Meeting with the past

Act 1: The Sins of the Father

Kai Tarnel stood on the edge of the cliff, looking at the endless forests stretching to the horizon. The morning turned out to be cold, and a light fog crept over the ground, covering everything around with a transparent veil. The wind ruffled his dark hair and stirred his worn traveling cloak, in which the dust of numerous roads had firmly settled.

Kai was the same as the thousands of wanderers who can be found on the highway: thin, with sharp features and eyes too tired for his age. But anyone who looked more closely would have noticed a thin scar running from temple to chin, and a heavy look in which anxiety was hidden — the anxiety of a man on whom much more depends than he would like to admit.

He had long ago learned not to rely on fate. At the age of seventeen, he lost everything: home, family, dreams of a simple future. His father, a former commander of the Royal Guard, was accused of treason and executed in front of a crowd. For Kai, it was not just a blow — his name became a curse. Now he was the "son of a traitor," and they didn't trust him in any village, no matter how hard he tried to start from scratch.

Today he was on the road again—to a place he didn't know himself yet. There were lands around him that his father had never set foot on. No one knew him here, and it was the best he could afford.

Kai turned to his companion, an old mare named Shadow. Her dark skin glistened with morning dew. He slapped the horse's neck and muttered softly,

"Come on, old one, a little more, and we'll find a place to sleep."

The horse snorted as if in agreement. Kai smiled: at least she wouldn't leave him, unlike humans.

Suddenly, the wind carried a strange sound to him. It was a low whisper, thin and piercing, as if the forest itself was calling his name. Kai froze, listening. It seemed that someone had awakened in the fog - something old and unkind. He could feel it on his skin: the same itch in the back of his head that always warned him of danger.

The next moment, he drew his sword. The blade, worn and having seen better days, left its scabbard with a soft clink.

"Who's here?" Kai called out, peering into the fog.

Silence. Only the rustle of leaves and the faint cawing of a raven somewhere in the distance.

He took a step forward, and suddenly a figure came out from behind the trees - a tall man in a gray raincoat, with his face hidden under a hood. The stranger stopped at the edge of the clearing and tilted his head as if studying Kai.

"Are you looking for a place to hide from the past?" A deep, hoarse voice rang out.

"And if it is? Who are you?" Kai tightened his grip on the sword.

"Someone who knows your way. And if you're willing to listen, I can show you the truth about your father's sins."

Kai tensed up. He wanted to say that he didn't care about the past, that he had long ago chosen the path of loneliness. But the words died on his lips.

"What do you know about your father?" He asked dully.

The man just smiled, and amber eyes flashed under his hood — too bright for an ordinary person.

"More than you know. If you want to survive, you'll have to understand that his **** is just the beginning. And for you, and for the whole kingdom."

With that, he turned and started to leave, but before disappearing into the fog, he threw over his shoulder:

"If you want to know the truth, Kai Tarnel, come to the ruins of the Meir monastery before sunset. You don't have much time."

Kai stood clutching his sword to his chest until the figure disappeared among the trees. Then he swore softly. He was always told that there was no escape from the past. But he never thought that it would find him like this—in a cold forest, on the edge of the world.