The night was unnaturally still, the usual sounds of the keep muffled under a blanket of tension. Aric stood at the edge of the courtyard, staring out over the looming walls of the fortress. His heart was still racing from the earlier confrontation, the adrenaline of the fight lingering in his veins. But it wasn't the fight that had him on edge now—it was the realization that he had made his first true step into a world much darker and more dangerous than he had ever known.
The attackers had been swift, skilled. But it wasn't the mercenaries who had worried Aric most. It was the unmistakable feeling he had when the last man surrendered—someone was watching. Someone had orchestrated this attack, and they weren't finished with him yet.
Aric's grip tightened around the hilt of his sword, the cool steel offering him little comfort. Beside him, Selene was silent, her presence almost a shadow in the quiet night.
"You're not safe here, Aric," she had said earlier, her warning clear. But how could he leave? He had just returned from the trial, only to be thrust into a new fight. The world outside was no safer than the one inside the keep. The enemies weren't just mercenaries anymore. They were ghosts, whispers in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Selene had disappeared into the night after the attack, leaving Aric to deal with the aftermath. Her words had lingered, though: They weren't just random thugs. They were sent by someone who wants you dead.
Aric's thoughts were interrupted by the familiar sound of footsteps. He turned sharply, expecting Eldric, but instead, a new figure appeared from the shadows. A tall man, draped in dark clothing that blended with the night around him. His face was obscured by a mask, but his eyes shone with a knowing glint—cold and calculating.
"You're still here," the man said, his voice deep, with an unsettling calmness.
Aric's hand instinctively went to his sword, but the man made no move to draw a weapon. Instead, he took a step closer, his movements slow, deliberate. "I thought you would have fled by now, after what happened tonight."
"Who are you?" Aric demanded, trying to keep the wariness from his voice. "What do you want?"
The man studied Aric for a moment, his gaze unwavering. "I'm not here to harm you. But you should know, Aric, that you've made a powerful enemy. And no matter where you go, they will follow."
The words hit Aric like a blow to the chest. He had hoped, foolishly, that the encounter with the mercenaries had been a random act, a fluke. But this man's words confirmed his fears—someone was out to get him. Someone who had resources, who could send men to track him down wherever he went.
"Who are you working for?" Aric asked, his voice low and controlled.
The man's lips curled into a slight smile. "I don't work for anyone, Aric. I work with them." He tilted his head. "I'm an ally of sorts. Or, perhaps, a warning."
Aric's brow furrowed, suspicion rising in his chest. "A warning of what?"
"A warning that you cannot escape your fate. You are marked, whether you like it or not," the man said, his tone almost pitying. "The path you've chosen, the darkness you've embraced—there's no turning back. And those who know your name are already waiting."
Aric's heart pounded as he took a step forward, his body tense. "You're telling me I have no choice but to fight."
The masked man's eyes gleamed with cold amusement. "You have a choice, Aric. But it's a choice you must make quickly. The shadows move faster than you think. And when they do, they will consume you whole."
Before Aric could respond, the man turned away, his footsteps silent against the stone ground. "I'll be watching," he said without looking back. "We all are."
The silence that followed felt heavier than the weight of the words themselves. Aric stood frozen, his mind racing. There was no escape. The shadows were closing in around him, and no matter how much he tried to fight it, he could feel them tightening their grip on him, pulling him toward something he didn't understand.
The masked man's words echoed in his mind. You are marked.
Aric took a deep breath, shaking off the remnants of fear. He had been marked for some time, hadn't he? The rage, the darkness—it had been a part of him long before the trial. But now, it seemed that it wasn't just his own inner battle anymore. Others were watching, and they would stop at nothing to bring him to his knees.
"Aric?"
He turned to see Selene standing at the edge of the courtyard, her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she surveyed him. She must have sensed the shift in the air, the tension that now clung to him like a second skin.
"Who was that?" she asked, her voice sharp with curiosity.
Aric didn't know how to answer her. The truth, perhaps? That someone wanted him dead? Or the truth that there was a darker force out there, watching him from the shadows, waiting for him to fail?
"I don't know," Aric said finally, his voice heavy. "But I have a feeling this is just the beginning."
Selene's gaze softened, and she stepped closer, her eyes searching his face. "Then we need to prepare," she said, her tone resolute. "The darkness isn't done with you yet. And if we're going to survive, we'll need to fight."
Aric looked at her, uncertain but resolute. The path ahead was unclear, and the shadows were closing in. But one thing was certain—he couldn't face it alone. If he was going to fight, he would need all the allies he could get.
And perhaps, just perhaps, Selene might be the ally he needed most.