Soft yellow sunlight fell over the green grass, making its color appear even deeper and richer.
Raijin walked slowly across it.
Ever since seeing the stone statue, a strange tingling sensation had been running through his body. It felt as if he had seen that statue somewhere before… but he couldn't clearly remember.
Every time he tried to recall it, all he saw was—
blood.
Blood all around him.
And himself… drenched in it.
He was still lost in that thought when—
"Raijin!"
A familiar voice reached his ears. Soft, gentle.
It was Sofiya.
"What are you doing over there? Come eat."
Her voice pulled him back to reality.
Raijin returned immediately. He hadn't eaten anything since morning, and it was already afternoon.
---
They all sat together and began drinking vegetable soup. Sofiya took out a brown pouch and handed dried pieces of meat to Ishan, Kade, and Raijin.
The meat was lightly seasoned with salt and spice. As soon as they put a piece in their mouths, the sharp, slightly salty flavor mixed with their saliva and spread across their tongues.
It was tough to chew.
But far better than the vegetable soup, which tasted slightly bitter and sticky.
---
After a while, once everyone had finished eating, the coachman's voice came—
"Sir, we're ready to move."
They all got back into the carriage.
The horses moved forward, and the carriage slowly resumed its journey toward Mournvale.
---
Along the way, they joked and talked with each other, and before they realized it, afternoon had turned into night.
With the sun gone, visibility dropped.
But under the pale white light of the moon, the road ahead was still visible.
Inside the carriage, Sofiya had fallen asleep, lulled by the cool night air and the gentle motion.
Kade looked like he would fall asleep any moment. His heavy eyelids and frequent yawns made it obvious.
Amid all this, a quiet voice broke through—
"How long until we reach Mournvale?"
Ishan asked, curiosity lighting up his voice.
It had pushed away all his fatigue and sleep.
The coachman replied, "By morning, we should—"
THUD!
His voice broke.
The carriage jolted violently.
The sudden impact woke Sofiya completely, and Kade snapped out of his drowsiness.
Both of them sat upright instantly.
"Ignar! What was that?!" Raijin demanded.
Ignar replied calmly, without panic—
"My apologies, sir… we've just been attacked by Wraiths."
---
Before his words could fully settle—
a strange sound echoed all around them.
It sounded like a child crying—
but something about it wasn't human.
Broken.
Stretched.
Terrifying.
---
They all stepped out of the carriage.
Ignar quickly hid behind a large rock, gripping the reins tightly.
Darkness surrounded them.
The moon shone above, scattered among the stars.
And in that dim light—
multiple figures floated in the air.
Wraiths.
But they weren't stable.
Their bodies flickered like smoke—
sometimes visible, sometimes vanishing.
Some hung upside down in the air… as if gravity had no effect on them.
---
Kade swung his hammer with full force at a Wraith flying toward him.
It looked like a distorted dog—
with pigeon-like wings covered in thick pus.
BOOM!
The ground trembled slightly from the impact.
A shockwave rippled through the air.
In a single strike, the Wraith was sent flying, crashing into a tree before dissolving into vapor.
As it vanished, a foul smell spread through the air.
---
Raijin had already drawn his black, curved sword.
He stood completely calm.
"Is everyone alright?" he called out loudly.
Before anyone could answer—
a Wraith lunged straight at him.
It vanished mid-air—
and reappeared right behind him.
Raijin stepped back.
His sword flashed.
In a single motion, he split the Wraith into two.
It dissolved into vapor, leaving behind that same sickening smell.
---
Raijin stood still for a moment.
No… I can actually touch them…
For a split second—
a blood-soaked battlefield flashed before his eyes…
broken weapons…
an unknown scream—
and then it was gone.
"These still look like Wraiths…" he muttered. "Not fully visible… not fully hidden…"
---
"Sofiya!"
His voice sharpened.
"Do you think we'll be fine surrounded by this many Wraiths?"
Then, clenching his teeth, he added—
"Or should you focus more on reducing their numbers instead of that question?"
---
Raijin scanned the area.
They were surrounded.
The sky echoed with the Wraiths' cries—like distorted children wailing.
The atmosphere grew heavier with every passing second.
---
Kade gritted his teeth.
"What do we do? We have to fight—and protect the horses, the carriage, and him."
From behind them, Ignar shouted—
"Don't worry about me! I'm fine, and the horses are with me. Just focus on the fight!"
That gave them some relief—
but not enough.
The Wraiths kept attacking, one after another.
They didn't even have time to breathe.
---
Raijin's breathing grew heavier.
His grip on the sword tightened—
but a slight tremor ran through his hands.
Everyone was breathing hard now. Sweat formed on their foreheads.
The air was filled with a foul stench.
Just inhaling it made the throat bitter—itchy.
So bitter it could make someone vomit instantly.
So irritating it felt like you could claw your own throat open.
---
Sofiya took a deep breath.
"I need three minutes," she said, her voice calm but strained. "I can wipe them all out at once."
The air around her began to warm—
as if the temperature itself was rising.
Ishan and Kade both froze.
"You're going to use that?" Kade asked. "It'll put extreme strain on your body."
"I know," Sofiya replied. "But there's no other way right now. If we want to survive… I have to use it."
---
At that moment, three Wraiths attacked Raijin at once.
He didn't hesitate.
One slash.
Another head severed.
The third split apart.
All of them dissolved into vapor.
---
Even as he fought, he kept scratching his throat, his neck turning red.
The bitter, sticky taste had completely filled his mouth.
Spitting it out, he shouted—
"Sofiya! I don't know what you're about to do—but… don't die!"
His voice weakened at the end.
For a moment—
Sora's faint image flashed in his mind.
I don't want to lose anyone anymore…
---
Kade and Ishan immediately positioned themselves in front of Sofiya.
Kade guarded her from behind.
Ishan from the front.
A few Wraiths attacked them—
but they held their ground.
Raijin rushed toward them.
"You protect Sofiya," he said. "I'll handle the Wraiths."
---
He leaped straight into the swarm alone.
One after another—
bodies split.
Heads severed.
---
Then—
"Everyone get back! I'm attacking!"
---
Raijin didn't question it.
He jumped behind a tree.
Ishan and Kade followed.
---
The next moment—
a blazing sphere of fire burned in Sofiya's hand.
So bright it tore through the darkness of night.
The Wraiths recoiled—
as if they sensed their end.
---
Sofiya didn't hesitate.
She threw it.
---
BOOM—!!
The ground blackened.
Leaves burned.
Ash filled the air.
In a single blast—
every Wraith turned to vapor.
---
And at that same moment—
Sofiya collapsed.
---
Raijin's heartbeat spiked.
His hands trembled slightly.
"Sofiya!"
All three rushed to her.
"What happened to her?!" Raijin asked urgently.
Kade answered heavily,
"This is the result of using Hell of Fire."
Raijin repeated softly—
"Hell… of Fire…"
"Does it really come from hell?" he asked.
"No," Kade shook his head. "When we pray to our Elf God, Aurelius, and ask for help— we receive this power.
It's called Hell of Fire because after using it, the user remains unconscious for three to four hours."
---
"I see…" Raijin said quietly.
Ishan looked around.
"We shouldn't move forward right now. The horses are scared, and Sofiya can't walk."
"We stay here tonight," Raijin said. "We leave in the morning. We'll reach Mournvale by noon."
---
Kade lit a fire.
They all sat around it.
Sofiya remained unconscious.
The horses lay down, exhausted.
---
The night grew deeper.
Distant howls echoed from within the forest—
but strangely—
no one was afraid anymore.
As if the real danger…
hadn't revealed itself yet.
---
And far away—
in the darkness—
something moved.
As if…
someone was still watching them.
.
.
.
Thank You For Reading This Chaptar.
Author: Mohammed Zaid Saifi