Chapter 32: Fire Beneath the Sky
Smoke curled into the clouds like ink bleeding into water.
The outer village of Velmora's southern border burned—homes shattered, families screaming, livestock scattered. Shadows moved between the flames—cloaked figures with blades that glinted like obsidian.
Andrew hit the ground running.
He wasn't in armor. He didn't wait for orders. Ashren was already in his hand, pulsing with an eerie light as if eager for blood. But this time, Andrew wasn't feeding it for power—he was wielding it for justice.
"There are children inside!" a man cried out, pointing to a collapsing building.
Without thinking, Andrew dashed forward, cloak whipping behind him. Ashren sliced through flaming beams like butter. He charged into the blaze, smoke thick and choking—but he kept going. Screams echoed above the crackle of fire.
Inside, two kids huddled beneath a beam. Andrew hoisted it off them, ignoring the sear of flames biting into his shoulder. One child stared wide-eyed. "A-Are you… the shadow hero?"
He froze.
Then he smiled. "No. I'm just Andrew."
Shadows vs. Shadows
Outside, Kaelira and Mihai clashed with the Hunters—warriors draped in smoke-magic, their attacks swift and cruel. Selennia summoned barrier magic, shielding villagers from crossbow bolts.
But one Hunter stood still, face hidden, eyes glowing violet. Watching Andrew.
He whispered: "So… the fallen king remembers."
Andrew emerged from the flames, cloak singed, children in his arms. He locked eyes with the watching Hunter.
And the Hunter vanished into smoke.
Shift in the Wind
After the battle, silence fell.
Villagers gathered. They didn't cheer, but they looked at Andrew differently. Not with fear—but awe.
"He saved us," someone whispered.
"With that cursed sword…"
"No. He's not cursed. He's ours."
Andrew stood among them, Ashren glowing faintly by his side.
For the first time, he didn't feel like a weapon.
He felt like a shield.