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Shadow Born Legacy Chapter 15: The Ashes of Brotherhood (Extended)
It was a world of fire and blood to Kael.Pain throbbed from his side, the wound deep and searing, but he wouldn’t stop.He couldn’t quit.He gasped for air as he ran, each footfall jarring through his broken body.His legs were heavy as lead, muscles throbbing with exertion, but the instinct to survive burned hotter than the flames licking at the Shadowborne Estate.The eruptions’ heat clawed at his back, licking at his flesh, thickening the air into smoke and cinders. Behind him, the great archive chamber an abyss of secrets and sins gave way with a final, thunderous crack.The mountain shuddered under the weight of history turned to ash.Selene tracked alongside him, a shimmer of motion, her frame flickering through the collapsing ruins.She was fast faster than him, even now, in this hell.The light of the flickering fire shadowed her face, sharp and merciless, like a knife sharpened by need.Kael didn’t look back.Dain was gone. Soil and flame cover your graves.And yet… doubt gn
Shadow Born Legacy Chapter 16: The Revenant’s Gambit
Kael's blade: the cold steel felt heavier than it ought to.Blood loss, fatigue, and Dain’s presence sat heavily on him like an iron yoke.On the other side of the clearing, his brother stood with the easy confidence of someone who had already won.His armor, cracked and stained with dried gore, glimmered in the fractured moonlight.The assassins at his sides, silent wraiths dressed in shadowsteel, had formed a wall of killers, blades gleaming like fangs.Kael’s body was screaming at him to run.But there was nowhere to go.“Dain stepped forward, slow and deliberate. Predatory.“You look like hell, little brother.” His voice was velvet over a dagger’s edge.“Did you really think it would end like this? You could quickly burn the past and walk away unscathed? ”Kael didn’t answer.And he tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword.Dain sighed, pretending to be disappointed.“I thought you always were the naive one.” He gestured languidly to the ruins outside.“This fire, you thoug
Shadow Born Legacy Chapter 17: The Hollow Blades
The air was heavy with the odor of frying flesh. Shadowborne Estate, once an invincible citadel, was now a mausoleum of cinder.Kael's fingers clenched around the hilt of his dagger as he stood among the carnage.His breath was coming in ragged gasps, his chest heaving from fatigue, but he dared not relax his guard.Beside him Dain sprawled against the stone wall, his tunic darkened with blood.His usual smirk was replaced by a clenched jaw and narrowed eyes.Selene knelt next to him, pressing a cloth against his wound.The Revenant Lords had passed like phantoms before, leaving behind only corpses and fear in their passage.But now something worse had come.Something darted at the treeline. Then another.Kael’s instincts screamed an alert, but before he could do anything, a blade zipped across the sky. He turned just in time the steel glided by his ribs instead of skewering him.A moment later, five figures appeared in the flickering firelight.They weren’t Revenants.These men were
Shadow Born Legacy Chapter 18: Chains of the Sigil
A sliver of silver moon hung low in the ink-black sky.Ash choked the air above the remains of Shadowborne Estate, embers still crackling as the figures of Kael, Selene, and Dain vanished into the trees.The wounds were still fresh and their bodies ached, but they had no time for pain.The Hollow Blades were dead, but the real hunt had only just begun.They moved quietly, soft-footed over the sodden earth, sliding like phantoms between the contorted trees. A sanctuary lay ahead, hidden in the mountains where it melded into the peak, a crumbling watchtower an era ago, back when this was a Shadowborne hangout.Kael’s mind raced. The Black Sigil.That name held weight, spoken only in hushed warnings.If they wanted the Shadowborne exterminated, then this was more than just a bounty.This was a war.Dain groaned next to him, his bloodied hand against his side.His trademark cocky smirk was gone, replaced by grim determination.“How bad?” Kael asked under his breath.Dain scoffed. “It hurt
Shadow Born Legacy Chapter 19: The Bloodbound Pact
Pain.The first sensation was pain, a burning, gnawing sense that seemed to emanate from all of the wounds, from the manacles digging into his wrists to the new cuts in his thigh and ribs.He breathed hard, each gasp pulling fire through his lungs.He hung there like slaughtered meat, his boots scraping the blood-slick floor.The Eidolons had left him dangling in a room reeking of rot, death, and worse something ancient.Faint echoes of screams resonated in the walls.His thoughts slid between fog and sudden, harsh clarity. Where were Selene and Dain? Were they still breathing? Or had the Eidolons sliced them up and left their bodies on view like the Veilborn had been left before them?A noise.Kael braced himself. A soft click-click-click, a rhythmic, deliberate sound. Boots on rock.The pace was measured, slow a predator stalking its prey, relishing the certainty of the kill.A shadow stretched along the wall.Then, a voice. Low, smooth, and laced with something that slid beneath th
Shadow Born Legacy Chapter 20: The Ties That Bind
The Ruins of ShadowborneThe wind whistled through the broken hulk of the watchtower, bringing with it the smell of blood and blackened stone.Kael's muscles protested as he forced himself upright, the drag of tiredness weighing upon his limbs.The shadows around them were abnormally thick darker than night itself, writhing as if it were alive, watching.Selene was kneeling beside him, applying pressure to her injured shoulder. Her black eyes, still burning with adrenaline, met Kael's."We have to get out of here," she stated, her tone strained with pain but authoritative.Dain cursed, turning onto his side."No debate." His face was covered in dirt and blood, and he gritted his teeth as he held his ribs.Kael willed his mind to concentrate beyond the pain.The words of the Bloodbound continued to rend his thoughts."You were never meant to be free, Kael."The Shadowborne legacy wasn't constructed on mere skill.It was constructed on something more. Something older.His fists curled.
Shadow Born Legacy Chapter 21: The Price of Shadows
Kael's heart pounded in his ears as he gazed at the masked woman."Are you prepared to pay the price, Shadowborne?"Her voice was serene, nearly soft, but it held the weight of something old.The words hung in the silence, bearing down on him, requiring a response.The air within the underground chamber was choking.The sigils inscribed on the walls pulsed with an unnatural light, their forms twisting as if alive, speaking secrets older than mortal mouths.The aura of the Forgotten Ones hung close to him, their bony forms twisting on the edge of his perception, their vacant eyes watching.Kael gulped, his muscles still sore from fighting the Black Sigil.His mind was crying out for him to turn the offer down, to flee. But in his very marrow, he knew there was no fleeing from this.To end the Shadowborne curse, he had to know where it had come from.And if it cost a price, he was willing to pay it.His words were low, but unyielding."Tell me what needs to be done."The masked woman re
Shadow Born Legacy Chapter 22: Ashes of the First Altar
The night sky bled crimson.Kael stood at the edge of a jagged cliff, overlooking the ruins below. The First Altar lay hidden within the valley, an ancient place lost to time. But now, its location was no longer a secret.Because it was burning.Flames licked the remains of stone pillars, casting shadows against the mountainside. Figures moved within the firelight not just one enemy but two.The Black Sigil had come first. Their troops had encircled the altar in an iron curtain, swords flashing under the flames. But they were not the only ones.The Bloodbound had come too.Selene swore. "That's not good."Dain took a harsh breath. "Understatement of the damn century."Kael curled his fists. His veins continued to vibrate with the strength he had roused in the cavern. He had only just begun to comprehend it, and now he could not help but employ it.The woman beside him wore a mask of ivory, its glow in the light of the flames. "They intend to ruin the altar before you can arrive," she
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Chapter 63: The Fires of Raven’s Hollow
The darkness of the night sky was painted with orange and black streaks. Fire from the burning armory writhed in the wind, with thick clouds of smoke billowing into the sky. The blaze was not just a diversion.It was a message.And Veyna would hear it loud and clear.Kael stood at the forest's edge, observing as Blackreach was aflame. The pilfered satchel of gold and weapons lay at his feet. Saren and Cassian flanked him, both panting from the close escape.Cassian swiped the sweat from his forehead. "You know she's going to come after us for this."Kael did not remove his gaze from the fortress. "That's the point."Saren snorted. "Boy, I hope you know what you're doing, because you just kicked the hornet's nest. And Veyna isn't the forgiving type."Kael turned at last, his eyes cold. "She wasn't supposed to be."The wind screamed through the trees. The far-off shouting echoed from the fortress as soldiers rushed to stem the chaos. Veyna's army would heal.But not before Kael took his
Chapter 62: A Silent Hunt
The evening air was heavy with the smell of blood and smoke. Kael's own breath was rasping gasps as he rode into the forest darkness, the wound a steady, burning pain that reminded him all too vividly that he still lived. Cassian and Lord Saren rode ahead of him, their shadows mere blurs in the moonlight.The trees stretched tall around them, their twisted limbs casting eerie shadows. Every rustle of the leaves, every crack of a branch, sent Kael’s instincts into overdrive.They weren’t safe.Veyna wouldn’t let them escape so easily.Cassian slowed his horse, glancing back at Kael. "We need to stop. You’re bleeding too much."Kael clenched his jaw. "We keep moving. They’ll send more."Lord Saren spun around in his saddle. "You've made yourself the enemy of the most deadly woman in the kingdom, boy. That wound will kill you before she even gets the chance if you don't stop and clean it."Kael knew they were correct, but each second they lingered was another second Veyna's army closed i
Chapter 61 The Choice
The halls of the prison were quiet.Not the kind of quiet that followed peace, but the kind that preceded violence.Selene was still on the hard stone floor, not moving, breathing slowly and carefully, listening.Footsteps.Two guards, by the sound of their weight. Their path never varied. They went to the cell in the distance, had a brief whispered conversation, then walked by hers.Same routine. Same error.They didn't expect her to still be awake.The moment they were out of sight, she moved.Slowly, she slipped her hand into the gap between the bricks by the floor—a tiny, almost imperceptible slit she had discovered two nights before. Her fingers stroked parchment.A note.She drew it out, hands steady, and unfolded the little piece of paper.There were only four words written."Be ready. Three days."No signature. No indication of who had slipped it in.But she knew.Kael.Selene crumpled the paper, stuffing it into her sleeve.Three days.Then it would all burn.Kael's BargainK
Chapter 60: A Throne of Chains
The iron shackles dug into Kael's wrists.They marched him through the destroyed city like a trophy.Emberhold, the battlefield it had once been, was now a conquered city under the flag of House Vaelor.Smoke drifted up into the air, the smell of ash and blood hanging in the air.His people his soldiers were brought to their knees behind him, their swords taken from them, their heads bowed.Selene knelt between Calia and Dain, her face in shadow, her golden eyes blazing with something treacherous.Kael felt her glare burning his back.Her anger was heavier than his chains.But she didn't know.None of them did.This wasn't the end.This was the beginning.Veyna believed she had won. That she had shattered him.But Kael was not broken.He was waiting.Lord Cassian Drayke stood by Veyna's side as they approached the great hall of Emberhold's keep.Cassian was looking at him once more. Quiet. Pensive.Kael still didn't know where Cassian's allegiances lay.A man without a cause is more d
The Queen’s Bargain
The air was heavy with the smell of blood and smoke.Kael remained still, his sword at his feet, the dull ring of steel on stone still echoing in his mind. Veyna's dagger was still pressed to the young rebel's throat, her silver eyes laughing."You made the right decision," she whispered, her voice as smooth as silk.Kael's fists were clenched at his sides. He breathed steadily, but below, a storm consumed him. He had seen the smirks on her soldiers' mouths. He had felt the weight of each watching gaze. They believed they'd crushed him.They were mistaken."Let him go," Kael stated, his tone cutting.Veyna cocked her head to one side, pretending to be interested. "And what promise do I have that you will not begin butchering my men the second I do?"Kael drew a slow breath. "Your word."Veyna's laughter was light. "Your word? A traitor's word? I apologize if I am not consoled."Selene, hidden in the midst of the commotion, shifted. Kael saw the movement out of the corner of his eye, h
Chapter 58: Dawn of Reckoning
It was a cold night.Kael sat by the fire alone, honing his blade in slow, careful strokes. The ring of steel on stone rang out in the stillness.The rebels who had managed to escape from the fall of Emberhold were resting or attending to their injuries.Dain sat closer by, arms folded, gazing into the fire, as Calia murmured orders to the injured.Selene hadn't said much since their flight. But Kael sensed her regarding him. Waiting.ThenFootsteps came.One of their scouts, a young woman named Ryn, emerged at the edge of the camp, her face white. "Kael. A rider arrived."Kael's hand on his sword tightened. "Where from?"Ryn hesitated. "Emberhold."The camp came alive. Selene stood at once, her golden eyes blazing. "House Vaelor?"Ryn swallowed. "They delivered a message for you."Kael rose. The whole camp felt the gravity of the words as Ryn handed Kael a sealed document, the red wax stamping an all-too-familiar sigil.The sigil of House Vaelor.Kael ripped it open.Kael,I have you
Chapter 57: The Betrayer’s Gambit
Smoke filled the air. Emberhold burned.The seemingly impenetrable fortress was now reduced to rubble, its great walls battered by the uprising's attack. Screams and the ring of steel echoed off the streets. The firelit shadows stretched and danced, transmuting warriors into phantasms of battle.Kael navigated through the carnage like a storm. His sword was smeared with blood, his breathing hot and steady. He wasn't fighting to stay alive.He was fighting to win.Across the courtyard, Selene vaulted over a broken cart, her twin daggers flashing like fangs. She landed on an enemy officer, her blade sinking into his throat before he could even scream."Status?" Kael barked as she joined him, her face smeared with soot and sweat."Dain and Calia are securing the lower barracks." Selene wiped her blade clean on a fallen soldier’s cloak. "We’ve taken the outer walls, but"A faraway blast interrupted her.From the eastern tower, a black flag unfurled.Not Emberhold's colors.Not rebellion co
Chapter 56: The Blade That Devours
Pain.Not the kind that seared.Not the kind that poured like blood.This pain was profound. Chilling. Eternal.Like something had plunged into his soul and attempted to rip him asunder.Kael's hands clasped the hilt of the Blade of Oblivion.And the world splintered.Kael was not in the ruins.Not in the forest.He was nowhere.A chasm stretched in all directions, infinite and black.And before himA figure sat on a throne of cracked obsidian.Not human.Not divine.Something between.The voice thundered like a storm."You are not worthy."Kael gasped. "Then kill me."The figure laughed."You cannot be killed, Shadowborne.""That is your curse."Kael's heart rate decreased.Because secretly, he already knew that.And that was why the architects feared him.The throne room shook.The figure stood up, stepping down towards Kael.It was tall. Cloaked. Unseen.And in its handA sword exactly like the one Kael now clutched."You have taken a sword not for mortals."The being lifted its sw
Chapter 55: A World Unraveling
The night had been too silent.The Purgeborn had vanished, and its absence didn't feel natural.Kael cleaned his sword, his heart still racing.For the first time in his life, he had battled something that wasn't supposed to be battled.And emerged victorious.But that victory tasted bitter.Because now he had more questions than answers.Behind him, Selene still gazed at Calia.Dain rubbed his temples, grumbling, "I think I hate magic now."Kael's silver eyes landed on Calia."Start talking."Calia breathed.Then, finally, she said something."You believe the Blackthorn Company is your arch-nemesis," she told him.Her voice was barely above a whisper."But it's not."Selene rolled her eyes. "Then who is?"Calia's hands clenched into fists."The ones who created the Blackthorn Company."Dain's face grew harder. "You mean Sarai?"Calia shook her head."No."She raised her eyes.Her golden eyes flared."I mean the ones who created us all."The words sat suspended in the air like a curse.
