Wan layed on the cold, damp ground, staring up at the night sky. Stars scattered above him like shattered glass, distant and unreachable, just as his former life felt now. His body was bruised and aching, but it was the emptiness in his chest that hurt the most. Astra had taken everything—his village, his people, his purpose. The faces of the villagers flashed through his mind, their final screams echoing in the silence around him. His hands clenched into fists, nails digging into his palms as he tried to hold onto his rage, but even that felt empty.
Disdain and regret clouded his thoughts, his vision blank as he lay still, unable to move, unable to make sense of what had just happened. He had thought he was strong enough, thought that the blade would help him protect those he cared about. Instead, it had been taken from him, and he was left with nothing. Slowly, as if a heavy weight pressed on him, he sat up. The desire for revenge burned fiercely within him, hotter than ever. Astra had to pay for what he'd done—Wan would make sure of it, even if it took a lifetime.
But he knew, deep down, that he wasn't strong enough, not yet. Astra had brushed him aside with ease. Wan took a shuddering breath and forced himself to think. He remembered Kai's teachings, the endless lessons on balance and restraint, on understanding one's strengths and weaknesses. The world is vast, with powers beyond what we can imagine, Kai had said. Our strength comes not just from ourselves, but from understanding the forces around us.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Kai had taught him about the different races and powers scattered across the land—each unique, each connected to the world in ways he hadn't yet understood. And then, a memory struck him. When he had escaped with the villagers, a bright light had shielded them, a power he didn't recognize but had somehow emerged from within him. He replayed the memory, trying to make sense of it. The light hadn't been the shadowy power of the Tenebrians; it had been something different, something bright and fierce. He wondered if it could have been connected to the Sungard, the race known for their mastery of light.
A faint glimmer of hope sparked in his chest. Maybe… maybe I belong to them. If that light had come from him, perhaps there was a hidden strength within him that he didn't yet understand, a power that could help him defeat Astra.
Wan stood, shaky but resolute, and looked toward the horizon. There was only one place he might find answers now—Eldoria, the land of the Sungard. It was a long journey, filled with unknown dangers, but if he was to get stronger, if he was to have any chance of defeating Astra, he had to seek out their wisdom and unlock the light within himself.
With one last glance toward the forest behind him, he turned and set off. His path was uncertain, and revenge was a heavy burden, but he walked forward with a fire inside, his mind focused on a single purpose. This time, he would not fail. He would find the strength, he would learn to wield the power within him, and one day, he would return. And when he did, Astra would pay for every life he had taken.