Reign of Shadows

A Strange New Beginning

Kaleb awoke in a haze, his vision blurred and his body feeling strange and uncoordinated. Colors and shadows blended around him, and he struggled to make sense of his surroundings. Everything felt... wrong. His limbs wouldn't obey him, his voice came out as little more than a weak cry's, and his senses were overwhelmed by the unfamiliar sights and sounds around him.

Where am I? The thought echoed in his mind, even as he tried to understand the odd, small form his body had taken. His memories felt distant, as if they belonged to another life, yet he was aware that he had lived a different existence—a harsher, darker one. But how had he come to be here, in this helpless state he wondered ?

Kaleb's eyes adjusted, and he realized he was outside, wrapped in a thin cloth, lying on the rough ground. Around him, tall trees loomed, their leaves casting light shadows as sunlight broke through the branches. He wanted to move, to figure out where he was, but his body felt impossibly weak, as though it hadn't yet learned to function. Frustration bubbled inside him as he struggled, his tiny fists clenching with what little strength he could muster.

In the distance, he heard the sound of footsteps—a soft, hurried rhythm that grew louder as it approached. Before he could comprehend what was happening, a figure loomed over him. He was lifted gently, warm hands cradling him with a softness he hadn't known in his previous life.

The face above him was that of a woman, her eyes filled with relief and sorrow. She looked down at him as if he were precious, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

"Oh, my baby," she murmured, her voice gentle and trembling. She pulled him close, her warmth a strange comfort that soothed the confusion roiling inside him. "I thought I'd lost you forever... she cried"

Her words left him bewildered, yet somehow he found himself relaxing in her arms, his body responding to her presence. He still didn't understand what was happening or how he had ended up here, in this strange, tiny body. But the woman's embrace was gentle, her words filled with a kindness he hadn't felt before.

As she carried him away from the forest, Kaleb tried to make sense of her words. She was clearly someone important, someone who looked at him with genuine love. He wanted to speak, to ask her who she was, to find out how he had come to be here, but every attempt to communicate only came out as small, helpless cries.

They soon reached a grand building—a castle, its towers stretching high above, like something out of a fairy tale. Servants in uniforms moved aside as she passed, their faces filled with awe and concern. Kaleb noticed them whispering, fragments of their words drifting to him.

"Thank the heavens... he's been found..."

"The prince..."

Prince? Kaleb's mind spun. He couldn't be hearing that right. How could he, a boy who had known only hardship and loneliness, be a prince in this strange place? It didn't make any sense. Yet, the people around him treated him with reverence, as if he were truly someone of importance.

The woman continued to carry him through the castle halls, her steps quick and determined. They finally entered a large chamber, where a tall man stood waiting, his back turned to them. At the sound of their entrance, he turned, and Kaleb saw a mixture of relief and warmth in his eyes.

The woman held him out slightly, her voice soft yet steady as she spoke. "David... he's here. Our son."

Kaleb realized  stepped closer, his eyes filling with emotions as he looked down at him. The weight of their gazes, their relief, was overwhelming. Kaleb felt a mixed of confusion, a question that burned inside him: Why do they look at me this way? Why am I here?

The woman leaned down, her gaze softening as she stroked his cheek. "Our little Noah," she whispered, a tear slipping down her face. "You're safe now."

Noah. The name felt foreign, yet there was something comforting in the way she said it. It took him a moment to realize that she was speaking to him. His new name... was Noah.

the name suddenly clicked in his mind, as if he'd always known it. stella continued to cradle him, her words played in his heart, easing the storm of questions that had filled his mind. She looked at him as though he were the most precious thing in the world, and as she held him close, he felt a flicker of something new a sense of belonging he had never known.

In this new life, he wasn't Kaleb the outcast or the forsaken. He was Noah, the prince of a strange kingdom called Axales. His past was a distant memory, a shadow that faded as he gazed up at the faces of his new parents, a mother and father who looked at him with a love he couldn't yet understand.

As the warmth of their embrace lulled him into a peaceful sleep, his mind drifted into quiet, his last thought a mixture of wonder and disbelief.

This is my new life.