The sound of marching soldiers echoed across the plains.
Thousands of armored warriors advanced toward the inn.
The ground trembled beneath their feet.
At the front rode General Varek.
His black armor gleamed beneath the morning sun.
Even from a distance, he looked terrifying.
Lily stared.
“That’s not a general.”
Everyone looked at her.
“That’s a walking mountain.”
Nobody disagreed.
Adrian’s expression remained calm.
But Elisa noticed something.
His hand rested on his sword.
That was the first time she had seen him prepare for battle.
Which meant the situation was serious.
Very serious.
“We leave now,” Adrian ordered.
Nobody argued.
Within minutes, the group was back on the road.
Their horses raced south through the forest.
Behind them, Varek’s army continued its pursuit.
The distance between them slowly shrank.
Elisa rode beside Raphael.
“Do you think we’ll make it?”
Raphael forced a smile.
“I have no idea.”
“That isn’t comforting.”
“I know.”
At least he was honest.
The forest rushed past them.
Branches whipped through the air.
Birds scattered overhead.
For several hours they traveled without stopping.
Then Adrian suddenly raised his hand.
Everyone halted.
“What happened?” Rose asked.
The king frowned.
“We’re surrounded.”
The words hit like a hammer.
Immediately, figures emerged from the trees.
Not soldiers.
Not knights.
Mercenaries.
Dozens of them.
Some carried swords.
Others carried axes.
Several held bows.
Their leader stepped forward.
A scar covered half his face.
“Hand over the girl.”
Adrian sighed.
“I am beginning to hate that sentence.”
The mercenary leader pointed at Elisa.
“She’s worth a fortune.”
Lily gasped.
“A fortune?”
The mercenary smiled.
“Enough to buy a castle.”
Lily slowly turned toward Elisa.
Rose immediately smacked the back of her head.
“Don’t even think about it.”
“You were.”
“I was a little.”
The battle began before anyone could say more.
Arrows filled the air.
Mercenaries charged from every direction.
The messenger met them head-on.
Steel clashed.
Adrian moved like lightning.
One strike.
Two strikes.
Three.
Mercenaries fell instantly.
Elisa watched in shock.
No wonder he was one of the Seven Kings.
He was unbelievably strong.
Then something caught her attention.
Raphael.
He wasn’t fighting.
He was staring at the silver pendant.
The pendant was glowing again.
Brightly.
“What are you doing?” Elisa shouted.
Raphael looked confused.
“I don’t know!”
The pendant suddenly floated into the air.
Everyone froze.
Even the mercenaries.
Silver light exploded from the pendant.
Words appeared around Raphael.
Ancient words.
Glowing words.
Nobody could read them.
But everyone could feel their power.
A massive silver barrier appeared around the group.
BOOM!
Arrows struck it and shattered.
BOOM!
Axes bounced away.
BOOM!
Magic attacks disappeared.
Nothing could pass through.
Silence fell across the battlefield.
The mercenaries stared.
The messenger stared.
Even Adrian looked surprised.
Raphael looked the most surprised of all.
“What did I do?”
Nobody answered.
Because nobody knew.
The silver barrier expanded.
Larger.
Stronger.
Brighter.
The glowing words finally became clear.
THE SHIELDED ONE.
The title echoed across the forest.
The mercenary leader stepped backward.
Fear filled his face.
“Impossible.”
Raphael pointed at himself.
“Me?”
The title remained above him.
THE GUARDIAN OF THE HEIR.
Elisa’s eyes widened.
The prophecy.
The hidden man beside her.
The Oracle’s warning.
It was true.
Raphael wasn’t ordinary.
Not at all.
The silver barrier exploded outward.
A wave of energy swept through the forest.
Mercenaries were thrown into trees.
Weapons flew from hands.
The battle ended instantly.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Finally Lily broke the silence.
“So.”
Everyone looked at her.
“My sister is a lost princess.”
She pointed at Raphael.
“And her boyfriend is magical.”
She shook her head.
“I officially have the most interesting family in Valoria.”
Rose sighed.
“Now is not the time.”
“It never is.”
Far away, General Varek stood atop a hill overlooking the forest.
One of his scouts knelt before him.
“My lord.”
“The Silver Heir still escapes us.”
Varek said nothing.
The scout swallowed.
“There is more.”
The giant general finally looked at him.
“What?”
The scout hesitated.
Then spoke.
“The Shielded One has awakened.”
For the first time in years, Varek’s eyes widened.
“The prophecy…”
The scout nodded.
Varek turned toward the distant forest.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
Not a pleasant smile.
A dangerous one.
“So both pieces have appeared.”
His hand tightened around the hilt of his enormous sword.
“Excellent.”
The scout looked confused.
“My lord?”
Varek mounted his horse.
“If both have awakened…”
His cold eyes focused on the horizon.
“Then the throne war is closer than anyone imagined.”
Back in the forest, the group resumed their journey.
But everything had changed.
Elisa wasn’t the only mystery anymore.
Now Raphael carried a prophecy of his own.
And somewhere ahead lay the capital.
A city filled with kings, secrets, and enemies.
As night fell, neither Elisa nor Raphael noticed the shadow watching them from the trees.
Red eyes glowed briefly in the darkness.
Then vanished.
A new player had entered the game.