Chapter 2

  The Revenants

  Morning light poured through the cracks in the wooden shutters, painting golden streaks across the cabin floor. The scent of damp earth and pine filled the crisp morning air, mixing with the faint aroma of the previous night’s fire. Birds chirped outside, their melodies blending with the rustling leaves in the gentle breeze. Everything felt normal—just another peaceful morning in the forest.

  Aeron stretched as he sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Rowan groaned beside him, pulling the blanket over his head to block out the sunlight. Their father, Orion, was already up and moving around the cabin, preparing for something unusual. His leather boots thudded lightly against the wooden floor as he adjusted the straps of a large traveling bag slung over his back. This wasn’t the usual hunting trip—there were extra supplies packed, more gear than necessary for just catching fish. Something was different.

  Evelyn, their mother, stood near the door, her arms crossed as she watched Orion with a worried expression. “You’re sure about this?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Orion nodded as he tightened the straps on his bag. “I won’t be gone long. Just a day, maybe two.”

  Aeron and Rowan exchanged curious glances before rushing to their father’s side. “Where are you going?” Aeron asked, his brows furrowed in concern.

  “Can we come with you?” Rowan added, his voice hopeful.

  Orion let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. “No, not this time. It’s too far, too dangerous.”

  “But why? What are you looking for?” Aeron pressed, glancing at the strange assortment of gear their father was carrying.

  Orion hesitated for a brief moment before sighing. “It’s nothing you two need to worry about,” he said, ruffling Aeron’s hair. “Just take care of your mother while I’m gone.”

  Evelyn stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm. “Please be safe. Get home before sunset,” she urged, her voice laced with concern.

  Orion gave her a reassuring smile before leaning in, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. Aeron rolled his eyes, and Rowan made a face of disgust, but Evelyn just shook her head with an amused sigh.

  Before leaving, Orion knelt down and pulled both of his sons into a warm embrace. “Be good,” he murmured.

  As Aeron hugged him, he noticed something strange—a small red flower keychain dangling from Orion’s belt loop. He hadn’t seen it before. “What’s this?” he asked, pointing at it.

  Orion quickly brushed it aside, standing up. “It’s nothing important,” he said, adjusting his bag. “I’ll be back soon.”

  With that, he turned and stepped out into the morning light, disappearing into the thick trees beyond the cabin.

  Aeron and Rowan stood at the doorway, watching their father until he was nothing but a distant figure swallowed by the forest. “Where do you think he’s going?” Rowan muttered.

  “No idea,” Aeron replied. “But it has to be something serious.”

  Evelyn let out a small sigh, turning to the boys with a smile. “Come on, let’s have breakfast before you two start pestering me with questions.”

  The hours passed slowly. After finishing their chores, Aeron and Rowan spent the afternoon playing outside, chasing each other around the cabin and wrestling in the grass. The sun slowly crept across the sky, casting long shadows as it dipped lower. The playful laughter of the brothers echoed through the trees, but Evelyn’s mind was elsewhere.

  She kept glancing toward the forest, her arms folded tightly across her chest. It was getting late—Orion should have been back by now. He had promised to return before sunset.

  The sky burned with hues of orange and purple as the sun neared the horizon, the first stars beginning to peek out from the darkening sky. Evelyn stood at the doorstep, her fingers anxiously gripping the fabric of her dress. Aeron and Rowan, exhausted from playing, noticed their mother’s tense expression.

  “Mom?” Aeron asked, stepping closer. “Is something wrong?”

  Evelyn forced a smile, but the concern in her eyes betrayed her. “No, sweetie, it’s just…It’s getting late, You both get inside and play here instead.” She said as they both walked their way inside.

  “Why is Mom upset?” Aeron whispered

  “Dad’s still not back, stupid.” Said Rowan as Aeron frown, following her gaze toward the forest

  The warm atmosphere of the day faded into an unsettling chill. The sun was setting. Orion was still missing.

  An hour later, the sky had darkened into deep shades of blue and purple, the last hints of daylight slipping beneath the horizon. Inside the cabin, candlelight flickered, casting warm, dancing shadows across the wooden walls. The air was thick with unease, but Aeron and Rowan remained oblivious, too caught up in their game of sword fighting with wooden sticks.

  “Take that!” Rowan shouted, swinging hard and knocking Aeron backward onto the floor.

  Aeron grunted as he landed on his back, his stick rolling out of reach. “Hey! No fair!” he protested, scrambling up to his feet.

  Rowan smirked, twirling his stick in his hands. “You’re just mad ‘cause I’m stronger!”

  Aeron huffed, narrowing his eyes. “You’re cheating! You always push too hard!”

  The two boys glared at each other, their argument growing louder by the second. But before either of them could throw another insult, a sharp voice cut through the air.

  “Enough!”

  Both Aeron and Rowan flinched as Evelyn’s voice rang through the room. She stood with her arms crossed, her brows furrowed in frustration. “I’ve had enough of your bickering! Sit down and behave yourselves.”

  Silence fell between the brothers. Rowan muttered something under his breath before tossing his wooden stick onto the floor. Aeron sighed, rubbing his arm where he had fallen.

  As the seconds passed, Aeron couldn’t help but notice how tense his mother looked. She sat at the edge of her chair, fingers tapping anxiously against her leg, her gaze darting toward the window every few moments. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her usual warmth replaced with a deep, quiet worry.

  Aeron hesitated before speaking. “Mom?”

  Evelyn blinked, turning to her son.

  “Can you… sing for us?” Aeron asked softly.

  Rowan glanced at him, surprised by the request, but he said nothing. It had been a long time since their mother last sang to them—back when they were younger, when their biggest worries were scraped knees and getting caught sneaking sweets before dinner.

  Evelyn let out a slow breath before nodding. “Alright, come here.”

  Aeron and Rowan sat on the couch beside her, leaning into her warmth as she ran a hand through their hair. Then, with a gentle hum, she began to sing:

  "Close your eyes, my little stars,

  Dream where skies are never far.

  Let the rivers hum their tune,

  And sleep beneath the silver moon."

  Her voice was soft, soothing, like a lullaby woven from the wind itself. The tension in the air slowly faded, their worries melting away, even if just for a moment.

  Then—

  BANG!

  The front door slammed open so violently that the hinges nearly snapped.

  The peaceful air shattered in an instant. Aeron and Rowan flinched, their heads snapping toward the entrance as their father, Orion, stumbled inside. He was panting, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his entire body drenched in sweat. His left arm clutched at his side, blood dripping down from a deep gash on his forehead. But it wasn’t just that—there was something far worse.

  A bite.

  A fresh, jagged bite on his arm, oozing crimson.

  Evelyn shot up from the couch, her face going pale. “Orion?!”

  Aeron and Rowan remained frozen, their minds struggling to process what they were seeing.

  Orion looked up, his wide, panicked eyes locking onto Evelyn. “They’ve found us,” he rasped, his voice strained with exhaustion and fear. “They know where we live and—”

  A high-pitched screech cut through the night, echoing from the distance. Then another. And another.

  The sound sent shivers down Aeron’s spine. The Revenants.

  Evelyn’s breath hitched. “No… no, they can’t—”

  “They’re coming,” Orion said urgently. “They’re getting closer.”

  There was no time to hesitate. They had planned for this.

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  Evelyn rushed toward the shelf near the fireplace, grabbing a worn-out map—their escape plan. Behind the house, a small window led to the woods, and from there, if they followed the path marked on the map, they could reach the nearest kingdom—Eldorin.

  Orion, breathing heavily, reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass vial filled with red liquid. He handed it to Evelyn along with an injection. “If any of you get bitten, inject this,” he instructed. His voice was steady, but his hands trembled.

  Evelyn swallowed hard, gripping the vial tightly. “Orion, you—”

  “I’m staying.” His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. He moved to the closet, pulling out his sword. The blade gleamed under the dim candlelight. “I can still fight. I can still buy you time.”

  Aeron’s eyes widened in horror. “No!” He ran to his father, wrapping his arms around his leg. “You can’t stay! You can’t!”

  Evelyn’s hands shook as she grabbed Aeron, trying to pull him away. “Aeron, we have to go—”

  “I won’t leave him!” Aeron screamed, his small hands gripping onto Orion’s pants desperately. His heart pounded in his chest. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening.

  Orion exhaled shakily before kneeling down, placing a hand on Aeron’s shoulder. His eyes, though filled with pain, were still filled with love. “Listen to me, Aeron.” His voice was gentle, but urgent. “You have to go. Protect your mother. Protect Rowan.”

  Aeron’s vision blurred with tears. “But—”

  “I love you, son.”

  Aeron’s grip tightened, but Evelyn was stronger. She yanked him away, pulling both him and Rowan toward the back of the cabin as the Revenants were pounding at the front door.

  As Aeron was dragged back, his fingers grasped at anything—anything—to hold onto his father. His hand caught onto something small and light. The red flower keychain. He clenched it in his fist.

  Another deafening screech rang out. The front door rattled violently as the Revenants slammed against it. Orion stood tall, gripping his sword with both hands, ready to fight.

  Evelyn hoisted Aeron through the window first, then Rowan. Just as she was climbing out, the wooden door burst open behind them, and the last thing Aeron saw before they vanished into the night—was his father, standing his ground, sword raised, as the monsters rushed in.

  Then, darkness swallowed them whole.

  The night air was thick with the scent of damp earth and burning wood as Evelyn gripped Aeron and Rowan’s hands, pulling them through the darkened forest. Her breath came in sharp gasps, her heart pounding like a war drum. The distant echoes of inhuman screeches sent chills up her spine.

  "Run, boys! Don’t look back!" Evelyn's voice trembled but remained firm.

  Rowan obeyed, his small legs pumping furiously against the rough terrain, but Aeron hesitated. Something compelled him to glance over his shoulder, just once.

  Through the shattered window of their home, Aeron saw his father—standing motionless in the middle of the cabin. The Revenants swarmed around him, their twisted bodies convulsing unnaturally. Their flesh was peeling, their limbs bent at unnatural angles, their sunken eyes glowing with a soulless hunger. Their jaws snapped open wider than humanly possible, revealing rows of jagged, rotting teeth. Black veins pulsed beneath their gray, decomposing skin. Some had missing lips, exposing their permanent, grotesque grins.

  But there was someone else.

  Aeron's gaze locked onto a figure standing before Orion. Unlike the others, this man was… whole. He wasn’t rotting, nor did he move with mindless hunger. He stood tall, exuding an aura of undeniable power. His pale skin was smooth, almost too perfect, and his crimson eyes gleamed like polished rubies. Long, flowing black hair cascaded down his shoulders, and his sharp features held an eerie, timeless beauty—like a carved statue given life. He wore a dark, high-collared coat that trailed behind him, the fabric as black as the abyss itself. He smiled, but it wasn’t kind. It was slow, deliberate—like a predator toying with its prey.

  Aeron's breath caught in his throat. A single tear slipped down his cheek as the trees swallowed his view, forcing him to turn back toward the escape.

  Then, the screeches came closer.

  The rustling of branches—something fast.

  A dark blur shot out of the shadows.

  The Revenant slammed into Evelyn with bone-crushing force, sending her crashing onto the forest floor. She barely had time to scream before it pinned her down, snarling like a rabid beast. Its blackened teeth snapped inches from her face, its rotting breath hot against her skin.

  “No! Mom!” Rowan’s voice cracked with terror.

  Aeron scrambled to his feet, his hands grasping desperately for anything—a weapon, a rock, anything. His fingers wrapped around a thick, broken branch. With all his strength, he let out a desperate cry and drove the sharp end straight into the Revenant’s skull.

  The creature let out a shriek of agony, its glowing eyes rolling back, but it didn’t die. Instead, it twisted unnaturally, its attention now fixated on Aeron.

  Before he could react, it lunged.

  Pain.

  Aeron’s scream pierced through the night as searing agony exploded in his arm. The Revenant’s teeth sank deep into his flesh. A sickening crunch followed. His vision blurred. His body convulsed. The infection was spreading.

  Evelyn, her hands shaking, grabbed the largest stone she could find and smashed it against the Revenant’s skull. A sickening crack echoed through the trees as the monster slumped to the ground, twitching, stunned but not dead.

  Wasting no time, she yanked Aeron and Rowan to their feet and bolted into the darkness.

  Aeron’s legs felt weak. His breath came in ragged, shuddering gasps. The pain in his arm burned like fire, spreading like venom through his veins. His head pounded. The world spun. His knees buckled, and he collapsed against a tree. His limbs refused to move. His ears rang with an unbearable, high-pitched noise.

  Evelyn dropped to her knees beside him, fumbling with trembling hands as she pulled out the small vial—the one Orion had given her.

  “Aeron—hold on! Just hold on!”

  With a quick motion, she plunged the needle into his arm.

  Aeron's body convulsed violently. His veins burned, his muscles tensed to the point of snapping. His mind shattered, slipping into darkness.

  And in that darkness…

  He saw him.

  The man from the cabin.

  Standing amidst a field of crimson flowers.

  The red flower.

  It was calling to him.

  Then—nothing.

  Darkness swallowed him whole.

  Aeron lay there, his body trembling violently, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His eyes rolled back, his pupils dilated as his mind was trapped in a cycle of torment. The vision replayed over and over—the man, the red flower, again and again, like an endless nightmare. His limbs twitched as if unseen hands were holding him down.

  “Aeron! Aeron, please!” Evelyn’s voice cracked as she held her son close, her own body shaking with fear. She didn’t know what to do. She had no cure for this, no way to stop the infection that was tearing through him. Tears welled in her eyes as she gripped him tighter.

  Rowan sat close, his small hands clutching the dirt beneath him. His wide, terrified eyes darted between his mother and brother, unsure of what was happening. “Mom… is he—?”

  “Hush, baby,” Evelyn whispered, her voice quivering.

  And then, with a trembling breath, she sang.

  "Close your eyes, my little stars,

  Dream where skies are never far.

  Let the rivers hum their tune,

  And sleep beneath the silver moon."

  Her voice was broken, unsteady—each note laced with raw desperation and fear. The melody wavered, her sobs interrupting the words, but she kept singing. The lullaby that once soothed her boys to sleep now became a desperate plea, a fragile tether pulling Aeron back from the abyss.

  Aeron’s body twitched violently… then, slowly, the shaking began to subside.

  The burning pain in his veins dulled. His breathing steadied. The nightmarish visions started to blur, fading into the darkness of his subconscious. His mind was no longer drowning.

  He could hear her.

  His mother’s voice, soft but afraid, wrapping around him like a fragile embrace.

  His eyelids fluttered open. The world came into focus—no longer a chaotic blur, but clear. His mother’s face hovered over him, her expression filled with both terror and hope. Rowan was by her side, his small frame curled up in fear.

  “M…Mom…” Aeron’s voice was weak, barely above a whisper.

  Evelyn let out a sharp, gasping sob. Relief flooded through her, her heart swelling with overwhelming gratitude. She clutched him tightly, burying her face into his hair. “Oh, my baby, you’re okay,” she whispered through tears.

  For a moment, they simply held onto each other.

  Then—

  A piercing screech echoed through the forest.

  Evelyn’s body stiffened.

  Aeron’s head snapped toward the sound.

  They were coming.

  The Revenants had caught their scent.

  Evelyn quickly pulled away, her hands cupping Aeron’s face. “Can you get up? Can you run?”

  Aeron swallowed, his body still weak, but he nodded. “Y-Yeah…”

  She wasted no time. She tore a strip from her sleeve, wrapping it tightly around his wounded arm. “We won’t be able to outrun them. They’re too fast…” Her hands shook as she reached into her coat and pulled out a folded map, pressing it into Aeron’s palm. “Take this. Go to Eldorin. Run and never look back. Do you understand?”

  Aeron’s stomach twisted. Something in her voice—this wasn’t just a plan. This was a goodbye.

  His grip tightened on the map. “No. No, I’m not leaving you—”

  “I’ll distract them. I’ll buy you boys some time.”

  “No!” Aeron shook his head violently. “We stay together!”

  Evelyn cupped his face again, forcing him to look at her. Her eyes, filled with love, pain, and desperation, bore into his. “Please, Aeron.” Her voice was breaking. “Just run. Take Rowan and go!”

  Tears welled in his eyes, but he knew—he had no choice. If he hesitated, they would all die.

  With a final, painful breath, he nodded.

  Evelyn pulled him into one last embrace, her lips pressing against his forehead before she turned to Rowan, stroking his hair. “I love you both,” she whispered.

  Then she stood.

  Aeron barely had time to react before she spun around and sprinted in the opposite direction, her boots crashing against the forest floor. “Hey! Over here, you ugly bastards!” she screamed, making as much noise as possible.

  The screeches grew louder. The Revenants had taken the bait.

  Aeron’s breath hitched as he saw her disappearing into the darkness. His fists clenched, his body frozen in place.

  Then, Rowan tugged his sleeve. “Aeron, we have to go.”

  Aeron took one last look in the direction Evelyn had run.

  Then he turned—and ran.

  The night stretched on, endless and merciless. The trees loomed over them, their twisted branches reaching like skeletal fingers against the starless sky. The distant howls of Revenants echoed through the forest, a haunting reminder that they were still being hunted.

  Aeron and Rowan had been running for over an hour now, their lungs burning, their legs screaming in protest.

  Rowan clutched his side, his breaths ragged and uneven. "Aeron, my legs hurt… Damn it!" he panted, stumbling slightly on the uneven ground. His entire body ached, exhaustion seeping into his bones.

  "Please, Rowan!" Aeron’s voice was strained, his own exhaustion evident, but fear pushed him forward. "We can’t rest yet! Not in this forest!" He tightened his grip on Rowan’s arm. "Those Revenants, they can smell us from afar! We have to get to Eldorin!"

  But Rowan’s body was giving out. His steps grew sluggish, his vision blurry. Every muscle in his body screamed for rest, for relief. "I… I can’t…" he wheezed. His knees buckled.

  "Agh—!"

  Before he could collapse, Aeron lunged forward, catching him just in time. His arms trembled under Rowan’s weight, but he refused to let go. Gritting his teeth, he hooked Rowan’s arm around his shoulders, hoisting him up with what little strength he had left. His own legs felt like lead, his breaths shallow. He couldn’t stop now.

  Then—through the thick foliage, past the towering trees—he saw it.

  "T…There!" Aeron gasped, his voice raw. His trembling hand pointed at the silhouette of an enormous stone wall rising in the distance. Even through his exhaustion, his chest tightened with hope. "We’re almost there, Rowan!"

  Rowan barely reacted. His head lolled against Aeron’s shoulder, his body growing heavier with every step.

  Aeron pushed forward, every movement slow and agonizing. His vision blurred. His feet dragged through the dirt, stumbling over rocks and roots.

  The sound of Revenants screeching in the distance grew louder. Closer.

  "Keep moving."

  But his body wouldn’t listen anymore.

  His knees buckled. His balance wavered.

  And then—

  They collapsed.

  The cold ground met them with an unforgiving embrace. Aeron’s vision spun as he lay there, panting. His limbs felt numb.

  Rowan, barely conscious, turned his head just enough to glimpse the towering walls of Eldorin in the distance.

  So close… yet so far.

  His eyelids drooped, too heavy to keep open.

  Aeron tried to reach out, his fingers barely twitching before the weight of exhaustion dragged him under.

  And then—darkness.

  Chapter 3: Eldorin