But the harmony was shattered by a jagged, desperate scream. “Thief! Stop that girl! Sentinels, to the west stalls!”
Hiraya didn’t look back. Her silver-gray hair whipped behind her like a tattered banner as she dove between the crowded stalls, her boots skidding on the cobblestones. She narrowly avoided a merchant’s display of fragile ceramics, clutching a small cloth bag against her chest. The warmth of the stolen bread inside pressed against her pounding heart. He’s overreacting, she thought, her breath hitching as she pivoted around a group of drunken revelers. It’s just a few crusts. Not even enough to feed a bird properly.
“There she is! The silver-haired rat!” a Sentinel roared from behind.
As she ran, Hiraya’s eyes darted upward. Lanterns glowed overhead like artificial stars, casting a deceptive warmth over the city’s pristine white walls and the polished armor of its guards. Perfect on the outside, she noted bitterly, her gaze catching on a beggar being shoved into a dark alley by a passing guard. But beneath the gold, this place smells of rot. With the agility of a forest cat, she slipped through a gap so narrow the armored Sentinels had no hope of following. Leading them away from the bright plazas, she wove toward the suffocating shadows of the forest path at the city’s edge. That was when she saw him.
A boy sat huddled beneath the gnarled roots of a tree, his robe so worn it looked as if it were woven from dust. He was eating a piece of bread—slowly, as if every crumb was a miracle. For a heartbeat, their eyes locked. Hiraya’s feet faltered as a strange, heavy sensation settled in her chest. The air around the boy felt different—thick, still, and charged with a silent, haunting aura. But the clank of approaching armor forced her hand. She couldn't afford a heartbeat’s delay; she tore her gaze away and vanished into the darkness of the trees.
Moments later, the Sentinels skidded to a halt in the clearing. “Damn rat,” the leader spat, wiping sweat from his brow with a metal gauntlet. “She’s like smoke.” He scanned the shadows until his eyes settled on the boy beneath the roots. His lips curled into a sneer. Striding forward, his heavy boots crushing dry leaves, he grabbed Sugat by the collar and slammed him against the rough bark of the tree.
“Where is she?” the man barked, the scent of wine and iron hot on Sugat’s face. Sugat’s jaw hung open in shock, but before he could speak, a heavy, gloved fist smashed into his cheek. “You helped her, didn’t you?” the man snarled, throwing the boy to the dirt like a sack of grain. “You never learn, cursed freak! You think the law doesn't apply to the shadowless?” He raised his fist again, his shadow looming large over Sugat’s trembling, shadowless form.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Deep in the forest, Hiraya finally slowed to a stop. Her chest felt tight, and it wasn’t just from the exertion. She leaned against a tree, her fingers digging into the bark. Because of me… he’s catching the blows I should have taken. She clenched her jaw, the familiar burn of guilt churning in her stomach. She looked back toward the city lights, then toward the dark path ahead. Survival doesn't leave room for tears, Hiraya. Keep moving.
She found a massive tree with ancient, wide branches that seemed to touch the stars. “Book,” she whispered, her hands trembling slightly. Violet sigils erupted from her palms, spinning in the air like miniature galaxies before a heavy, leather-bound grimoire materialized in a burst of soft purple smoke.
“Radix adhaereat,” she chanted softly. The ancient wood groaned and shifted as a thick branch twisted, fibers weaving together to form a small, hollow shelter. She climbed into the sanctuary of her own making and sparked a tiny flame at the tip of a twig. In the flickering light, she pulled out a crumpled, yellowed newspaper.
WITCH CAUSES HAVOC—CITY ON ALERT. Beneath the headline was a sketch of her own face. Hiraya smirked, a hollow, tired sound. “Look at that. I’m famous.” She turned the page, and her expression turned to stone. THE KING SUCCEEDS AGAIN—ANOTHER LAND MERGED UNDER HIS RULE. A dark silhouette of King Lumino dominated the page.
“How can they be so blind?” she hissed, crumpling the paper and throwing it into the dark. “It’s all lies. All propaganda.”
Sleep was a distant hope. Her mind was a storm of memories: the ruins of her village, the mud, the raw screaming, and the void in her heart where her identity used to be. She had wandered for years, seeing the "perfect" kingdom for what it truly was—starving farmers and broken families. She had no name until she used her magic to dull the pain of a dying man. “You are hope,” he had whispered. “Hiraya.” A vision had brought her to Hera: a great city falling, and a boy standing above the ruins who would end the cycle of lies.
Morning arrived with a chorus of birdsong that felt too cheerful for the weight in Hiraya’s limbs. She dissolved her treehouse and headed back toward the city, blending into the morning crowds as the festival reached its peak.
“Our final day of celebration begins now! Raise your lanterns to the sun!” a host’s voice boomed from the central plaza. Thousands of colorful lanterns rose like a swarm of glowing insects as the crowd roared, “Long live King Lumino!”
Hiraya moved like a ghost through the mass of people. Suddenly, the tone of the chants shifted. The Sentinels straightened, and the host bellowed, “And now—the beloved Captain of Hera!”
The crowd exploded as a man stepped onto the stage. He was handsome in a cold, sharp way, his white armor polished to a mirror finish. Captain Neyoundo Duquel. Hiraya had heard the stories; he wasn't just a rumor, he was a warning. But her gaze quickly shifted to the center of the stage.
Tied to a heavy wooden post—head hanging low, robe stained with dirt and blood—was the teenage boy from the forest. The crowd’s cheers curdled into a dark, rhythmic chant.
“The shadowless! The shadowless!”
Hiraya’s heart didn’t just sink; it turned to lead.
Rating or adding this story to your Follow list—it helps a lot with the Royal Road algorithm!
-
-
Kwek-Kwek – A popular Filipino street food consisting of orange-battered, deep-fried quail eggs.
-
Pansit – A traditional Filipino noodle dish, often served during celebrations as a symbol of long life.
-
Hera – While this is the name of the city in our story, it is also a play on the Filipino word "Hera" or "Maharlika" (noble/aristocrat) vibes, or simply a name that evokes a sense of ancient majesty.
-
- Filipino-Inspired Fantasy