Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

D eath draws near as darkness bleeds across the Sidus town. It crawls between the derelict buildings below me, in the small alleyways in between, and casts its shadows along the high wall that surrounds the entire kingdom of Findias.

My eyes scan the town below as the Sidus move about quickly, making their way home before the Caligo guards start their nightly patrol.

The Caligo's ability to wield shadows is what most likely gave them their position as the kingdom's guard. A position that allows them too much power over the Sidus. And even though the Sidus have their own abilities to cast light, it does not stand a chance against the Caligo guards and their abilities.

I glance over at the high wall of the kingdom and the Caligo guards who walk along it. Beyond the wall beside the Sidus town stands the dark forest, a thick expanse of wild woodland and the monstrous creatures that now reside there.

Creatures that should not exist.

The entire kingdom is a huge island that is surrounded by a sea as black as the darkest night. Nothing should be able to pass through it, not only because of the treacherous dark waters that bring about death but also because of the shield. A huge translucent barrier that was erected centuries before I was born and stands behind the high wall, keeping all those in the kingdom safe.

The last few years, it has grown to an inky, shadowed darkness at its base, tainting its very existence. But the only ones to suffer are the Sidus, whereas the Caligo sit high in the mountains near the palace.

As the shield gets higher, it curves similar to a dome and is almost translucent, matching the color of the sky with nothing but the rain and sun from the heavens above getting in or out.

There is no way to pass through it. No way out of this cage we all live in. Even the Caligo's ability to move through the void of shadows and travel to another place is blocked by it.

It keeps us caged and closed off from the rest of the world. But even with its growing tainted base, it has always protected us from the dark forest and anything beyond it.

Or at least… that is what it used to do.

The cold, hard rooftop beneath me digs into my knees as I silently wait, watching for that wisp of shadows that is sure to materialize soon. A warm breeze flutters by me, slightly lifting my dark hooded cloak from my face, revealing a stray strand of long blonde hair. I quickly pull it back in place, concealing myself, as my eyes continue to watch the spot at the edge of the Sidus town near the wall.

Not many visit this spot anymore. Not where the now darkened forest bleeds its taint up and along the wall, with wild overgrown black forestry now seeping inward. The tall, twisted black trees lean forward, breaking it open and growing through the thick stone and outward into a huge shroud of dark thorny bushes.

The shield's tainted base grows month by month, but as no harm is befalling the Caligo, it is only seen as something harmless.

The Sidus have not been so fortunate. Not with the tainted shield and its darkness, nor the threat that is now killing them.

Nothing should be able to make it past the shield, even with its dark taint. But what is more mysterious is that the weakening shield is never in the same spot. The creatures have been showing up in different places all over the edges of the Sidus town where the wall is at its weakest. It is a mystery we have yet to solve.

The Caligo guards constantly miss the threat that is right in front of them.

But I can no longer sit around and watch as these creatures bring death upon their arrival. If my mother knew I was secretly joining their fight, she would be furious. But the small group of Sidus that tries to protect the entire town is not enough.

Two nights, both with too many lives lost. Tonight will not be their third. I will make sure of it.

I know it is only a matter of time before they show up again. I just need to wait and watch.

Around me, sound from the busy kingdom disappears. I slow my heart rate, solely focusing on the edge of the wall where the large patch of seeping dark forest sits. A couple of minutes pass before I feel a pull beside a cluster of shadowed trees.

Good . The dark trees and shrouded bushes will give me cover for what I'm about to do.

I zero in on the spot. Waiting and watching for what I know will arrive.

There .

Wisps of dark smoke start to cluster together, trying to form. Then another and another.

Closing my eyes, I call upon my own darkness and pull myself into the abyss of the void. A rush of cool ice enters my blood as I pass through it and emerge just as the tall, thick bodies of three dark creatures form.

Not giving them another second, I unhook my daggers from my side and head for the nearest one to my left. Just as its black arm forms, I slice my dagger down it, cutting it right off. It hits the ground, slowly turning to shadows before disappearing completely. The injured creature does not make a sound or act wounded. It is as if it does not feel or understand pain.

Whipping around, I slam my other dagger into the second dark creature's chest. Twisting, I spin back, narrowly avoiding a claw to the face from the third.

Though I have harmed them, the killing blow needs to be to their head. Even if I have to effectively remove it with my blade. But until the shadows fully form there, I won't be able to act.

For now, I get to toy with them, spot their weaknesses and strengths, and learn for myself instead of what has been told to me.

The creatures are silent; no sound comes from their sharp, smoky jaws as they form, which works in my favor. They will not give away my presence to the Caligo guards. And although I'm grateful for their absence of sound, their silence is dangerous. They have used it to kill under the cover of night, leaving no trace behind of what or who the culprit is.

Another thing the Caligo guards use against us.

They don't believe the Sidus, only seeing us as distrustful and liars. I doubt they would believe us even if one of these creatures stood before them.

The dark creatures' assessing eyes could easily blend in with the rest of their bodies, if not for the red tinge that bleeds around them. I feel their darkness as it reaches out to mine, searching for an answer they will not find.

Movement from the wall forces me to change my tactic of discovering more about them and their weaknesses.

A sigh escapes my lips. I am disappointed I will have to make this quick. Delaying their inevitable fates will not help my own if I am caught.

With their heads now fully formed, I pull my darkness around me, becoming part of the shadows themselves. Appearing beside a creature, I shove a dagger into the side of its head before quickly yanking it out. Moving through the shadows, I emerge on the other side of the creature just as a claw slashes across my stomach, making me gasp from the sharp sting.

Gritting my teeth, I let go, letting years of training take over. My mother trained me for this; I just need to let my muscle memory repeat what it has been taught.

I slam my daggers into the creature's head before twisting and pulling it out. It drops to the ground, dead, before slowly disappearing in wisps of black smoke.

Two down, one to go.

I turn to the third just as it's about to grab me. I let my arm and dagger become shadows and watch its claw pass right through it before becoming whole again.

Ducking out of the path of its second claw, I grab both daggers and thrust them up through the creature's jaw, and the tips come out through the top of its head.

Yanking them out, I watch the creature drop to the ground. Its heavy thump and the sound of my breathing are the only things breaking the silence around me.

Glancing over at the guards, I turn back and watch as the creatures take too long to disappear. Placing my daggers back at my sides, I reach out and pull the creatures into the void with me and emerge closer to the shadows at the edge of the wall and dark forest. Using the shadows to conceal us, I wait until they have completely disappeared before moving.

Glancing around once more, I make sure there is no evidence left of the fight. The quick movement sends a sharp burn across my stomach. A hiss escapes my lips as I put pressure on the wound before glancing over at the guards as they laugh at something.

There was no need for me to worry about being seen, as not once did they glance over at the tainted wall. No, to them, the only danger is the Sidus. It doesn't matter that the Caligo are more powerful, their dark shadows snuffing out even the strongest light from a Sidus.

When the new royals entered their ruling over a decade ago, people born with powers of light were cast aside and seen as the enemy. While the Caligo, people born with power from the shadows, were thrust into positions of high authority, giving them control over the Sidus.

Overnight, a kingdom once full of peace and promise became broken and divided, full of fear and distrust. While the Caligo sit in their houses of grandeur atop the mountains near the palace, with jobs that pay well beyond their needs, the Sidus scrape by below, surviving day to day in structures that could barely be called a home.

I never knew the old king before he passed, but I have heard a great many things about him. He ruled with compassion and kindness. His verdict was always fair. No sides were chosen, and all those in the kingdom were treated as equals.

Once he passed, his three sons decided to rule as one. But they are his complete opposite. They seem to rule with fear and resentment for the Sidus. And although they are neither Caligo nor Sidus but something more, as all royals are, they trust only the cruel Caligo guards to be by their sides.

The Sidus have no say and no power when it comes to the Caligo guards and the royals. The guards have twisted the position they have been given and have used it to their advantage, taking what they want at their choosing. And anyone who dares stand up to them is promised a swift death.

I glance around once more before pulling myself into the void and focus on returning home, emerging from the shadows into a familiar small jagged alley.

Keeping my head down and covered but my eyes watchful, I make my way past the neglected paths and shabby shacks that house the Sidus people. My stomach sinks at how dilapidated some of them are. Most Sidus can no longer afford the luxury a solid roof provides and have been using dirt and cloth to cover them.

Many will move on once the harder seasons arrive, to the other side of the town, where the shadows are not so harsh. Some before, if the guards are feeling bored and want something to amuse them.

I push down the quiet rage building inside me. I know it will do no good to lose my temper. The guards have no compassion, and their judgment is swift.

If I had been caught for what I just did, I would join the prisoners in the palace before an execution the next day. It would not matter that I might have saved lives. The Caligo guards would have never believed me. They only crave power, and anyone who dares defy them and who cannot be controlled should be eliminated.

They can never know what I did or what I am, as my life is worth nothing but death.