Threads of Oblivion

special chapter : unlikely meeting

Opening scene

The air was thick with the scent of smoke and decay as Caelum moved through the ruined landscape. The war had ended fifteen years ago, but its scars were etched deeply into the world. Caelum had once been a boy who believed in dreams, but that boy had died long ago. The remnants of his past lingered like ghosts, taunting him at every turn. He was no longer a child, but the shadows of the Nox Institute still haunted him.

He had learned to walk alone, to trust nothing and no one. But today, something-someone-had changed that.
As Caelum walked through the forest's edge, he heard the unmistakable sound of laughter- cruel, mocking, and loud. It wasn't the type of laughter that came from joy. It was the kind that came from torment.

Ahead of him, a group of bandits was gathered around a small fire. At their feet, a child-no older than ten-lay sprawled on the ground, bruised, bloodied, and barely conscious. One of the bandits, a tall, grim-faced man with a scar running across his cheek, kicked the boy in the ribs, sending him tumbling into the dirt with a sickening thud.

"Get up, you little runt," the bandit snarled, a twisted smile curling on his lips. "If you're going to die, at least die standing."
The boy whimpered, but didn't move. His eyes, wide with terror, were locked onto the bandits, but he was too weak to fight back.

"Pathetic," another bandit sneered, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "I'm bored. Let's make it interesting."

Without warning, the bandit reached down and grabbed the boy by his arm, pulling him roughly to his feet. "I'm done playing with you. Just end it already."

The other bandits chuckled, their voices filled with twisted amusement as they watched. One of them casually drew a knife, a dull, rusted blade that seemed to have seen far too many lives taken.

The child's pleading was barely a whisper, but it was enough to break something in Caelum.

Before the bandits could do more, Caelum's hand shot to his sword, his movements swift and silent. He approached with a quiet rage, barely making a sound in the thick brush.

The bandit with the knife raised it high, aiming for the child's neck. "I told you, I'm bored."

The boy shut his eyes, bracing for the end. He had given up.

Then, just before the knife could fall, Caelum was upon them.
In one fluid motion, Caelum unsheathed his blade, his strike precise and unforgiving. The bandit's arm fell to the ground with a thud, the knife clattering uselessly away. Blood sprayed from the severed limb as the bandit's scream was cut short.

The others barely had time to react.

Caelum's sword moved like a shadow, faster than they could follow. One bandit crumpled to the ground, the life drained from him in an instant. Another attempted to flee, but Caelum's blade pierced his back before he could take a step.

The last bandit-who had been watching in stunned silence-was trembling as he looked at Caelum, his hands raised in surrender. "Wait... please... I didn't mean to... I just..."
Caelum's gaze was cold as he walked toward the last bandit, the weight of his sword heavy in his grip. He didn't waste words. With a swift motion, he silenced the bandit forever, the man's body hitting the dirt without a sound.

Caelum wiped his blade clean on the grass and sheathed it. He turned his attention to the boy, who was trembling in the dirt, wide-eyed and frozen in place. The child's eyes flickered up, his face a mixture of confusion and terror, not understanding why his tormentors had suddenly vanished from his life.