Chapter 3

Into the Shadows

Heavy rain lashed down on the forest for two consecutive days, transforming the dirt tracks into slippery, treacherous mud. Gareth clutched baby Carsel tightly beneath his soaked cloak, trying to shield the heir to the throne from the biting cold. Behind him, Sir Roderick, Sir Elena, and Sir Thomas trudged on, their eyes constantly scanning the deepening gloom of the woods.

"We've been walking for four days," Sir Thomas whispered, his voice hoarse with exhaustion. "How much further is the Oblivion Forest?"

"According to Archmage Eldon's map, it's still a two-day journey," Gareth replied, adjusting the baby in his arms. Carsel was starting to fuss from hunger—the goat's milk they carried was almost gone, and finding a village to buy supplies was too risky with enemy patrols still roaming.

Sir Elena, the sole female knight in their group, suddenly raised her hand as a signal to halt. "Something's wrong," she whispered, staring intently northwards. "I smell blood."

They all immediately took up defensive positions. Through gaps in the trees, flickering firelight could be seen in the distance. Gareth carefully handed Carsel to Sir Roderick and crept towards the light source to scout.

What he saw shocked and angered him simultaneously. A small village of a dozen houses was ablaze. The bodies of residents lay scattered on the dirt road, and amidst the destruction, a group of black-armoured soldiers bearing the combined emblem of the four kingdoms were dragging an old man.

"Where are they?!" one of the soldiers barked, grabbing the old man's collar. "We know Stellaris fugitives passed through this village! Tell us where they went!"

The old man, though blood trickled from the corner of his lips, looked at the soldier with eyes full of hatred. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, his voice trembling but firm.

"Liar!" The soldier raised his sword, ready to deliver a fatal blow.

Gareth felt his blood boil. These were innocent people being killed simply because they might have helped the Stellaris remnants. His hand instinctively moved to his sword hilt, but Sir Elena's whispered voice from behind stopped him.

"Don't, Captain. We can't fight them. There are twenty of them, and we're only four, with a baby."

Gareth clenched his fist in frustration. He knew Elena was right, yet watching this innocent slaughter without acting felt like a betrayal of his knight's vow to protect the weak.

The old man's cry was abruptly cut short. The enemy soldier had executed him in front of his burning home. Gareth closed his eyes tightly, trying to control his rage.

"Burn everything left," commanded the enemy's troop leader. "Ensure nothing can be used by the Stellaris fugitives."

After waiting an hour for the enemy forces to depart, Gareth and his group finally dared to emerge from hiding. They walked through the ruined village with heavy hearts, witnessing the devastation caused by the hunt for them.

"This is our fault," Sir Thomas whispered, his voice filled with regret. "These innocent people died because of us."

"No," Gareth said firmly, though his own heart was breaking. "This is the fault of those who chose the path of violence and fear. We merely carry the hope for a better future."

Among the rubble, Sir Elena found an intact well and some hidden food supplies in the basement of one of the houses. They replenished their water and found some edible fruits.

More importantly, they discovered a live female goat, hiding behind a collapsed pen. Its milk would save Carsel's life, as the infant was beginning to show signs of malnutrition.

That night, they camped in the forest, a safe distance from the ruined village. As Sir Roderick and Sir Thomas took turns on watch, Gareth sat by a small fire, holding Carsel, who was finally able to drink fresh milk.

"Captain," Sir Elena sat beside him, her eyes fixed on the flickering flames. "Is what we're doing right? How many more innocent lives will be lost because we carry this child?"

Gareth was silent for a moment, looking at Carsel's innocent sleeping face. "I don't know, Elena. All I know is that King Arthur sacrificed his life to protect this child. General Marcus, Archmage Eldon, and the others also died to give him a chance at life. If we give up now, all their sacrifices will be in vain."

"But at what cost?" Elena asked, her voice almost a whisper.

"At whatever cost is necessary," Gareth replied with a conviction that surprised even himself. "This child... there's something special about him. I can feel it. Perhaps one day, he will repay all the sacrifices made for him."

The next day, their journey became even more arduous. The forest began to change—the trees grew taller and denser, sunlight barely penetrating the thick canopy of leaves. The air grew colder and carried a strange scent that made them all uneasy.

"We've entered the territory of the Oblivion Forest," Gareth said, checking the rough map Eldon had given him. "From here on, we must be more careful. This forest is said to be inhabited by creatures that shouldn't exist."

As if to prove his words, a low growl echoed from the depths of the forest. Something large moved among the trees, following them from a distance.

Sir Thomas nervously drew his sword. "What was that?"

"I don't know," Gareth replied. "But keep moving. We mustn't stop."

As they continued, strange shadows began to appear at the corners of their eyes. Indistinct whispers resonated among the trees, and occasionally, they saw flashes of glowing eyes in the darkness.

Carsel, usually calm, began to cry incessantly. His cries echoed through the silent forest, as if he could sense the supernatural presence surrounding them.

"Shh, there, there," Gareth whispered, gently rocking the baby. "We're almost there. Just hold on a little longer."

What they didn't realise, however, was that Carsel's crying had attracted the attention of something far more dangerous than ordinary forest creatures. In the depths of the Oblivion Forest, a pair of red eyes glowed in the darkness, and the sound of heavy footsteps began to move in their direction.

The journey to the Sage of Shadows had just entered its most perilous phase, and Carsel's safety—as well as the remaining future of the Stellaris Kingdom—now depended on the courage of four tired and desperate knights facing a threat they couldn't even imagine.