Chapter 10: The Unseen Power

The moonlight struggled to pierce the thick canopy above, casting ominous shadows to dance across the clearing where Steven stood in a circle of bandits. Their arms glinted dully in the pale light—swords with rusted blades, daggers with wicked serrations, and axes of crude construction. Some of them, more than simple common brigands, had the unmistakable presence of magic about them. Flickers of flame danced at their fingertips, some of them muttering incantations under their breath.

Steven's hand tightened around his sword. He was no fool—he knew he had no hope against so many, not when some of them were using magic. But he could not help it. His lady lay unconscious behind him, her breathing shallow, her delicate face smeared with dirt and exhaustion.

He breathed deeply and declared, "I'll pay you in gold. All of you. Take what you want. Bandits love gold, don't they?"

There was laughter in the group, but one voice overrode them all—a low, rumbling guffaw that increased to a full-throated bellow.

From the band of the band came the bandit leader, a giant of a man with bronzed skin, muscles carved like rock, and a sadistic grin slashing across his scarred face. He rested a massive battle axe on his shoulder, its blade smeared with the blood of past victims.

"You believe that gold will buy us?" he sneered. "Gold is pleasant, but we have enough already, thank you, Lord Ravenswood."

Steven's stomach twisted. "What?"

There was laughter at the back of the group. A figure emerged into the light, stepping out of the shadows. By the time the firelight illuminated his face, Steven's blood had turned cold.

It was the village chief.

"You…" Steven's voice shook. "Why are you doing this?"

The headman snarled. "For money, of course. Your family is in want now, Steven. You do not even have money for this journey, do you? So what can you possibly offer us? Nothing like what we were promised by Lord Ravenswood."

He laughed, folding his arms across his chest. "And if we kill you here, we can sell the princess on the black market. She'll fetch a pretty penny. And we add that to the gold we've gotten from Ravenswood, and we'll be richer than ever!"

Steven's hands shook with rage. His grip on his sword tightened, his knuckles growing white. "You… you sold us out for gold?"

The headman laughed. "Save your virtue for another. Survival is a game, Steven. Play it well or get run over."

Just then a new thought struck Steven like a punch to the chest. If the village chief was there, then—

The elder of the village laughed, reading his mind. "You don't need to worry about your young master and your lord," he taunted. "I have already dispatched my men. They will be taken care of."

Steven's breath caught in his throat. His vision blurred in rage as he screamed, a howl of hopelessness and desperation that pierced the quietness of the evening. Tears rolled down his cheeks, but before hopelessness had fully engulfed him—

A small person entered the clearing.

Steven's breathing stopped.

"Kaidën."

The boy wasn't hurt at all.

The smug grin of the chief slipped when his gaze met the child. A fleeting gleam of alarm sparkled in his eyes. "How. how is he here?!"

Kaidën's face was vacant, his eyes cold. The village chief clenched his fists. He would not let this boy speak, not if he had seen too much.

"Seize him!" he cried.

Steven's eyes widened in horror. "Run, young master! Run!"

But Kaidën didn't flee.

Bandits closed in, swords drawn. But before they could reach him—

Pop!

One of the bandits' heads blew up.

The onlookers were left dazed in dismay as the blood and brain matter splattered into the forest ground. There was a stunned second of silence. Then

Pop!

Another bandit's head burst like an overripe fruit.

The other men were terrified. They stepped back, their eyes wide with fear, their guns shaking in their hands.

Slowly but surely, the bandit leaders began to blow, it seemed, at random. They were seeded with terror, like a prairie fire. Some attempted to flee, but it did not matter—

Pop!. Pop!!. Pop!!!.

They fell like flies, their bodies crashing onto the ground, coloring it red.

The head of the village stumbled back, his complexion ashen. His lips were quivering and he barely mouthed, "What… what is this…?"

Even the bandit leader, a man with hundreds of fights, took a step back. He gazed at the kid with a kind of awe. "Damn… to kill that many without a fight. That's someth—"

His sentence was never finished.

His head exploded mid-word.

The village head screamed in a strangled voice, spinning around to flee. His heart pounding in his chest, he stumbled over the bodies of his dead men.

He needed to flee.

He had to

Pop!.

He stumbled, his body jerking for an instant before it relaxed

Kaidën, not bothered, continued to walk toward Steven. Behind him, his mother was unconscious, her breathing shallow but consistent.

Steven was unable to believe what he had just witnessed. His mouth was parched as Kaidën stopped in front of him. The boy's dark, uncomprehending eyes locked onto his.

"Secret," Kaidën breathed softly, his tone soft but firm.

Steven swallowed hard. He knew immediately.

"Alright, little master," he growled, his voice harsh.

Kaidën walked away with his back turned, going to his mother, his small hand resting lightly on hers.

****

Later That Night

The fire hissed quietly in the blackness of the night.

Kaidën's mother shifted. Her eyes fluttered open, and for an instant, there was terror in her face. But as she absorbed the environment—a small, makeshift camp, the soft glow of the fire, and Steven's sitting beside her—her body relaxed.

Steven noticed her change and he immediately moved in closer. "You're safe now, my lady."

She blinked up at him, her vision still hazy with confusion. "What… what happened?"

Steven hesitated before answering. "A stranger helped us," he replied hesitantly. "I couldn't see his face very well, but he saved us from the robbers."

She released a soft sigh of relief. She shifted her head, seeing Kaidën lying next to her, his expression as stoic as ever.

A soft smile spread across her face as she opened her arms, welcoming him into a warm hug. "I was so worried."

Kaidën remained silent, his tiny hands pressed against her spine.

Steven gazed upon what was before him, his head reeling with everything that had happened. His heart was weighed down with the secret he could never share.

Kaidën had changed everything.

And it was only the beginning.

To be continued....