The Guardian of the Outcasts

Kael Draven stared at the man before him. The black and gold armor, the eyes shining like miniature suns, the cloak that seemed to move on its own in the nonexistent wind. Every fiber of his body told him that this individual was not normal.

"A choice?" Kael repeated, not letting his guard down.

The man took a step forward, and Kael felt the pressure around him change. It was as if the air itself had become heavier, thicker. An oppressive aura.

"There are two paths before you." The man's voice was calm, but it carried an unquestionable authority. "You can remain an outcast. A reject. A shadow forgotten by society. Or…"

His gaze seemed to penetrate Kael's soul.

"You can embrace your true potential and rewrite your destiny."

Kael was silent for a few seconds. The man's words seemed like a call to power… but also a trap.

"What if I choose the first option?" he asked.

The man raised a hand. For a moment, Kael thought the man was about to attack him, but instead something even more disturbing happened.

From the shadows of the trees, rotting corpses emerged. The bodies were covered in scars, dressed in ragged rags and stained with blood. Some still had broken weapons in their fingers.

Kael stepped back. "Who are these people?"

The man lowered his hand. "They are the other exiles who refused my offer."

Kael's heart skipped a beat. All dead.

"Did you come to recruit me or threaten me?"

The man laughed softly. "I do not threaten. I show reality. In this world, being weak is a death sentence."

Kael gritted his teeth. He was right. The Academy had disowned him. Society had already branded him a mistake. If he were left alone, he would be dead within days.

But was trusting this stranger really the only option?

"Who are you, really?" Kael finally asked.

The man regarded him for a long moment. Then, with an enigmatic smile, he said,

"My name is Zareth. I am the Guardian of the Outcasts."

He gestured with his hand, and the seal on Kael's hand began to glow with a bright light. The young man held back a groan of pain as the glowing symbol spread across his arm.

"This mark is not a curse, boy. It is a gift. A power no one else possesses."

Kael looked down at his arm, breathing hard. The seal pulsed as if it had a life of its own.

"Follow me, Kael Draven." Zareth turned and began walking into the darkness of the forest. "You will find that being an exile… is only the beginning."

Kael stood still for a moment. Then he clenched his fists, took a deep breath… and followed.

Little did he know that this choice would change his fate forever.