The ruins loomed ahead.
Cracked stone walls, half-collapsed buildings, and broken pillars stood like ancient sentinels, whispering tales of a long-forgotten civilization. Aidan crouched behind the remnants of a fallen tower, his grip firm on the worn dagger Kael had given him.
He could feel it.
A presence.
Or rather, many presences.
The Shadowborns were near.
Aidan took a steady breath. He'd fought countless battles before, but this wasn't Earth. He didn't know what these things were, what powers they had, or if they even could be killed. But there was no turning back now.
He tightened his grip and stepped into the ruins.
The air shifted.
Then, they came.
The Shadowborns Attack
A dark mist slithered from the cracks in the ground. It moved unnaturally, creeping toward him like a living entity. Aidan braced himself.
Then, they emerged.
Three figures, wrapped in shadows, their bodies shifting like liquid darkness. Their faces were obscured beneath hooded cloaks, but their eyes, if they could be called that burned with an eerie, violet glow.
The whispers returned.
Aidan forced himself to focus. His instincts screamed at him to move.
The first Shadowborn lunged.
It was fast.
Too fast.
Aidan barely dodged as a shadowy blade sliced through the air, missing his throat by inches. He rolled, coming up on one knee, dagger raised. The second attacker was already upon him, a curved weapon shimmering with an unnatural darkness.
Aidan blocked the strike, but pain shot up his arm. It wasn't just physical, the weapon burned.
He grit his teeth and pushed back.
The third Shadowborn raised a hand, and a wave of darkness surged toward him.
Aidan dove to the side, barely avoiding the attack. The energy struck the stone wall behind him, corroding it instantly.
He exhaled sharply. Alright… these things are no joke.
Counterattack
Aidan needed an opening. He couldn't let them control the fight.
He feinted left, then suddenly charged the first Shadowborn.
It didn't expect such aggression.
Aidan slashed upward, the dagger cutting into its cloak. The creature let out a sharp, inhuman hiss as black mist poured from the wound.
It could be hurt.
But not killed, not yet.
The second Shadowborn struck.
Aidan twisted, the blade grazing his ribs. Pain flared, but he didn't stop. He kicked the attacker's leg, knocking it off balance before driving his dagger into its shoulder.
Another hiss. More black mist.
The third one was already preparing another dark wave.
Aidan's heart pounded. He had seconds.
Using the momentum from his last attack, he threw the dagger.
The blade spun through the air, then sank into the third Shadowborn's chest.
It staggered back, shrieking.
Aidan didn't waste time. He lunged at the first Shadowborn again, grabbing its own shadowy blade mid air and slamming it into its body. The creature convulsed before dissolving into mist.
One down.
Pain flared in his shoulder as the second attacker slashed him across the back. He stumbled, but used the momentum to roll forward, retrieving his dagger.
The third Shadowborn, though wounded, was still a threat.
Aidan needed to finish this.
With a roar, he ducked under another swing, then drove his dagger into the second attacker's chest. He twisted the blade, and the creature let out a final shriek before vanishing.
Just one left.
The third Shadowborn staggered toward him, dark mist leaking from its wound.
Aidan exhaled, his body aching, blood seeping from his injuries. He tightened his grip on the dagger and charged.
The Shadowborn raised its arms, darkness coiling around its hands.
But Aidan was already too close.
With a final, powerful strike, he buried the dagger into the creature's throat.
The Shadowborn convulsed, then faded into nothing.
Silence.
Aidan staggered back, his chest rising and falling. His body hurt, but he was alive.
The battle was over.
But at a cost.
The Road to Velthar
Aidan pressed a hand to his wounded shoulder. His clothes were torn, blood smeared across his side, his ribs aching from where the Shadowborn's blade had struck. He was battered, but still standing.
He took a deep breath, forcing his body forward. The ruins stretched ahead, and beyond them…
A flicker of light.
Aidan squinted.
Then, as he reached the final edge of the ruins, the land opened before him.
His breath caught.
The city of Velthar.
Massive, towering structures reached toward the sky, glowing with an ethereal light. Unlike the ruins, Velthar was alive. Grand bridges connected different districts, and at the city's heart, a colossal spire stood, its surface shimmering with runes.
For the first time since arriving in this strange world, Aidan felt a flicker of hope.
He had survived.
Now, he had to find out why he was here.
With one final glance at the ruins behind him, he took his first step toward Velthar.
...