Four months. That's how long I'd been in this godforsaken forest, surviving, hunting, evolving. Four months of turning myself from an abandoned child into something far more dangerous. But the forest had taught me everything it could. If I wanted to continue growing stronger, if I wanted the tools I needed for my revenge, I had to leave.

  I stood at the edge of the Thornwood Forest, staring out at the rolling hills and farmland beyond. Somewhere out there was civilization. Towns. Cities. People who could give me what I needed—whether they wanted to or not.

  The morning sun felt strange on my skin after so long under the canopy. I'd almost forgotten what it looked like, that bright bastard hanging in the sky like it had any right to shine on a world this rotten. I pulled up the hood of the cloak I'd fashioned from wolf pelts, more to hide my face than for warmth. No point in drawing attention until I understood what I was walking into.

  My body had continued to develop over these months. I looked about eight now, maybe pushing nine, but I was lean and hard in ways no pampered noble child would ever be. My hands were calloused, my movements precise and predatory. The black veins that marked my connection to dark magic had faded beneath my skin, only visible when I channeled power. Good. I could pass for normal if I needed to.

  Well, mostly normal.

  I started walking, following what looked like an old trade road. It was overgrown but still visible—people had traveled this way once, which meant they probably still did. Sure enough, after about an hour of walking, I spotted smoke rising in the distance. A village, most likely. Small, insignificant, but it would have what I needed: information, supplies, and maybe—if I was lucky—a lead on where to find a proper weapon.

  As I got closer, I could make out the details. It was a farming village, maybe thirty or forty buildings clustered around a central square. Wooden walls surrounded it, more for keeping animals in than keeping threats out. Pathetic. A single mage could level this place in minutes, and these people thought a fence would protect them.

  Then again, that's how most people lived, wasn't it? Deluding themselves into thinking they were safe, that the world was fair, that hard work and good intentions meant something. They were sheep, and they didn't even know it.

  I approached the main gate, where two guards stood looking bored out of their minds. They were young, probably barely twenty, with rusted swords and leather armor that had seen better days. The moment they saw me, though, their expressions changed.

  The first guard's hand went to his sword hilt. "Hold there, boy. Where'd you come from?"

  I stopped a few feet away, keeping my posture non-threatening. No point in causing trouble yet. "The forest. I got separated from my family's caravan. Been wandering for days."

  It was a simple lie, the kind that should have earned sympathy. Lost child, tragic circumstances, please help. But neither guard relaxed. If anything, they looked more tense.

  The second guard took a step back. "There's... something wrong with you, kid. I can feel it."

  Ah. So they could sense it. The darkness that clung to me like a second skin, the aura of death that I'd absorbed from hundreds of kills. I'd hoped it wouldn't be that obvious, but apparently, I'd underestimated how sensitive people could be to this kind of thing.

  Time to adjust my approach.

  "I don't know what you're talking about," I said, letting a tremor enter my voice. "Please, I just need food and water. I haven't eaten in—"

  "No." The first guard drew his sword fully now. "I don't care what your story is. You're not coming in here. There's something unnatural about you, and we don't need that kind of trouble."

  I felt my jaw clench. Of course. Of course these ignorant bastards would reject me on instinct, just like my family had, just like that fat priest had. It didn't matter that I was a child. It didn't matter that I'd done nothing to them. They could feel the darkness, and that was enough.

  Fine. If they wanted to see something unnatural, I'd show them exactly what they should be afraid of.

  "I'm going to give you one more chance," I said, my voice dropping the childish act entirely. "Let me in, answer some questions, and I'll be on my way. No one has to get hurt."

  The first guard actually laughed. "You threatening us, boy? You're half our size and—"

  I moved.

  My hand shot forward, and tendrils of shadow erupted from my palm, wrapping around the guard's throat before he could finish his sentence. His eyes went wide as I lifted him off the ground, his sword clattering to the dirt. The second guard tried to run, tried to shout for help, but another tendril caught him by the ankle and dragged him back.

  "Here's what's going to happen," I said calmly, walking forward as the first guard clawed uselessly at the shadows choking him. "You're going to tell me everything I want to know. And if you cooperate, I'll make this quick. If you don't..."

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  I squeezed, and the guard's face started turning purple.

  "...well, let's just say I've gotten very good at making things last."

  I released the pressure just enough for him to gasp out words. "W-what... what do you want?"

  "Information. This village—does it have a blacksmith? A merchant? Anyone who deals in weapons or magical artifacts?"

  The guard shook his head frantically. "N-no! We're just farmers! The nearest town with that kind of thing is Millhaven, two days east!"

  "Millhaven," I repeated, committing it to memory. "What else is there? Any nobles? Church presence?"

  "Millhaven has a small church and a baron who oversees the region. That's all I know, I swear!"

  I studied his face, looking for lies. Fear was pouring off him in waves, and I could feel his life force pulsing through the shadows, weak and pathetic. He was telling the truth. This village really was as insignificant as it looked.

  "One more question," I said. "The Silvertin family. You heard of them?"

  Both guards' eyes widened at that. "Everyone's heard of them," the second guard choked out from where he was pinned to the ground. "They're one of the most powerful noble families in the kingdom. Their estate is in the capital, Valdris. Why?"

  The capital. Of course they'd be in the capital, living in luxury while I'd been left to rot. The distance between here and there was probably weeks of travel, maybe more. But that was fine. I wasn't ready to face them yet anyway. I needed to get stronger first, gather resources, build my power until I was absolutely certain I could destroy them.

  "No reason," I said. "Just curious."

  Then I pulled.

  The life force drained from both guards in seconds, their bodies withering as I consumed everything they had. It wasn't much—they were weak, untrained, barely worth the effort—but every bit helped. Their equipment, though, that was more useful. I took the better of the two swords, a simple iron blade that would do until I found something better, and a coin pouch that had maybe twenty silver pieces.

  I looked at the village beyond the gate. Part of me wanted to walk in there and take everything I could, drain every person until I was bursting with power. But that would be stupid. That would draw attention, bring hunters, maybe even adventurers or knights. I wasn't ready for that kind of heat yet.

  No, I needed to be smart about this. Strategic. Take what I needed and disappear before anyone realized what had happened.

  I dragged the guards' bodies into the brush beside the road and covered them with leaves. It would buy me a few hours, maybe a day before someone found them. By then, I'd be long gone.

  As I walked away from the village, heading east toward Millhaven, I couldn't help but smile. My first real encounter with civilization since my abandonment, and it had gone exactly as I'd expected. People feared what they didn't understand, and they'd rather kill it than try to comprehend it.

  Good. Let them fear me. Let them all fear me. Because fear was just another tool, another weapon I could use to carve my path through this world.

  The road to Millhaven was better maintained than the one leading to the village. I passed other travelers—merchants with wagons, farmers heading to market, even a small group of adventurers who looked like they were coming back from some quest or another. Most of them gave me strange looks, that same unease the guards had shown, but none of them tried to stop me. A lone child on the road wasn't worth their time, apparently.

  Idiots. Every single one of them. They had no idea what was walking past them, what kind of monster wore the skin of a boy.

  By nightfall, I'd made good progress. I set up camp off the road, in a small clearing where I could see anyone approaching. I didn't bother with a fire—I didn't need the warmth anymore, and the light would just draw attention. Instead, I sat in the darkness, practicing my magic, refining my control.

  I'd been thinking about what I needed next. A weapon was priority one, obviously. But beyond that, I needed knowledge. I needed to understand this world's power structure, its politics, its weaknesses. I needed to know who my enemies were, who could be used, and who needed to be eliminated.

  And I needed to figure out exactly what my limits were. How much life force could I store? How powerful could my magic become? What would happen if I consumed something truly strong—a knight, a mage, maybe even a noble with a powerful blessing?

  The thought made my pulse quicken. There was so much potential, so much room to grow. I just needed time and opportunity.

  A sound caught my attention. Footsteps, multiple sets, trying to be quiet but failing miserably. I melted into the shadows, my hand going to the sword at my hip as I watched three figures emerge from the trees.

  Bandits, from the look of them. Rough clothes, mismatched weapons, and that desperate hungry look that came from living on the edge of survival. They were scanning the clearing, probably looking for travelers to rob.

  One of them spotted my pack. "Hey, someone's here. Fresh camp."

  "Where'd they go?" another one muttered, drawing a rusty dagger.

  I stepped out of the shadows behind them. "Right here."

  They spun around, weapons raised, and for a moment we just stared at each other. Then the leader—a scarred man with a chipped sword—started laughing.

  "A kid? We're getting robbed by a damn kid now?"

  "Not robbed," I said calmly. "Recruited. Or killed. Your choice."

  The laughter died. The leader's expression hardened. "You got a mouth on you, boy. Someone needs to teach you respect."

  He lunged forward, sword raised, and I didn't even bother drawing my blade.

  "Grasp of the Grave."

  Black hands erupted from the ground, seizing all three bandits before they could react. They screamed, thrashing against the shadowy grip, but it was useless. The hands held them fast, draining their life force slowly, deliberately.

  I walked up to the leader, watching as the color drained from his face. "Here's the thing about respect," I said quietly. "It's not given. It's taken. And right now, I'm taking everything you have."

  "W-wait," he gasped. "Please... we didn't know\... we'll leave... we'll—"

  "Too late for that."

  I pulled harder, and the screaming stopped. Three more bodies for the road, three more drops of power added to my growing reservoir. Their equipment was garbage, but they had a decent amount of coin—probably stolen from other travelers. I took it all.

  As I settled back into my camp, I felt... satisfied. Not happy, exactly. Happiness was for fools who still believed in fairy tales. But satisfied. Every encounter, every kill, every drop of stolen life brought me one step closer to my goal.

  Millhaven was less than two days away. There, I'd find a real weapon. There, I'd start gathering the resources I needed. And from there...

  From there, the real hunt would begin.

  I closed my eyes, letting the darkness wrap around me like a blanket, and dreamed of fire and blood and the look on my father's face when he realized his greatest mistake.

  "Soon," I whispered to the night. "Very soon."