The Kaziana Forest slept in a tense silence. The night air flowed cold, but the ground beneath the ancient roots burned—as if something was writhing, ready to erupt from the depths of the world.
On the western edge, where roots crept like the veins of ancient beasts, a line of armed trackers slipped through. Their silver cloaks absorbed the dimming moonlight. Each step was silent, but heavy with intent. And behind them stood a man—tall, imposing, and dangerous like a history that refused to be buried.
Revail Drakken.
Kael Zareth was already waiting at Tanasz Varun—an open field once soaked in the blood of two clans, mixed with mud and rain. The earth still held the echoes of ancient screams, and tonight it became a stage once more... for two dragons who never bowed.
Kael stood firm, his body like stone defying the wind. But within his chest, a storm raged no matter how still his face remained. He knew—Revail had not come tonight just to provoke. Not in this way.
"Kael," Revail's voice cut through the night. A sharp grin hung on his lips. "You look tired… or have you grown too used to hiding behind your forest's shadows?"
Kael didn't blink. "I don't have time for your games, Revail."
"Ah, but isn't it games that make life worth enduring?" Revail lifted his chin slightly, his voice slicing like broken glass. "And tonight, I brought a gift—poison."
Kael tensed. "Don't speak in riddles."
"Your roots are turning black, Kael. Did you think the wind wouldn't carry that stench to our borders? Did you think this was just the weather?"
Revail took a step forward. Behind him, the trackers raised their weapons. But Kael didn't move. His icy blue gaze never wavered.
"You and I," Revail whispered, "are two dragons waiting to devour each other. But before that... why don't we see who can lose more first...?"
He smiled. That smile—Kael knew it. A smile carved from wounds that never healed, and a trap that was never truly closed.
And Kael knew—Revail knew about Armea.
On the other side of the forest, perched on the massive branch of a tree stretching over a quiet stream, Armea Ril'Sara leaned back, one leg dangling down. The arrow in her hand had yet to be released, but her heart had already tightened. The night wind carried whispers—Revail had entered their land.
And that… always meant one thing: blood.
But her fear tonight wasn't just about war. Not just about old scars being torn open again. It was about one man… whose soul had never felt far, even if his body had never been close.
Kael.
Armea took a long breath. She exhaled softly, like someone cursing a fate too heavy to outrun.
"How could I be so stupid…" she whispered, barely audible. "Why did I fall for a man who never lets his heart open?"
She let out a hollow chuckle. And worse… I don't know if I want him to change… or stay the same, so I'll always have a reason to run.
Footsteps approached the leaf-covered ground. The faint crunch of boots pressing down echoed to her ears like a signal she had long memorized.
She rose. No need to look.
Kael.
He emerged from the shadows, blending into the night as always. But this time… something was different.
"Armea," he said.
One word. One name. But in that single utterance—there was hesitation. A rare thing in Kael Zareth's voice.
Armea turned to face him, eyes steady.
"I know you don't trust me," Kael finally said, his voice quiet but clear. "But… if only I could tell you everything."
She gripped her bow tighter. "Why not now?"
Kael lowered his gaze. Silence fell. Only the distant chirp of insects bore witness to the meeting suspended between truth and danger.
"Because if I do…" Kael inhaled, as if carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, "…I might put you in danger."
And in that moment—Armea understood.
She knew it wasn't because Kael didn't love her.
It was because he loved her too much.
End of Chapter 2
And so, between the flicker of silver blades and words unspoken, the forest held its breath.
Two shadows stood where once stood brothers.
And somewhere—just beyond reach—a heart dared to tremble.
But the night was not yet done with its secrets…