them spoke.

Renna's hand instinctively moved toward her dagger. A habit. A defense.

Varik, ever the joker, forced a laugh. "And? Did you say no?"

Kalen nodded.

Renna exhaled, her shoulders relaxing slightly. But her gaze remained sharp. "Then why do you still look like something is wrong?"

Because something was wrong.

The First Shadowborn had let him go.

Too easily.

That wasn't a dismissal. That was a test.

And the test wasn't over.

Kalen pushed himself to his feet.

"We need to leave. Now."

Renna and Varik didn't argue. They had been on the run long enough to recognize when time was against them.

And this time?

It wasn't just time they were running from.

The Price of Awakening

By the time they reached the outskirts of the city, the sky was already burning.

Kalen's breath caught as he saw the scene before him.

The Temple's destruction had sent shockwaves through the kingdom. Soldiers, priests, and mercenaries roamed the streets.

But that wasn't what made his blood turn to ice.

It was the banners.

Marked with the golden sun of the High King himself.

Varik cursed under his breath. "Great. The King's Inquisitors are here."

Renna pulled her hood lower. "Of course they are. The most powerful temple in the land was just torn apart by shadows. They think it's an act of war."

Kalen's jaw clenched. Because they weren't wrong.

A war was coming.

And he was at the center of it.

Wanted: Dead or Alive

Posters littered the streets.

Each one bore his face.

"WANTED: KALEN, THE SHADOWBORN. HIGH TREASON AGAINST THE CROWN. REWARD: 5000 GOLD PIECES."

Kalen swore under his breath. Five thousand? The King had put a higher price on his head than some warlords.

Varik let out a low whistle. "Congratulations, Kalen. You're officially the most valuable criminal in the kingdom."

Renna wasn't amused. "This is serious. Every bounty hunter, soldier, and desperate beggar is going to be looking for you now."

Kalen's fingers twitched. The whispers of the shadows slithered through his thoughts.

He could feel the people nearby. Their fear. Their desperation.

He could use it.

If he wanted.

But no.

He had already chosen his path.

He wouldn't become the thing they feared.

"We need to move," he said. "The longer we stay, the more danger we're in."

Renna and Varik nodded.

And together, they slipped into the shadows.

A City on Edge

Navigating the city was harder than usual.

Kalen had spent years hiding, but now the entire kingdom was looking for him.

The whispers of the First Shadowborn still clung to him, making him feel watched even when he wasn't.

Every corner of the city pulsed with tension. People whispered of the Shadowborn's return.

Some called him a demon.

Others, a harbinger of war.

But there were some—just a few—who spoke in hushed, reverent tones.

"The gods failed us. Maybe the shadows won't."

That was the part that terrified Kalen the most.

Because if enough people believed in him…

It wouldn't matter if he refused the darkness.

It would still spread.

Betrayal in the Dark

They reached an old safe house by nightfall.

It was abandoned—or so they thought.

The moment they stepped inside, the air shifted.

Kalen felt it first. That wrongness. That tension.

Then—

The door slammed shut.

And the torches flared to life.

A group of hunters stepped from the shadows, weapons drawn.

At their center stood a woman Kalen knew.

And his blood ran cold.

Captain Liora.

Leader of the King's Inquisitors.

And the one person who had sworn to see him dead.

A Duel in the Flames

Kalen barely had time to react before Liora moved.

She was faster than any normal soldier. A blur of steel and fire.

Her blade sliced toward him—

And the shadows reacted.

Darkness exploded from his palm, blocking the strike just in time.

But Liora didn't hesitate. She twisted, her boot slamming into Kalen's chest, sending him crashing into the wall.

Renna and Varik leaped into action.

Varik's daggers flashed, but Liora deflected them effortlessly.

Renna struck from behind, but Liora was ready.

Too ready.

Because she had faced shadows before.

Liora's eyes locked onto Kalen. "I knew it was only a matter of time before one of you returned."

She lunged again—

And this time, Kalen fought back.

The Power He Fears

The moment he let the shadows fully take hold, the world shifted.

Liora's movements slowed.

Kalen's thoughts sharpened.

Everything became clear.

He dodged. Countered. Struck.

The shadows anticipated Liora's next moves before she even made them.

And for the first time—

She faltered.

Kalen's fist connected, sending her staggering back.

Liora's expression flickered. "So. You're finally using it."

Kalen froze.

Because she was right.

He had given in.

Even if only for a moment.

And the shadows had loved it.

A Warning Before the Storm

Liora didn't press the attack.

Instead, she wiped the blood from her lip and smirked.

"You're powerful," she admitted. "But power isn't enough."

Kalen narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Liora sheathed her blade. "The King doesn't fear your strength."

She leaned in.

"He fears what's coming next."

Kalen's breath caught.

"What's coming next?"

Liora smiled.

"The others."

Kalen's blood ran cold.

Because he knew what she meant.

The First Shadowborn wasn't the only one waiting in the dark.

There were more.

And soon—

They would rise.

End of Chapter 11