The dust had barely settled in the hidden chamber beneath Val’Haren, but the weight of what had just happened hung heavy in the air.
Argolaith, Kaelred, and Malakar stood among the shattered remnants of the Veiled Order’s underground hideout, their minds racing with the knowledge they had just uncovered.
Argolaith was not supposed to exist.
The Grand Design—a force that dictated the flow of fate itself—had no place for him.
And now, the Veiled Order wanted him erased.
Escaping the Hideout
Kaelred was the first to break the silence.
"Alright, we need to leave. Now."
Malakar smirked. "Afraid of another fight, Kaelred?"
Kaelred glared. "No, I just don’t want to be here when more of them show up."
Argolaith nodded. "He’s right. Let’s go."
They moved quickly, retracing their steps through the underground tunnels and emerging into the backstreets of Val’Haren.
The city was still bustling, unaware of the battle that had just taken place beneath their feet.
But something felt off.
The air was too still.
Malakar’s glowing eyes narrowed. "They’re watching."
Argolaith’s grip on his sword tightened. "Where?"
Malakar smirked. "Everywhere."
Kaelred exhaled sharply. "Wonderful."
But no one attacked.
Whoever remained from the Veiled Order was choosing to wait.
Watching.
Planning.
They needed to move—now.
Regrouping at the Inn
Back at the inn, Argolaith sat at the edge of his bed, running a hand through his hair.
Kaelred leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
Malakar poured himself a drink, his expression unreadable.
For a long moment, none of them spoke.
Then, Kaelred finally said what they were all thinking.
"What the hell do we do now?"
Argolaith sighed. "We need answers."
Malakar smirked. "That’s the spirit."
Kaelred scowled. "Don’t act like you know what’s going on, Malakar."
Malakar chuckled. "Oh, but I do know something. And now, I’m curious."
Argolaith’s eyes narrowed. "What do you know?"
Malakar leaned forward, his voice lowering.
"The Grand Design is not just a concept. It is a living force."
Kaelred’s face twisted in confusion. "That means nothing to me."
Malakar sighed. "It means that it does not simply predict events—it shapes them."
Argolaith stiffened. "…Like a god?"
Malakar hesitated. "More like a will. A force that ensures the world unfolds as it should."
Kaelred scoffed. "And it thinks Argolaith shouldn’t exist?"
Malakar grinned. "Apparently."
Argolaith clenched his fists. "Then what happens now? What do they do to things that shouldn’t exist?"
Malakar’s smirk faded. "…They erase them."
Silence.
Kaelred muttered, "I hate this."
Argolaith stood abruptly. "Then we change the rules."
Kaelred and Malakar looked at him.
Argolaith’s eyes burned with determination. "I refuse to be erased."
Kaelred sighed. "Of course you do."
Malakar grinned. "I was hoping you’d say that."
A New Lead
Malakar sipped his drink. "There is someone who knows more."
Kaelred raised an eyebrow. "And let me guess, they’re impossible to find?"
Malakar smirked. "Not impossible. Just… difficult."
Argolaith crossed his arms. "Who?"
Malakar leaned back. "An old acquaintance. Someone who has studied the Grand Design far longer than I have."
Kaelred scoffed. "And what’s the catch?"
Malakar chuckled. "Oh, he’s completely insane."
Argolaith sighed. "Of course he is."
Malakar’s smirk widened. "But he’s also brilliant. And if anyone can tell us how to fight fate itself… it’s him."
Kaelred pinched the bridge of his nose. "We are going to regret this."
Argolaith nodded. "Probably."
Malakar grinned. "Shall we?"
And so, with a new lead and more questions than answers, they set off—
Not just to uncover the secrets of the Grand Design—but to defy it.
The decision was made.
The answers they sought lay thousands of miles away, with Malakar’s so-called "acquaintance."
A man who knew the secrets of the Grand Design.
A man who was completely insane.
And so, they left Val’Haren before dawn, slipping out of the city under the cover of fading night.
The road ahead was long and perilous, stretching across untamed lands, through ancient ruins, and past territories ruled by creatures that hadn’t seen humans in centuries.
But if they wanted to survive—if Argolaith wanted to defy fate itself—they had no choice.
They had to go.
The Journey Begins
The first few days of travel were uneventful.
Argolaith and Kaelred took turns scouting ahead, ensuring that no bandits, war beasts, or worse lurked in the distance.
Malakar, as usual, remained annoyingly calm, moving at his own leisurely pace, occasionally disappearing into the shadows only to reappear hours later with no explanation.
Kaelred grumbled. "You could at least pretend to help."
Malakar grinned. "Ah, but then you’d grow too reliant on me."
Argolaith chuckled. "He’s got a point."
Kaelred groaned. "I hate you both."
Despite the calm start, Argolaith knew it wouldn’t last.
They were moving into uncharted lands, far beyond the reach of any kingdom, where primordial beasts still roamed and the remnants of forgotten empires lay in ruin.
It was only a matter of time before something found them.
A Predator in the Night
On the sixth night, it happened.
Argolaith was on watch, sitting by the fire, sharpening his sword.
Kaelred and Malakar slept nearby, the cold night air wrapping around them like a silent predator.
Then—the ground trembled.
Argolaith froze.
A deep, guttural breathing echoed from the darkness beyond the trees.
Slow. Steady. Massive.
His fingers tightened around his blade.
Then—a shape moved in the shadows.
A hulking, reptilian beast stepped into the firelight, its amber eyes gleaming like molten gold.
It was covered in thick, jagged scales, each one the size of a shield, its mouth lined with serrated fangs, its clawed hands capable of crushing boulders.
A War Beast.
And it was watching him.
The Battle Begins
Argolaith slowly rose to his feet, keeping his sword low.
Kaelred and Malakar were still asleep.
If he made the wrong move, they’d be dead before they could even draw their weapons.
The War Beast huffed, steam rising from its nostrils.
Then—it lunged.
Argolaith rolled aside, narrowly avoiding the massive claws that tore through the earth where he had been standing.
Kaelred jerked awake. "What the hell—?!"
Malakar’s eyes snapped open. "Oh. That’s large."
Argolaith didn’t have time to respond.
The War Beast charged again, its jaws snapping shut inches from his face.
He lashed out with his sword, slashing across its armored hide—but the blade barely cut through the thick scales.
Kaelred drew his own weapon, cursing. "We’re fighting this thing, aren’t we?"
Argolaith gritted his teeth. "If we run, it’ll hunt us down. We kill it now, or we die later."
Malakar stretched lazily. "Well, I suppose I should help."
He raised a single hand, and a dozen shadowy figures emerged from the darkness, skeletal warriors clad in black mist.
Kaelred blinked. "…Did you seriously have an undead army this entire time?"
Malakar grinned. "I like to pace myself."
Kaelred groaned. "I hate you."
A Fight for Survival
The battle was chaos.
The War Beast smashed through Malakar’s undead soldiers, sending bones flying.
Argolaith dodged beneath a swipe, countering with a precise thrust to its underbelly.
The blade pierced flesh—but barely.
Kaelred leapt onto its back, stabbing downward, trying to find a weak point.
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The War Beast roared, twisting violently, throwing Kaelred off.
Argolaith caught him midair, barely steadying him.
Kaelred groaned. "That was a terrible idea."
Argolaith grinned. "It was a fantastic idea. Just executed poorly."
Malakar sighed. "Are you two going to flirt, or are we finishing this fight?"
Kaelred scowled. "We’re not—! Never mind. Kill the damn thing."
Malakar lifted his hand.
The shadows beneath the War Beast shifted, twisting into chains that wrapped around its legs.
For the first time—it hesitated.
Argolaith saw his opening.
He activated a rune from his ring, multiplying the gravity around the beast.
It collapsed, struggling against the unseen force.
Kaelred and Argolaith moved together, striking at the same moment, driving their blades deep into its skull.
The War Beast shuddered.
Then—it was still.
Aftermath
The silence was deafening.
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Then, Kaelred collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. "I hate this."
Malakar smirked. "That was entertaining."
Argolaith wiped blood from his sword. "We’re getting stronger."
Kaelred groaned. "We’re also going to die one of these days."
Argolaith grinned. "But not today."
Malakar chuckled. "Shall we continue?"
Kaelred grumbled, pushing himself up. "Fine. But next time, we’re running."
Argolaith smirked. "Sure."
They turned toward the road once more, but with every battle, every step forward—
They were carving their own fate.
Whether the Grand Design liked it or not.
The War Beast lay dead behind them, its massive body still radiating heat from the fight.
Argolaith stared at the corpse for a long moment, his breathing still heavy, before finally sheathing his sword.
"I will put it in my storage ring for later."
Kaelred groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Tell me again why we don’t just avoid these things?"
Argolaith smirked. "Because we have terrible luck."
Malakar chuckled. "And because it’s far more entertaining this way."
Kaelred rolled his eyes. "You would say that."
They didn’t linger.
The smell of blood would attract more predators.
And they still had thousands of miles to go.