Chapter Sixteen: Shadows Over Mihai Land
The desert wind whispered behind him as Kael stepped beyond the ancient gates of David's fortress. The sun had already begun its descent, casting long shadows over the cracked stone beneath his feet. The silence was heavy—no more commands, no more drills, no more sword clashes ringing through the air. Only his heartbeat now, steady and sure.
He was no longer the same boy who had once stumbled into Andrew's path. He had been reforged in the crucible of two Swordmasters—Andrew's fury and precision, David's discipline and depth. But there was one more shadow that lingered over Kael's journey—Mihai, the dark ruler of his own twisted kingdom, the man who had once betrayed his father, Andreas.
Kael needed answers.
And he would find them in the heart of the storm.
Mihai Land—a desolate, broken region once flourishing under twisted ideals. It had become a place where even birds hesitated to fly, and no maps showed the real paths anymore. Rumors said the land itself had become alive, corrupted by Mihai's unnatural aura. It had become a fortress not of stone, but of fear.
Kael's expedition was not taken lightly. He packed light—rations, water, his cloak, and two swords. One from Andrew, a blade that never dulled. The other from David, a weapon imbued with the simplest but most precise enchantment: perfect balance.
Along the way, Kael passed through half-dead villages, remnants of once-loyal Mihai subjects. They whispered of a black castle that moved through the land like a ghost, seen only by those Mihai allowed to find it. Others claimed Mihai had become a creature of shadows, feeding on guilt, hate, and regret.
Kael heard them, but he didn't listen. He walked on.
After weeks of travel, on the edge of what once had been Mihai's capital, Kael found it.
Or rather—it found him.
A chilling fog rolled over the hills and forests without warning. The trees became gnarled, the air heavy with whispers. His senses sharpened, trained by David to read the battlefield with more than just sight. Something was watching.
As Kael stepped forward, the fog parted.
And there it stood.
The Obsidian Keep, Mihai's stronghold—jet-black spires reaching toward the heavens, as if trying to claw the sky itself. The air was heavier here. Not magical—but emotional. Dense with betrayal, hatred, and memory. Kael could feel it crawl across his skin.
He stepped through the grand gate, unsheathed his sword, and entered.
The halls were empty, silent.
But not abandoned.
Torches lit themselves as he passed. Every corridor reflected pieces of the past—paintings of warriors long dead, banners from a time before the First War, symbols Kael didn't recognize… and then, one he did.
His father's crest.
Slashed through.
Kael stopped. His breath held.
A voice echoed through the silence.
"You've come far, little ghost. Your father's son walks through my halls without trembling. Have they trained the fear out of you? Or have you simply not learned what true fear is?"
Kael turned.
There, at the far end of the corridor, a shadow stepped forward, cloaked in flowing black robes with red patterns swirling across the fabric like blood. His eyes were sharp, calculating—both welcoming and warning. He looked no older than forty, but his aura was ancient.
Mihai.
The third Swordmaster. The betrayer.
Kael gripped his sword. His instincts screamed.
"I didn't come to fight you, Mihai," Kael said evenly. "I came for the truth."
Mihai chuckled, the sound unsettling.
"Truth? There is no such thing. Only perspective. But ask, child. You've made it here—few ever do. For the sake of your father… I will indulge you."
Kael stepped forward, firm. "Why did you betray Andreas? Why did you start the First War? The Second? What did you gain?"
Mihai turned away, walking down a side corridor lined with relics of war. "Your father… was the strongest man I ever knew. And the most dangerous. He had the mind of a conqueror, the heart of a beast. Do you think I wanted to betray him?"
He stopped at a painting—one of Andreas and Andrew, standing together in gold armor. Mihai tapped it with a gloved hand.
"He was not a man. He was a storm. He would have drowned the world in blood if left unchecked."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "But you started it. The first war—over a horse."
Mihai turned, his expression almost… amused.
"Yes. I killed his favorite horse. You think that was an accident?"
Kael stiffened.
"It was a message," Mihai said. "A test. I wanted to know if Andreas would let it go. He didn't. He declared war over a dead beast. He burned three cities just to reach me. That was the day I knew—he would stop at nothing."
Kael was silent.
"So yes," Mihai said, walking slowly toward him, "I betrayed him. I allied with dark forces. I raised a nation of shadows. Because I thought I could stop him. I failed. Twice."
He paused.
"But I was right."
Kael's hand twitched near his sword. "So why let me in? Why tell me this?"
Mihai stepped close, almost within striking distance.
"Because you will walk the same path. Andreas' blood flows in you. So does Andrew's teaching. David's discipline. You will one day choose: to conquer, or to fall."
He leaned in, whispering, "And I want to see what you become."
The torches went out.
Darkness consumed everything.
And when Kael opened his eyes, he was alone again. Outside. No keep. No shadow. No sign that Mihai had ever been there.
Only a mark burned into the ground beneath his feet—the same symbol he had seen slashed on his father's crest.
A challenge.
A warning.
A promise.