“So Khai, where’re you even taking me anyways? I thought you said you wanted to talk but-we’ve kind of been walking for a while now.” Alci observed with a tilt of his head. The older warrior had dragged him away from the village, and deep into the forest, yet this area of the forest was completely foreign to Alci. The scarce few trees surrounding them were shriveled and dry, and there was an eerie, utter lack of fauna; it was as if the forest had been nearly burned down.

“Alci.” Khai suddenly stopped walking, pivoting on his heel. “You…” Khai stopped speaking abruptly, grinding his palm into his forehead, and continuing to walk further into the forest. “Do you know why the Master of Epe is so fond of you?”

“You look so serious- what, did you bring me out here to propose?” Alci snorted, before bursting into laughter at his own joke, and Khai shook his head with a sigh. “Uh-no, I didn’t even know she was!”

“It’s because you’re the warrior she’s been working to create for the fifty years we’ve been trapped here.” Khai said, stopping before a scrawny, towering tree with a gaping hollow in its belly. Holding out his hand, fragments of magic energy emanated from his palm, streaming into the tree hollow. Slowly, a dim purple light could be seen from within the tree hollow, shedding light on what appeared to be, yet another forest trapped within the tree hollow. “You first.”

Is he kidding? “Uh, do I have to-” Alci asked, before being abruptly interrupted by Khai, who shoved him face-first into the tree hollow, yet instead of going inside the tree, he was transported by the hollow into a completely different space; it looked just like the part of the forest they were just in, yet the sky was black, and the sun was nowhere to be seen. “What is this place? Why’s the sky black?”

“When the Master of Epe was first sealed into this forest by Banjoko, after siding with the Northern King, she created this space using her unique magic skill. She took her festering grudge against Banjoko and his legacy, and manifested it, using that grudge as a power source to create the warriors that make up our clan.” Khai explained, landing beside Alci after sliding into the unique space within the tree hollow. As Khai led Alci deeper into the strange forest, Alci found a strange invigorating energy flood through his body, heightening his senses and clearing his mind.

“So then, we’re all just byproducts of her wrath?” Alci asked, a hint of irritation in his tone. Whatever grudge she held against Banjoko had nothing to do with him. Playing in the forest, joking around with Asime, teaching Baba how to do backflips; those were the things that brought him joy. I honestly don’t even mind being trapped here.

“Yes.” Khai said coldly, his pace gradually slowing as the trees around them began to grow scarce and few in between; before them, a crooked tree, which resembled the one they’d first entered, harbored something fiery and round within its hollow. “With every warrior born from her wrath, the power of her manifested wrath grew, and grew. And yet, none were able to harness the power of that wrath; not until you. You, Alci, are the only warrior capable of harnessing this godly power; and with it, you will be able to strike down the Locket Bearer with ease. It is for this purpose, and this purpose alone you were created. It’s time for you to accept that.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Alci stepped away from the tree, feeling the beat of his heart thunder in his chest. Whatever was within it emanated an intense, barely contained rage, as if the sturdy bark of the tree was the only thing keeping it from lashing out at the world. Khai stepped towards Alci, grabbing him by his shoulders and gesturing to the tree hollow.

“Within that tree, the ultimate power awaits. When the time is right, it will seek you out, and you must use its wrath to destroy the Locket Bearer.” Khai said, his grip so tight that Alci could feel his fingers digging into his skin.

Why….me?

“You know, I think about it all the time. Why is someone like you, so ....” Khai’s eyes narrowed to slits, and his hands rose from Alci’s shoulders, rising towards his neck momentarily…before he pulled his hands back. “...”

Why me? Why did it have to be me? I don’t want to kill anyone- I just want to-why can’t I just do what I want? Why do I have to be the one burdened with such a terrible power- to kill someone who never wronged me-why? Alci thought frantically, staring past Khai and into the tree hollow; it felt like the Master’s wrath stared back at him.

But I can’t escape this, no matter how much I think. Alci realized. This power-even if I try to avoid it, it’ll always be right there, staring me down.

I could never escape this fate, even by death.

It felt as if the whole village was watching him as one by one, these horrible truths hit Alci; there would be no escaping the fate bestowed upon him. No matter how much he denied it, it would always come right back to remind him of what he had to do.

“Well, Alci? Have you finally realized that there’s no running from this?” Khai asked. “You will kill the Locket Bearer. We will not allow that human scum to get his vengeance any sooner before we do.”

“I know.” Alci replied in a hoarse voice. I was an idiot to think I could escape by skipping training and goofing around. “I’ll….”

Kill him.

Just the thought of taking another person’s life sent chills down his spine. He was going to become a murderer. I’m a murderer.

“Out with it.” Khai chided. “Come to terms with it; you are the one destined to bring closure to the Master of Epe. Only you can do this.”

“I will…” Alci closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. “I will kill the Locket-Bearer.”