Chapter: The Shadow that Brought Dawn
Following Kraan's Defeat by Shadney
Darkness fell. Not the comforting kind that welcomes sleep—but the abyssal, endless dark that eats away at one's soul.
Kraan lay on the broken ground, his breath shallow, blood dripping from his lips. The holy spear had pierced through his chest, and the sacred radiance had seared his very essence. Dark Moonlight, his blade, lay inches from his fingers, flickering with faint, dying shadows.
Shadney stood tall above him, his golden armor shining even under the stormy sky. "Your darkness ends here, Kraan," he said, his voice filled not with hatred—but judgment. "There is still a moment. Repent. Ask the gods for mercy."
But Kraan only chuckled, blood bubbling from his mouth.
"I've seen what your gods call mercy," he rasped. "I'll take the dark over their light... any day."
Shadney raised his spear, preparing to end it.
And then—
The storm screamed.
A lightning bolt struck the ground between them, followed by a wave of black mist that rolled out like ink on water.
From that mist stepped a giant.
A warrior in massive black armor, helm shaped like the skull of a forgotten beast. His eyes glowed like burning coals. In his hand, a colossal two-handed sword pulsed with shadow, ancient symbols glowing faintly along its blade.
Shadney staggered back instinctively. "Who—what are you?!"
The dark knight didn't answer. He simply stood between Kraan and Shadney, his aura crushing. Birds fell silent. The wind froze. Even the rain seemed to hesitate.
"You've done enough," the knight growled, his voice like stone grinding on stone.
Shadney clenched his teeth. "You protect this... cursed thing?"
The knight took a step forward. The ground cracked underfoot.
"I protect what is mine."
With a single swing, he forced Shadney back a dozen paces. It was not a fight Shadney could win—not now, not alone. Gritting his teeth, the holy knight vanished in a flash of light, leaving only silence behind.
The dark knight turned to Kraan.
"You are not yet ready to die," he said. "Your path is not complete."
Kraan tried to speak, but only a cough came out. The knight knelt, placing a hand on his chest. Shadows wrapped around Kraan, sealing his wound, slowing the bleeding—but not healing it entirely.
"Come," the knight said. "There are things you must see."
—
The Fortress Beneath the Black Mountain
Kraan awoke on stone.
His wounds ached, but he was alive. Dark Moonlight lay beside him, humming with a renewed, deeper aura.
He sat up slowly.
Around him, the chamber was carved from obsidian rock, with dim purple flames burning in sconces. Dark banners hung from the walls—each one bearing the mark of the Thirteen. A long table stood in the center, and around it sat warriors cloaked in black, each one emanating a terrible presence.
At the end of the table stood the knight who saved him.
"I am Casmir," he said, removing his helm to reveal a pale, scarred face. "And you... are the 13th."
"The 13th what?" Kraan rasped.
"The 13th Dark Knight," a soft voice answered from the shadows.
A woman stepped forward—robes dark as a moonless sky, eyes glowing with violet fire. She carried a black grimoire, floating at her side like a living creature.
"I am Nevan," she said. "Watcher of the Dark, Keeper of Forgotten Names. The time has come for you to learn the truth."
Kraan frowned. "Truth?"
Casmir nodded.
"You think this is about vengeance. About destroying the Church. It's bigger than that."
Nevan waved a hand, and visions swirled in the flames—cities burning, gods laughing, men kneeling beneath golden thrones.
"The gods are not saviors," she whispered. "They are jailers. They created this world to feed on faith. The Church is their cage, and the people... their livestock."
Kraan's fists clenched.
"They killed my family."
"They've killed millions," Casmir replied. "But you... you were chosen by the Dark Moonlight for a reason. That blade is not mere steel. It is memory. It remembers the screams of every soul the Light has silenced."
Kraan looked at the sword, which shimmered faintly at his side.
"So what now?"
Casmir's eyes narrowed.
"Now, you rise. Not as a boy with revenge... but as a knight with purpose."
Nevan opened her book. "There are still nine Knights of Light. And the gods have begun to descend. We must act before the sky itself opens."
Kraan stood, still weak, but burning inside.
"I'll kill them," he said. "All of them. Not just for me. For everyone they've broken."
Casmir's smile was grim. "Then your real journey begins."
—