# **CHAPTER 5: "THE HORIZON DARKENS"**
## *Fragmentborn - Volume 1*
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The body was gone by morning.
Kael stood on the rooftop where Verath had died, staring at the empty space. No blood. No evidence. Just clean stone, as if the fight had never happened.
"City guard cleans up fast when it involves the crown's business," Liora said behind him. "Probably dumped him in the harbor before dawn."
"He deserved better than that." The words surprised Kael even as he said them. "He was following orders. Doing what he thought was right."
"He still killed innocent people."
"I know." Kael touched the wrapped sword across his back. "But so did I. Last week, I was nobody. Now I've killed three men. When does it stop feeling wrong?"
"Never, if you're lucky." Liora moved beside him. "The day it stops feeling wrong is the day you become what you're fighting against."
They stood in silence, watching the city wake below them. Workers heading to their posts. Merchants opening shops. Life continuing as if nothing had changed.
"I want to go after King Alder," Kael said finally.
"I know."
"Right now. Today. Storm the palace and make him pay for what he ordered."
"I know that too." Liora's voice was gentle. "And you'd die before you reached the throne room."
Kael wanted to argue. Wanted to insist he was strong enough, skilled enough, angry enough. But the wound on his back—still tender despite Liora's treatment—reminded him how close Verath had come to killing him.
"Verath was good," he admitted. "Better than me. If I'd hesitated even once—"
"But you didn't. You won." She turned to face him. "Which proves you're getting stronger. But King Alder? He's not just protected by guards and walls. He's a warrior himself. One of the Five Kings. Do you really think he sits on his throne because of birthright alone?"
"He's strong?"
"All the kings are. That's *why* they're kings." Liora's expression was serious. "This isn't like the old kingdoms, where royalty was just bloodline. In this Era, the strongest claimed the pieces. The Five Kings rule because they're powerful enough that even their Elite Force can't challenge them."
"Elite Force?"
"The top assassins. One from each nation, working together to protect all five kings." She gestured around them. "Verath wasn't even close to their level. He was a subordinate—skilled, yes, but still just a soldier in a much larger army."
The words hit Kael like cold water. He'd barely survived Verath. And Verath was just... a foot soldier?
"How much stronger?" he asked quietly.
"I don't know exact numbers. But the Elite Force members? Each one could probably fight ten Veraths simultaneously and win." She saw his expression. "And the kings are stronger than *them*. That's the hierarchy. That's why the system is so stable—not just politics and fear, but raw power. Nobody can challenge them because nobody's strong enough."
Kael looked down at his hands. They'd shaken after killing Verath. How would they feel facing someone ten times as dangerous? Or a hundred?
"Then what's the point?" The frustration bled into his voice. "If I can't beat them, if I'll never be strong enough—"
"I didn't say never." Liora's eyes were intense. "I said *not yet*. You have something none of them have. That sword. I don't know what it is or where it came from, but it's powerful enough to scare people. Powerful enough to cut through anything. That's your advantage. But you need to learn how to use it properly. And you need to understand what you're really fighting."
"I'm fighting the people who burned my village."
"You're fighting a system." She pulled out her notebook, flipping through pages. "Your village wasn't alone, Kael. In the past three months, seven villages have been destroyed. Seven. All on accusations of forbidden activities. All burned to the ground with no survivors—except you."
Seven. The number made his stomach turn.
"Why so many?"
"That's what we need to find out." She snapped the notebook shut. "And we won't find answers here. Aldengard will tell us nothing—the crown controls information too tightly. But the other nations? Different kings, different methods, maybe different stories. If we can see the pattern, understand what connects these villages, we might finally learn the truth."
"You want to leave."
"I want to *hunt*." Fire entered her voice. "Not just one assassin, not just one village. The whole system. All five nations. Every corrupt king who thinks they can destroy innocent lives without consequence. We expose them. We gather evidence. And when we're strong enough..." She met his eyes. "We tear it all down."
The vision she painted was staggering. Not just revenge for his village, but justice for all of them. For every burned home, every murdered family, every life destroyed by paranoid kings and their assassins.
It was bigger than Kael had imagined. Bigger than he'd thought himself capable of.
But looking at the empty rooftop where Verath had died, at the city sprawling indifferent below, he realized Liora was right. One dead assassin changed nothing. The system ground forward regardless.
Unless someone stopped it.
"Where do we start?" he asked.
Liora smiled. "With the survivors."
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The survivor's name was Marcus, and he looked like he'd aged a decade in a month.
They found him in a shelter run by temple priests—one of the few places in Aldengard that offered sanctuary without asking too many questions. Marcus sat in the corner of the common room, hollow-eyed and thin, staring at nothing.
"He came in two weeks ago," the priest told them quietly. "From a village in the northern territories. Said everyone else was dead. Won't talk about it much—keeps having nightmares."
Liora approached carefully, sitting across from Marcus without speaking. Kael followed her lead.
After a long silence, Marcus's eyes focused on them. "You're not priests."
"No," Liora said gently. "We're... looking for answers about the village destructions. About what's happening to the rural territories."
"Answers." Marcus laughed bitterly. "You want answers? Here's an answer: stay away from small villages. That's what gets you killed."
"What happened to your village?" Kael asked.
Marcus's hands clenched. "Soldiers came. Not regular army—special forces. Black uniforms. Said we were harboring forbidden materials. Demanded we hand over whatever we were hiding. But we weren't hiding anything! We're farmers! What would we have that the crown wants?"
"What did they do?"
"Burned it anyway. Said the accusation was enough. Didn't matter if it was true." Marcus's voice cracked. "My wife, my children—they burned them all. I only survived because I was in the fields when they came. By the time I got back..."
Kael knew that emptiness in Marcus's voice. The hollow place where home used to be.
"The soldiers," Liora said carefully. "Did one of them have red eyes?"
"No. Different group, I think. Their leader had these tattoos—all up his arms, glowing when he used his powers." Marcus shuddered. " Burned the church in seconds."
Liora murmured, making a note. "I think that's One of the Elite Force subordinates from the Nation."
"Elite Force?" Marcus looked up sharply.
"The king's top assassins. Each commands their own unit." She hesitated. "You heard of them?"
"Everyone's heard of them." Marcus's expression darkened. "Five members, one from each nation. They say the Elite Force is untouchable—that they answer to all the kings equally, operate across borders. If they're involved in the village burnings..." He trailed off, the implications too terrible to voice.
"They are," Kael said. "The man who destroyed my village was working under one of them."
Marcus studied him with new eyes. "Your village too?"
"Three weeks ago. Everyone I knew. Everyone I..." Kael stopped, the words still too raw.
"Then you understand." Marcus's hands unclenched slightly. "The helplessness. The anger. The need to do *something* but not knowing what."
"I'm doing something now. Hunting them. Making them answer for it."
"Good luck with that." But there was a glimmer of something in Marcus's voice. Not quite hope—more like vicious satisfaction at the thought. "The Elite Force and their subordinates? They're protected by the kings. Untouchable. But if someone actually managed to kill one..." He smiled without warmth. "That would be something."
"I already did," Kael said quietly.
Marcus's eyes widened. "You—what?"
"The assassin who led the attack on my village. Found him. Killed him."
"How? They're trained, enhanced with Eidric powers—"
"Gods." Marcus was breathing faster now. "You actually... do the others know? Is that why you're here, hiding in the temple district?"
"We're not hiding. We're leaving." Liora stood. "The capital is too dangerous now. Too many eyes. But before we go, we wanted to hear your story. To understand the pattern."
"Pattern?" Marcus stood too, suddenly intense. "You think there's a pattern?"
"Seven villages in three months. All accused of the same things. All destroyed the same way." She met his eyes. "That's not paranoia. That's systematic."
"Then someone's targeting rural villages specifically." Marcus's mind was working now, pulling him out of his shock. "But why? What could scattered farming communities possibly have that the crown wants?"
"That's what we're going to find out." Liora pulled out a small pouch of coins, pressing it into Marcus's hand. "For your recovery. For a fresh start somewhere safer."
"I don't want money. I want..." He stopped, fist clenched around the pouch. "I want them to pay. All of them."
"They will," Kael said. "I promise you that."
"Promises are cheap."
"Mine isn't." Kael met his eyes. "I mean it."
Marcus stared at him for a long moment. Then he laughed—harsh and broken, but genuine.
"You're either insane or the answer to a lot of prayers." He pocketed the coins. "For all our sakes, I hope it's the second one."
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They left the temple as the afternoon sun angled toward evening. Kael's mind was churning with everything they'd learned.
"Seven villages," he said. "Seven Veraths. Seven Elite Force subordinates deployed."
"At minimum," Liora agreed. "There could be more we don't know about. But yes—this is coordinated across nations. The Elite Force is definitely involved."
"Why?"
"That's what we need to discover. But we won't find answers in Aldengard. This city is locked down tight." She guided them toward the market district. "We need to go where information flows more freely. Where the crown's control isn't absolute."
"Which nation?"
"Third Nation. Lumeria." Her eyes were distant. "It's different from Aldengard. Where this nation values military strength, Lumeria values knowledge. They have archives, libraries, scholars who study history and politics. If there's a pattern to find, Lumeria's where we'll find it."
"Why not the Second Nation? Isn't that closer?"
Something flickered across her face. "Lumeria first. Trust me on this."
Kael wanted to press, but they'd reached the market—and there was someone waiting for them.
A young woman leaned against a fruit stall, arms crossed, watching them approach with sharp eyes. She was maybe twenty, with short-cropped dark hair and the kind of lean build that came from constant training. Two short swords hung at her belt, and her stance screamed fighter.
"You're the ones who killed Verath," she said without preamble.
Kael's hand went to his sword. Liora's staff came up.
The woman didn't move. "Relax. I'm not here for revenge." She pushed off the stall, approaching slowly. "Name's Rynn. I'm a mercenary. Was hired to track Verath's movements last month—client wanted to know where he'd be and when. Got paid, delivered the info, thought that was the end of it."
"And?" Liora's voice was suspicious.
"And then I heard he got himself killed by a kid and pretty girl. That got my attention." Rynn's eyes fixed on the wrapped blade across Kael's back. "Because my client? They specifically asked about Verath, that they have their personal grudge against him.."
"Who was your client?"
"Anonymous. Paid through intermediaries. Professional setup." Rynn shrugged. "But they knew about the village burnings. Knew about the accusations. And they wanted to know about Verath and now who killed him."
"So you're here to collect a bounty on me?"
"No. I'm here because I hate bullies, and the Elite Force are the biggest bullies in the Five Nations." Her expression hardened. "I've taken jobs from them before. Seen what they do to people who can't fight back. And I'm sick of it."
"What do you want?"
"To join you." Rynn met Kael's eyes directly. "I heard you talking to the survivor. Heard you're going after the system. Well, I know things—safe routes between nations, how the Elite Force operates, where their blind spots are. And I can fight." She rested her hands on her swords. "You're hunting people who've spent their lives killing. You need someone who understands that world."
"We don't know you," Liora pointed out.
"No. But I know you." Rynn's smile was sharp. "Liora, right? Purple-eyed girl with unusual talent for gathering information? You've been asking dangerous questions in every tavern and gambling den in the city. People notice. People talk." She turned to Kael. "And you—boy from the burned village, carrying steel sword, killed an Elite Force subordinate on his first real fight? You're either the luckiest idiot alive or something special. Either way, you're going to attract attention. Might as well have someone watching your back who knows what that attention looks like."
Kael glanced at Liora. She was studying Rynn with that calculating expression.
"She's not wrong," Liora admitted. "We have been visible. And crossing nations isn't safe—bandits, checkpoints, Elite Force patrols."
"So you want me to hire her?"
"I want you to consider it." Liora looked at Rynn. "What's your price?"
"Meals, healing supplies when needed, and a share of whatever we loot from the people we kill." Rynn's grin was fierce. "And the satisfaction of watching the Elite Force bleed. That's payment enough."
It should have been an easy decision. They needed help. Rynn had skills they lacked. And she seemed genuine in her hatred of the system.
But trust was hard after everything.
Kael touched the sword, feeling its pulse. The weapon was warm, but not warning. Just... present. Watching.
"Fine," he said. "But if you betray us—"
"You'll unmake me with that scary sword. I got it." Rynn extended her hand. "Deal?"
Kael gripped it. Her handshake was firm, confident.
"Deal."
"Excellent." Rynn clapped her hands together. "So. Lumeria, you said? That's two weeks' travel, maybe three if we're careful. I know a merchant caravan heading that way—they'd let us join for extra security. Safer than going alone."
"You were listening to our entire conversation?" Liora's tone was flat.
"I'm a scout. Listening is literally my job." Rynn was unrepentant. "Come on. If we want to catch the caravan, we need to move now. They leave at dawn."
She strode off toward the merchant quarter, apparently assuming they'd follow.
Kael looked at Liora. "Did we just get recruited by our own recruit?"
"Seems like it." Liora almost smiled. "But she's not wrong about the caravan. And having someone who knows the roads..." She shrugged. "Could be worse."
They followed Rynn through the evening crowds.
Behind them, unnoticed in the market's chaos, a figure watched from a rooftop. Hood pulled low. Eyes that saw everything.
The figure turned and melted into the shadows.
Some far away, in a nondescript building, the figure entered a room where five others waited.
"Well?" one asked.
"They're leaving the capital. Heading for Lumeria."
"The girl finally shows her hand." Another voice, thoughtful. "And the boy?"
"Carries the blade. Killed Verath cleanly."
"Interesting." A pause. "Inform the others. The pieces are moving. The game begins properly now."
"What about Noah?"
"Let him grieve. Let him rage. When the boy returns to Aldengard..." A cold smile. "Noah will have his revenge. But not yet. Let them play their game a while longer. Let them think they're hunters."
"And when they realize they're prey?"
"Then we'll see what that ***** can really do."
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The caravan master was a gruff woman named Helena who ran three wagons between nations, trading in fabrics and spices. She took one look at Kael's sword, Liora's staff, and Rynn's twin blades and quoted a price for "security escort."
They paid half up front, half on arrival.
"Dawn tomorrow," Helena told them. "East gate. Don't be late or we leave without you."
They spent the evening gathering supplies. Food, water, medical supplies, warm clothes for the mountain passes between nations. Rynn proved invaluable, knowing exactly which merchants to trust and which were scams.
As the sun set, they returned to the inn for one last night in Aldengard.
Kael stood at the window, looking out at the city. Somewhere in the palace, King Alder sat on his throne. Unafraid.
*Soon*, Kael promised silently. *Not today. But soon.*
"Thinking about revenge?" Rynn appeared beside him.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Always is, at first." She leaned against the wall. "Gets less consuming over time. Or it eats you alive. One or the other."
"Which happened to you?"
"Haven't decided yet." Rynn's smile was crooked. "But I figure helping you burn down the system is as good a therapy as any."
"Why do you really hate them? The Elite Force?"
Her smile faded. "Because two years ago, they killed someone I cared about. Different village, different accusation, same result. And I was too weak to stop it." She met his eyes. "So I got stronger. Learned to fight. Took every job that taught me how they operate. And I waited for someone crazy enough to actually fight back." She nodded at him. "That's you. You're the crazy one."
"I prefer determined."
"Crazy, determined—same thing when you're hunting people who can call lightning from the sky." She pushed off the wall. "Get some sleep. Two weeks on the road isn't restful, and Lumeria's full of its own problems. You'll need energy."
She left, heading to her own room.
Liora emerged from hers, drawn by voices. "Making friends?"
"Maybe." Kael turned from the window. "She's... intense."
"Good. We need intense." Liora moved beside him, looking out at the city. "Tomorrow we leave all this behind. Start fresh in a new nation with new problems."
"You sound relieved."
"I am." Her voice was quiet. "Aldengard feels... heavy. Like the walls are watching. Lumeria will be different."
"How?"
"Brighter. More open. The kind of place where knowledge is valued over strength."
But
"It has its own darkness. Just different from this." She glanced at him. "Are you ready for this? Really ready? Because once we leave, there's no going back. You become a fugitive to all five nations. A target for every Elite Force member. Your life will be running and fighting until we either win or die."
Kael thought about Father Aldric. About Merra. About everyone who'd died in flames.
"I've been ready since the moment I climbed out of that basement."
"Good answer." Liora's smile was sad. "Get some sleep, Kael. Tomorrow, the real journey begins."
She returned to her room, leaving him alone with the night.
Kael unwrapped the black sword, studying it in the moonlight. The symbols along its length seemed to writhe, though that might have been exhaustion. The blade remained cold despite everything—cold and hungry and patient.
"What are you?" he whispered to it.
As always, it didn't answer.
But somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought he heard a voice. Ancient. Vast. Amused.
*You'll learn. In time. For now... sleep. Tomorrow, we hunt.*
Kael wrapped the blade and placed it under his bed.
Sleep came slowly.
And in his dreams, he walked through corridors of twisted stone where red lightning danced, and a figure with one eye watched him from a throne of bones, smiling.
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**END CHAPTER 5**
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**END VOLUME 1**
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