Chapter 5: Banished from Astria

The morning sun rose over Astria, but for Kael Ardyn, the day brought no warmth. The whispers and laughter of the previous day had grown louder, echoing in every corner of the city. He could feel the eyes of the guild leaders on him, filled with disdain.

“You call that surviving a Gate?” one guild official sneered. “You’re a disgrace to hunters everywhere.”

Another added, “We cannot have someone so weak sullying our name. You are hereby removed from Astria’s Hunters’ Guild. Leave the city immediately.”

Kael’s hands trembled as he listened. He wanted to argue, to shout, but no words came. He had been humiliated before, but this—the official removal from the guild—felt like a knife twisting in his chest.

“I… I understand,” Kael said quietly. His voice was low, almost unheard. “I will leave. But I won’t stay weak.”

The guild officials waved dismissively. “Good. Don’t return until you’ve proven you’re worthy.”

Kael turned away, walking through the cobbled streets with a heavy heart. Villagers stared, some with pity, others with curiosity. He felt small, insignificant. Yet, deep inside, a spark of determination burned.

“This isn’t the end,” he whispered to himself. “It’s just the beginning. If the guild won’t believe in me… I’ll find my own strength. I will rise, even if I have to do it alone.”

He made his way to the outskirts of the city, passing the market ruins from the Gate’s attack. His eyes lingered on the glow of the cobblestones, now faintly illuminated by the mark on his left hand. It pulsed softly, almost as if reminding him that he was not entirely powerless.

Kael found a quiet alley and sat against the wall, drawing a ragged breath. He remembered the lessons from the battles—the first kill against the Crimson Wolf, the survival in the marketplace, the strange mark on his hand. Each memory became a seed of hope.

“I will not fail again,” he vowed. “I will become the hunter that no one can ignore. I will be stronger than anyone has ever imagined.”

The city buzzed with life around him, oblivious to the boy they had dismissed. Kael clenched his fists, letting the pain of rejection fuel his resolve. Alone, rejected, but alive—he would turn this weakness into strength.

As night fell over Astria, Kael stood, dusted off his torn cloak, and began to walk into the unknown. The journey ahead was dangerous, filled with dungeons, monsters, and challenges he could not yet foresee. But Kael Ardyn had made a promise—to himself and to the future he would carve.

And no one would stop him from keeping it.