" She lost Again "

The wind howled through the Forgotten Land, a mournful cry that seemed to echo Nao’s unspoken fears. 

The sun hung low, casting jagged shadows across the barren cliffs, as if the world itself were fracturing under the weight of secrets. 

Nao walked ahead, her silver hair catching the dying light, her sword humming faintly at her back. 

Each step toward the Blistered Plains felt heavier, not from exhaustion but from a quiet dread she couldn’t name.

Kael trailed a few paces behind, hands in his pockets, whistling a tune that grated against the silence. 

His green eyes flickered with their usual mischief, but there was something else today a shadow, fleeting, like a cloud passing over a flame. 

Nao glanced back, her gaze sharp.“You’re too quiet,” she said, voice low. “What’s on your mind, flirty clown?” Kael’s grin widened, but it didn’t reach his eyes. 

“Just admiring the view, sweet cheeks. You’re glowing under this sunset.”She scoffed, turning away to hide the faint warmth in her cheeks. 

“Save it. We’ve got a long way to the Blistered Plains.”But the unease lingered, coiling in her chest like a serpent. 

Kael had been her anchor since Thorne’s death his teasing, his quick blade, his uncanny knowledge of the world had kept her grounded. 

He’d fought beside her, bled for her, even survived the massacre at Zepla. Yet something about him felt… off. 

His stories about the Void, the Nine Kingdoms, the surviving humans how did he know so much? Why was he always there, just when she needed him?They reached a narrow pass, where the cliffs closed in like the jaws of a beast. 

The air grew thick, heavy with the scent of ash and something sharper blood, faint but unmistakable. Nao’s hand drifted to her sword.

“Stay sharp,” she muttered.Kael’s whistle stopped. “Always am.”The pass opened into a small valley, its floor littered with broken spears and rusted armor. 

A battlefield, long abandoned, yet the ground seemed to pulse with a faint, unnatural energy. 

In the center stood a lone obelisk, carved with symbols Nao recognized from Thorne’s texts arcane, ancient, forbidden. 

Her heart quickened.“What is this place?” she whispered. Kael stepped beside her, his voice oddly soft. “A graveyard. One of many from the Annihilation.

”Her eyes narrowed. “You know this place too? ”He shrugged, but his smile was tight. “I’ve heard stories.”She didn’t believe him. 

Not this time. Before she could press further, the ground trembled. A low hum filled the air, and the obelisk glowed with a sickly green light. 

Shadows stirred at the valley’s edges, coalescing into forms tall, cloaked figures in black armor, their faces hidden behind masks of bone. 

The same enemies from Zepla. The Evil Ones.Nao drew her sword, its blade flaring with silver light. “They found us.

”Kael’s staff was already in hand, his stance relaxed but ready. “Looks like a party. Shall we dance? ”The figures surged forward, silent as death. 

Nao moved like a storm, her blade slicing through armor and shadow. Each strike was fueled by rage, by the memory of Zepla’s blood-soaked ruins, by the faces of the survivors she’d failed. 

Beside her, Kael fought with lethal precision, his staff a blur as he shattered masks and sent bodies crumpling.But something was wrong. 

The enemies kept coming, more than should have been possible in this desolate place. And Kael… he wasn’t tiring. 

His movements were too perfect, too calculated, as if he knew their every step.“Enough!” Nao shouted, slamming her sword into the ground. 

A wave of silver energy erupted, scattering the remaining foes. She spun toward Kael, chest heaving. 

“How did they find us? Why are there so many? ”Kael lowered his staff, his grin gone. “Bad luck, maybe? ”Her eyes burned. “Don’t lie to me.”

For a moment, silence hung between them, heavier than the valley’s cursed air. Then, a slow clap echoed from the cliffs above. 

Nao’s head snapped up. A figure stood there, cloaked in crimson, its face obscured by a hood. Its voice was deep, dripping with malice.

“Well done, puppet,” it said. “You’ve brought her exactly where we needed her.” Nao’s blood ran cold. “Puppet? ”Kael didn’t move. 

Didn’t speak. His eyes were fixed on the ground, his jaw tight.The crimson figure laughed, a sound like breaking glass. 

“Did you think he was your friend, girl? Your savior? Oh, how naive. Kael is ours. A construct, woven from our magic, sent to guide you to break you.

”Nao’s heart stopped. She turned slowly, her sword trembling in her grip. “Kael… tell me it’s not true.

”He didn’t look at her. “Nao…” “Tell me!” she screamed, her voice cracking.His shoulders slumped, and when he finally met her gaze, his eyes were empty. 

“I didn’t have a choice.”The words hit harder than any blade. Her vision blurred, tears burning her eyes. 

“You… lied to me? All this time? Telmere, Zepla, the Void you were leading me to them? ”Kael’s voice was barely a whisper. “Not at first. I was… programmed to watch you. To keep you alive until they were ready. 

But Nao, I ” “Shut up!” She swung her sword, stopping inches from his throat. The blade hummed, mirroring her rage. “You fought with me. You saved me. You made me trust you!” “I did,” he said, voice breaking. 

“And I hated every second of it. I wasn’t supposed to feel anything, but you… you made me want to be real.”The crimson figure clapped again. 

“How touching. But enough. Kael, finish her.”Kael’s hand twitched toward his staff, but he didn’t move. 

His eyes locked onto Nao’s, pleading. “I can’t.”The figure’s voice turned cold. “You will. Or we’ll unravel you, thread by thread.

”Nao’s tears fell freely now, mixing with the dust at her feet. She remembered Thorne’s lifeless body, the blood-soaked clearing, the parchment that called her the key. 

And now Kael her only ally, her only friend had been a lie. Another piece of her world shattered.“I trusted you,” she whispered. 

“I thought… I wasn’t alone.”Kael’s face twisted with pain. “You’re not. Nao, listen ”The crimson figure raised a hand, and Kael’s body jerked like a marionette. 

His eyes glowed green, lifeless, and he lunged at her, staff swinging. Nao blocked, the impact jarring her bones. She stumbled back, tears streaming.

“Kael, stop!” she cried. He didn’t. His attacks were relentless, mechanical, devoid of the warmth she’d known. 

She parried, dodged, but refused to strike back. “Fight it! You’re stronger than this! ”The crimson figure laughed. “He’s nothing but a tool. 

And you’re next.”Nao’s heart screamed, but her mind cleared. She remembered Thorne’s voice: Trust no one. 

She remembered Avary, the souls of her people urging her to rise. She wasn’t just fighting for herself anymore.

With a cry, she surged forward, her sword glowing brighter than ever. She didn’t aim for Kael. Instead, she leaped past him, toward the crimson figure. 

The valley erupted in light as her blade slashed through the air, forcing the figure to vanish in a swirl of shadow.

Kael collapsed, the green glow fading from his eyes. He gasped, clutching his chest. “Nao… I’m sorry…”She knelt beside him, her sword clattering to the ground. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” “I wanted to,” he whispered. “But they… they made me. Every step, every word… it was theirs. Until you made me feel… human.”

Her chest ached. “You’re not human. You never were.”He smiled faintly, blood on his lips. “Maybe not. But I wanted to be… for you.” 

The valley trembled again, and Nao sensed more enemies approaching. She looked at Kael, his body fading, threads of magic unraveling like smoke. 

“What do I do?” she whispered.“Go east,” he said, voice faint. “The human kingdom… it’s real. Find them. Find… the truth.”

His hand reached for hers, but it dissolved before he could touch her. “Nao… don’t… hate me.”She choked back a sob. “I don’t. I can’t.”Kael’s eyes closed, and he was gone, leaving only a faint shimmer in the air.

Nao sat there, alone in the valley, the obelisk’s glow fading. The wind carried no comfort, only the weight of her grief. Thorne was gone. 

Kael was gone. And yet, the truth the Annihilation, her people, the crimson figure’s masters still waited.She rose slowly, wiping her tears. 

Her sword felt heavier, but she gripped it tightly. “I won’t break,” she whispered. “Not for you. Not for them.”

The valley was silent as she walked away, toward the Blistered Plains, toward the East. 

Each step was a vow: to find the human kingdom, to uncover the Annihilation’s secrets, to make the crimson figure pay.

But deep in her heart, a wound festered. Kael’s betrayal had carved a scar as deep as Thorne’s death. 

She was stronger now, but also lonelier. The path ahead was hers alone.As the sun sank, painting the cliffs in blood-red hues, Nao’s voice carried on the wind, soft but unbroken: “I’ll find you. All of you. And I’ll end this.”

Author's Note:

Hey i haven't uploaded any new chapters for this novel because i was practicing my skills with other stories and I'm pretty sure i got better so here it is new chapter. Hope you liked it