Aiden walked through the narrow streets, hands stuffed into his worn-out coat pockets. The rejection still stung in his chest, each step feeling heavier than the st. Worthless. That’s what Lord Veymar had called him. A failure.

  His mind kept repying those words, each one like a bde, cutting deeper with every passing moment. He should have been stronger. He should have done better. But no one wanted him. Not as a Protector. Not as anything.

  As he wandered, the sounds of the bustling vilge began to fade, swallowed by the darkness. He was lost in his thoughts when something caught his eye.

  A man, slouched against the tavern's stone wall. A bottle dangled from his hand, his eyes half-lidded and unfocused. The man had a strong aura, despite his drunken stupor.

  Aiden slowed down, studying him. His posture was zy, but the way his fingers gripped the bottle hinted at strength—raw, untapped power.

  Who is this guy?

  Before Aiden could move on, the man’s head tilted up slightly, his eyes locking onto Aiden. The man’s lips curled into a drunken smirk.

  “Hey, kid,” the man slurred, “you look lost. You come to the wrong part of town?”

  Aiden frowned. “I’m fine,” he muttered, continuing to walk. He didn’t need any more distractions.

  But then, without warning, a rustling sound echoed from a nearby alley.

  Aiden stopped in his tracks. Something was moving—something fast. And then, a shadow lunged at him.

  A massive, cwed hand reached out from the darkness, sshing through the air like lightning. Aiden barely had time to react as the monster's foul breath hit his face.

  He stumbled back, his heart racing, panic flooding his chest.

  I can’t fight this.

  The creature was huge—twice Aiden’s size, with jagged scales that seemed to shimmer in the moonlight. Its eyes glowed with hunger.

  Aiden’s hands trembled as he reached for anything to defend himself, but there was nothing.

  The monster's cws shot forward, aiming for Aiden's throat. He ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding the fatal strike.

  But then, before Aiden could make another move, there was a blur of motion.