Ronan stood still, his mind racing. The world seemed to close in around him, and every word Kaelen spoke felt like a weight pressing against his chest. The fire crackled between them, the only sound breaking the heavy silence that had settled over the clearing.
"You're lying," Ronan said, though his voice trembled slightly. He wanted to believe that Kaelen's words were nothing more than the ramblings of a madman, but deep inside, a gnawing doubt began to creep in. The bond he shared with Doomfang, the wyvern that had saved him and given him power—it felt too real to dismiss.
Kaelen's amber eyes gleamed with amusement. "Lying? No. Everything I've said is truth, though truth is often more painful than the lie. You think you control Doomfang, but I can see it in you—you're already losing yourself to him."
Ronan's heart skipped a beat. The doubt in his chest bloomed into something darker, more ominous. He could feel it—the wyvern's presence stirring just beneath his skin, pushing at the edges of his mind. Was Kaelen right? Was he already slipping into the abyss of power that came with the bond?
"Enough of this," Ronan said, trying to force the unease out of his mind. "What do you want from me?"
Kaelen tilted his head, considering Ronan for a long moment. "What do I want? Ah, Forsaken, I want to see how far you will fall. You're already marked, whether you accept it or not. But what you choose to do with that mark—that is where the true power lies."
Ronan's fists clenched at his sides. He wanted to argue, to deny everything Kaelen was suggesting, but the unease in his gut wouldn't go away. He couldn't shake the feeling that Kaelen was right, that the bond between him and Doomfang was more than just a simple partnership—it was a chain that he couldn't break, no matter how hard he tried.
You must embrace your fate, Forsaken. It is the only way to survive, Doomfang's voice echoed in his mind, the words heavy and commanding.
Ronan shook his head, trying to push the wyvern's influence aside. He had always prided himself on his independence, on being able to stand on his own. But now, with Doomfang whispering in his mind, it felt like his every move was being directed by an unseen hand.
"What do you mean by a mark?" Ronan asked, his voice tight with suspicion. "What are you trying to tell me?"
Kaelen smiled, a dark, knowing smile that sent a chill down Ronan's spine. "The mark of the Forsaken, of course. It's the bond between man and beast, yes, but it's also a mark of power—one that draws the attention of those who seek to control it. Do you think you're the only one who's ever made such a bond? You are just a small player in a game much larger than you realize."
The words hung in the air, thick with menace. Ronan's throat tightened, his body instinctively stepping back, though he couldn't explain why. He wanted to run, to escape the strange pull of Kaelen's presence, but his legs felt rooted to the ground. Doomfang's presence surged inside him, pushing him forward, urging him to face whatever this man was offering.
"You're just like the others," Kaelen continued, his voice low and almost comforting. "You think you can control what you've been given. But the truth is, you're no different from the monsters you're bound to. You're both creatures of instinct, of hunger, of survival. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can truly begin to control your destiny."
Kaelen stepped closer, his movements slow and deliberate. "But be warned, Forsaken. There are others who have the same bond as you, and they won't be as merciful as I am. They will seek to use you, to bend you to their will. And they won't hesitate to destroy you if you refuse."
Ronan's heart pounded in his chest. Others? The word echoed in his mind, a warning that cut through the fog of confusion.
"Who are they?" Ronan demanded, the question spilling out before he could stop himself. "What do they want from me?"
Kaelen's eyes glimmered with something dark, something ancient. "They want what every predator wants—to consume. Power is a currency, Forsaken. Those who control the power of beasts like Doomfang will stop at nothing to claim more. And you, my friend, are a key to something far larger than you can imagine."
The tension in the air thickened, the firelight flickering as if it too were afraid of the shadows that gathered at the edges of the clearing. Ronan felt a shiver run down his spine, his grip tightening around the dagger as Kaelen's words sank deeper into his soul.
"You are marked now," Kaelen said softly, almost pityingly. "And there is no escape from the path that's been set before you."
Ronan didn't know what to say. His mind was spinning, his thoughts tangled in the web of Kaelen's words. He wanted to argue, to fight back against the ominous weight of what was happening to him, but he couldn't find the strength. The wyvern's influence was undeniable now, stronger than ever.
We are one, Forsaken. You cannot escape this bond. You belong to me, and I to you.
The wyvern's voice was cold, but it wasn't threatening. It was a statement of fact, and in that moment, Ronan knew there was no turning back.
"You will either bend the world to your will," Kaelen continued, his voice now a whisper in the wind, "or the world will break you. That is the fate of all who are marked by the beasts."
Ronan stood frozen, the firelight flickering against the growing shadows. He didn't know what to do, where to go, or even who to trust. He had been thrust into this dark game, and now, he was the pawn.
But deep inside, something else stirred—a fierce, stubborn resolve that refused to be crushed by Kaelen's words, by the bond with Doomfang, or by the overwhelming weight of fate. He didn't know how to survive this, but one thing was certain: he would not be a puppet in someone else's game.
I will find my own path, Ronan thought, his mind firming with determination.
Kaelen's eyes narrowed as if sensing the shift in Ronan's resolve. "You may try to defy it," he said, his tone darkly amused. "But in the end, the world has a way of bending all things to its will."
The man turned and began to fade into the darkness, leaving Ronan alone with his thoughts—and the weight of the future pressing heavily on his shoulders.
Ronan watched Kaelen disappear into the night, his heart heavy with uncertainty. He didn't know what lay ahead, but one thing was clear: his journey had only just begun.