Kageyama started his day like he usually did. He woke with the sun, he packed his belongings, and he hid from the people who were trying to kill him.

Horses whinnied in the distance, and battle cries echoed through the forest. Stray rocks drifted from the ceiling of the cave – the shelter that had protected him for the past three weeks – as heavy footsteps rumbled over his head.

It'll be fine, Kageyama told himself. They won't find me. I'll be fine.

But even then, he knew that he was just kidding himself. There was no way that he – a fifteen-year-old boy – could evade the armies of the Four Kingdoms.

Although a tangled mess of roots hid the cave from view, Kageyama couldn't risk being seen. He drew his meager belongings towards his chest, and shuffled away from his hideout's tiny entrance.

Metal boots thundered above the cave, and armored hands withdrew swords from sheaths. A pair of Stallions grunted as their riders paused before the cave.

Kageyama froze in fright. These were the Scouts of the Imperial Army.

'Any news?' asked a voice.

'Our hounds have discovered the boy's tracks,' replied another. 'He made a wide arc around the wood, and has headed straight towards the villages.'

'Well done, General.' answered the first. 'Send a messenger to warn the Circles about the fugitive. I'll lead the Scouts after his trail.'

Kageyama smiled with satisfaction. The Enchanted Tracks that he left worked like a charm. With any luck, they would draw the Scouts in the wrong direction. By the time the spell wore off, those idiots would be miles away from where he was hidden.

'Yes Sir,' the General sighed. 'I can't believe it. All this trouble over one little boy.'

'Don't let the criminal deceive you,' his comrade darkened. 'He's not just a boy. He's one of the strongest Necromancers that the Kingdoms have encountered. The sooner we have him in chains, the better.'

'Hyah!' The man exclaimed. He whipped his horse, and led his comrade around the woods.

Ever since the Council had issued an edict for his head, Kageyama was wrenched from the only home that he had ever known, and was forced to run for his life.

Although the Council pursued all criminals with fervor, they seemed especially determined to capture him. At first, he had no idea why he received such "special treatment", but soon enough, the answer became clear.

Kageyama was born with...peculiar abilities – abilities that labeled him as a rogue magician, and as a scourge of the Four Kingdoms.

The Imperial Armies didn't care that he was alone, nor did they care that he was a child. Instead, they focused on the damage that he had caused, and the monster that he had become.

Kageyama edged towards the cave's entrance, and shifted the curtain of vines.

The morning sun peeked over the horizon, bathing the wood with hues of pink and gold. A scatter of trees stood before the cave, and extended into the forest.

I have to move before they get back, he thought. Now's my chance to run.

Kageyama knew that it was risky to travel during the day. Imperial Scouts were stationed everywhere, and every Circle was on high alert. It was almost impossible to navigate through the kingdoms without being detected.

I could always travel during the night, he pondered.

Kageyama shook his head, and banished the thought. It was far more dangerous to travel during the night. His path could barely be seen, there were predators in the woods, and there was a chance that he would run into…well.

The Imperial Scouts weren't the only ones who were after him.

Kageyama had encountered Hunters who were far more dangerous.

Kageyama pulled his rucksack onto his back, and crawled through the vines. He used a stray branch to sweep his tracks from the ground.

As the last of his footprints disappeared from the dirt, he wondered what his life had become. Was he doomed to run from shelter to shelter, and to hide from hunters who would eventually find and kill him? It would've been much easier for him to give up.

The faces of an elderly couple appeared in his mind, and he thought of home...

Stop it, Kageyama chided himself. You can never go back. Your only option is to move forward.

Kageyama waved his hands over his shoes, and muttered, 'Conceal.'

His shadow pulsed with purple light, and rippled under his body. Like a stream of dark water, the shadow inched towards his sandals, and gradually crept over his skin.

Kageyama's shoes disappeared beneath the shade, and the Symbol of Concealment glowed above his feet. The symbol dissipated, and his shadow parted, moments after the spell had been cast.

Kageyama stepped against the floor, and left deep footprints in the dirt. Just as quickly as the footprints appeared, mounds of soil gathered into the marks that he made, and erased his tracks from the ground.

Kageyama scanned the perimeter, and contemplated the best path for him to take. If his fake trail headed around the forest, he knew that his best option was to go through the trees.

The teenager crept through the cave's entrance, and rushed into the wood.


By the time the sun had set, Kageyama had constructed a makeshift shelter on top of an aged tree. He fashioned several stray branches into a wooden platform, and nestled his shelter between a pair of sturdy branches.

His hiding place provided him with a stunning view of the woods. A cluster of trees stood inches below his shelter, and scattered openings in its canopy gave him a decent view of the ground. The woods extended towards the horizon, and ended at the ocean – a dark expanse of water.

An orange glow flickered in the distance, and the distant sound of music echoed through the trees. Kageyama guessed that a Circle was close by, and made a mental note to avoid it at all costs.

Kageyama pillowed his head against his rucksack, and looked towards the sky. The Blood Moon hung in the gloom, and bathed the clouds in an eerie red light.

The last time he stared up at the night sky, a crescent moon marked the beginning of a new year. He remembered how Pa enchanted a set of Fireworks, and how Ma cast Floating Lanterns to celebrate the occasion.

That was the night that he became an orphan.

SCREECH!

Kageyama's thoughts were interrupted as a demonic cry echoed through the night. He felt a chill run down his spine, as he realized that it had sounded close by.

The shriek was followed by a succession of unearthly cries. Against his better judgment, Kageyama crept towards the edge of his shelter, and strained to see what was happening on the ground.

Lithe bodies darted through the trees, moving too fast for the human eye to see. Massive figures travelled behind them, barreling with footsteps that shook the forest floor.

These creatures aren't a part of the Imperial Army, Kageyama presumed. Some of them seemed too light to be stallions, whilst others were too heavy to be Scouts.

Kageyama's blood froze in his veins, and he came to a terrifying conclusion:

He had been found by them.

A demonic rasp echoed from below his tree: 'Akaris Tunabo Kalexi –'

Kageyama's head erupted with pain, as a voice echoed inside his mind: '– the child. I sense that he is close.'

Shortly after the Imperial Scouts had labelled Kageyama as a fugitive, these creatures had been after him. Although he had no idea why these beasts were hunting him, their Dark Magic and malicious auras implied that they weren't friendly.

Although Kageyama had used all kinds of Charms to conceal his tracks, his spells were useless against these creatures. Their senses were heightened, their instincts were stronger, and their impulse was far deadlier than that of a regular Caster.

'The boy – I can feel his presence,' the creatures hissed from below. 'I can smell his fear.'

Kageyama closed his eyes, and pressed his palms against his ears. He remained still, not daring to move a muscle, as a group of creatures halted below his hiding place.

'He hides,' the demons rasped.

'He hides, but not for long…'

Silence drifted through the wood.

Kageyama cracked his eyes opened, and very slowly, he lifted his hands from his ears. He turned his head, and strained to see the ground.

The boy stared towards the base of the tree. There were no creatures in sight.

Kageyama exhaled, and didn't realise that he had been holding his breath.

Kageyama devised a plan to escape, and scraped his sandals across the wooden platform…

Crash!

The platform's fragile surface shattered into pieces.

As its branches splintered and separated, Kageyama bolted from the pointed claw that crashed through the wood.

'The boy!' The demon's head appeared in the crevice it created. 'Behold, my brothers! I have found our prey!'

Kageyama shuffled onto the nearest branch as the last of his shelter was destroyed. The demon inched its body into the nook of the tree, leaving room for its "brothers" to emerge from below.

'Come, child,' screeched its companion, 'Come and meet your fate!'

Nice try, thought Kageyama. But no.

Although Kageyama knew that these Hunters were on his trail, he had not been able to see one up close. Their jagged teeth were as sharp as their claws, and their mouths were permanently twisted into disfigured grins. Tendrils of Dark Magic steamed from their bodies, and their glowing eyes reflected Kageyama's horrified expression.

The creatures spilled out of the crevice, and crawled onto the branch. They advanced towards him with outstretched arms.

This is it, Tobio. Kageyama panicked. You can choose to fall, or you can choose to fight. What will it be?

One of the monsters made a wild grasp at him, and wrapped its talons around his leg.

Kageyama's instincts immediately kicked in, and enchanted wisps of smoke surged around his fingertips.

The shadows on the giant tree rippled with Dark Magic. Like a shower of bullets, they flew from their branches, and into his open palm.

'Burn!' Kageyama commanded, as a glowing symbol appeared over his hands.

The shadows converged within Kageyama's palm, and transformed into a ball of fire. With all the strength that he could muster, he advanced towards the nearest creature, and plunged his hand into its forearm.

The monster's skin began to steam, and it drew back with a petrified shriek. The creature stumbled backwards, and with an unceremonious misstep, fell screaming off the tree.

Its companions exchanged curious stares, as if to say: "What just happened?"

It didn't take them long for them to overcome their shock, and to turn their attention to Kageyama. He wasn't surprised that they looked angrier than they did before.

Wisps of Dark Magic were retained in Kageyama's palm. He clenched his fist, mustered his strength, and prepared himself for another attack.

In one swift motion, the demons flew onto the tree, and ricocheted towards their prey.

With his eyes trained on the beasts, Kageyama summoned another round of shadows, and formed another orb of flames.

'You can either Fall or Fight,' his thoughts reminded. 'What'll it be?'

As he launched the orb towards the beasts, a single intention drifted through his mind:

'I choose to fight.'