Here is Chapter 8 – The Continent, written
Morning came slowly.
Kael woke to the sound of flowing water.
For a moment, he didn't remember where he was. His body felt heavy and sore, and his clothes were still damp from the river.
Then the memories returned.
The burning village.
The Highland soldiers.
The hidden sanctuary.
And his father's final words.
Kael sat up slowly on the riverbank. The cold air of the forest brushed against his skin, and sunlight filtered through the tall trees above.
He had survived the night.
But he was completely alone.
Kael stood and looked around. The forest stretched in every direction, thick with ancient trees and tangled vines. The river that had carried him here flowed quietly behind him.
Far above the clouds, he could see the floating Highlands glowing faintly in the sky.
They looked peaceful.
Beautiful.
But Kael knew the truth now.
"They're watching everything," he murmured.
He clenched his fists.
The memory of his father's death burned in his mind.
But anger alone would not help him survive.
He needed to understand the world beyond his village.
Kael began walking through the forest, following a narrow path that animals seemed to have carved over time.
As he walked, he tried to remember everything his father had ever told him about the world.
The world was divided into two great regions.
The Highlands.
And the Lowlands.
The Highlands were floating continents in the sky, held up by ancient magical pillars. Only nobles, soldiers, and powerful magicians lived there.
The rulers of the Highlands controlled everything.
Food.
Trade.
Magic.
Even the truth.
Below them lay the vast lands of the Lowlands.
A massive continent where ordinary people lived and worked.
Farmers.
Miners.
Merchants.
Villages and cities stretched across the land, but all of them were forced to send resources to the Highlands above.
Kael had spent his entire life in a small farming village.
Until last night.
Now he was part of something much bigger.
"The continent…" Kael whispered.
His father had once shown him an old map.
The Lowlands were enormous.
Several kingdoms existed across the land, but none of them were strong enough to challenge the power of the floating Highlands.
At least, not openly.
But Kael now knew something most people didn't.
The Highlands were built on lies.
The dragons were gone.
The magicians had erased them long ago.
Which meant the rulers of the Highlands had been deceiving the entire continent.
Kael stopped walking as a thought crossed his mind.
"If my father was one of the hundred magicians…"
He looked down at the silver pendant hanging from his neck.
"…then others must still be alive."
The spirit in the sanctuary had said the same thing.
Somewhere in the Lowlands, survivors still existed.
People who knew the truth.
People who could fight back.
Suddenly—
A distant sound broke the silence.
Clang.
Clang.
Metal.
Kael froze.
The sound was coming from deeper in the forest.
He quickly crouched behind a large tree and listened carefully.
Voices followed the sound.
Human voices.
"…search the forest."
"They said the boy escaped this way."
Kael's heart dropped.
Highland soldiers.
They were already searching the area.
Kael slowly peeked through the trees.
In the distance, he saw three soldiers moving through the forest. Their armor gleamed under the sunlight.
One of them carried a long spear.
Another had a bow.
"They're not giving up," Kael whispered.
He needed to leave this area quickly.
But before he could move—
A branch snapped behind him.
Kael spun around instantly.
Someone stood only a few steps away.
A girl.
She looked about the same age as Kael, maybe a year older. Her dark hair was tied behind her head, and she wore simple travel clothes.
But what caught Kael's attention was the weapon in her hand.
A dagger.
She held it calmly, pointing straight at his chest.
Her sharp eyes studied him carefully.
"You shouldn't move," she said quietly.
Kael slowly raised his hands.
"I'm not your enemy."
The girl glanced toward the soldiers in the distance.
"Those men are looking for someone."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Is that someone you?"
Kael hesitated.
Then he nodded.
The girl sighed softly.
"You're in serious trouble."
Kael looked confused.
"Why?"
She tilted her head toward the soldiers.
"Because those aren't normal Highland soldiers."
Kael frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The girl's voice grew serious.
"They're hunters."
Kael felt a chill run down his spine.
Hunters.
Elite trackers sent by the Highlands to eliminate dangerous targets.
If they had been sent after him…
Then the Highlands already knew how important he was.
The girl stepped closer.
Her dagger still ready.
"So tell me the truth," she said.
"Why is the Highlands hunting you?"
Kael looked at the floating cities far above the clouds.
Then he spoke quietly.
"Because they're lying to the entire continent."
The girl's eyes widened slightly.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then slowly…
A small flame appeared in her other hand.
Magic.
She looked back at Kael.
"Interesting," she said.
"Because I've been waiting to meet someone like you."
Kael stared at the fire in her hand.
Another magician.
Maybe the first ally he had found.
But something in her expression made him uneasy.
Because she was smiling.
And not in a friendly way.
"Let's see," she said softly.
"…if you're strong enough to survive what's coming next."