The air had grown still in the Forgotten Vale, unnaturally so. Even the breeze seemed to tread quietly, as though careful not to disturb the presence that now walked through it.
Kael stood alone at the cliff's edge, his blue eyes reflecting the horizon beyond the vale's towering peaks. For so long, this had been his entire world shelter, training ground, prison, and sanctuary. But now… something tugged at him.
Something outside.
He turned his gaze westward, toward the lands he had never seen, and felt a ripple beneath his skin a vibration that didn't come from within, but from the world beyond.
A whisper.
A pull.
A calling.
A Rift in the Silence
Sylara had sensed it too.
The ancient beast stood on a stone outcrop behind him, her wings folded tight, her silver mane shifting gently in the breeze. "The veil between realms trembles," she murmured, her voice low, thoughtful. "Something stirs… and it is not natural."
Kael turned to her, brows furrowed. "What is it?"
She met his gaze. "A crack in the world. A wound that should not be."
Kael's heart beat faster. Ever since he had spoken his true name, he'd felt more attuned to things he could never explain before. Sometimes, the sky seemed to speak to him in silence. Sometimes, the ground beneath his feet pulsed like it was alive.
But now, for the first time, he could feel something wrong.
Sylara's claws dug into the rock. "The Demon Lord moves. His magic bleeds into the land, and the world resists but the resistance is failing."
Kael's breath caught. "He's broken the seal, hasn't he?"
Sylara nodded. "Not fully. Not yet. But the cracks have begun to spread. And through those cracks… monsters pour."
Kael stepped forward, fists clenched. "Then it's time."
Sylara narrowed her eyes. "You are not ready for war, Kael."
"I'm not going to war." He glanced toward the distant mountains, determination burning in his gaze. "I'm going to see the world that left me to die."
The Promise of Power
Later that night, Kael sat by the river, staring into the reflection of his glowing blue eyes. For years, he had wondered who he was. Why he was born different. Why the world had no place for him.
But now, things were becoming clearer.
His strength was not meant to obey the world's rules because he was meant to rewrite them.
And yet… with that truth came a heavy weight.
Sylara approached, her steps silent despite her massive form. "You are the last of your kind, Kael. The world will not recognize you. It will fear you. Hate you."
"I know," he replied softly. "But I won't stay hidden while it burns."
The beast gave a solemn nod. "Then take this."
She extended one talon, and from it, a piece of her mane a long silver strand glowing faintly with magic detached and floated toward him.
Kael caught it, confused.
"It is a link," she said. "To me. If you are lost, it will guide you. If you are dying… it will bring me to you."
He nodded, gripping the strand tightly. "Thank you. For everything."
Sylara's eyes softened. "Go not as the abandoned boy. Go as the Sovereign the world chose to forget."
The First Step
At dawn, Kael stood at the edge of the vale, the mountains looming before him. A long path wound down through the jagged cliffs, leading to the unknown.
He wore no armor. Wielded no blade.
He didn't need them.
With one last glance behind him, Kael stepped forward.
The vale the place where his power was born fell away behind him.
And the world that had once left him to die…
Would now come to know his name.
The rise of the Forsaken Sovereign had begun.