THE STARLIT PROMISE

CHAPTER 6 : THE WARRIOR'S PAST

The forest was quiet, the silence only broken by the rustling of leaves and the soft crunch of Kael’s boots on the dirt path. Alina had fallen into step beside him, her thoughts still consumed by the revelations of the past days—her mother’s sacrifice, the Darkness that hunted her, and the growing weight of her Starborn powers. But beneath all of that was a different question, one that had been quietly gnawing at her since they first met.

Who was Kael, really?

The village had known him only as a passing stranger, a warrior with no ties, and yet, he had risked his life for her without hesitation. He spoke little of himself, and when he did, it was always vague—just enough to assure her that he had seen many battles but never enough to reveal who he truly was. She knew there was more to him, something buried beneath the surface.

As they walked further into the forest, Alina broke the silence. “Kael,” she said softly, “you’ve been protecting me ever since you came into my life, but I don’t really know anything about you. Why did you come to my village in the first place?”

Kael glanced at her, his expression unreadable for a moment. He was quiet, as if weighing how much to say, then finally spoke. “I didn’t come to your village by chance, Alina. I was looking for you.”

Alina’s heart skipped a beat. “You were looking for me?”

He nodded. “I’ve been searching for the Starborn for years. It’s part of a duty I inherited… one I can’t escape.”

Alina stopped walking, her gaze narrowing. “A duty? What do you mean?”

Kael exhaled, his breath visible in the cool night air. “My family… We’ve been connected to the Starborn for centuries. It’s part of our bloodline. We’re not just warriors or nobles—we are protectors of your kind.”

Her mind raced. “Protectors? You mean… your family has always known about the Starborn?”

Kael nodded. “Yes. We were sworn to guard them, to keep them safe from the darkness that seeks their power. It’s why I’ve been trained in battle since I could hold a sword. My father, my ancestors—they were all bound by this duty, just as I am now.”

Alina could feel the weight of his words settling in. “So you knew who I was, even before I did?”

“I suspected,” he admitted. “When I heard rumors of a healer with strange abilities, I knew it could be you. But I wasn’t certain until I saw it with my own eyes.”

Alina felt a wave of emotions crash over her—anger, confusion, and something deeper, something she didn’t want to name. “So you’ve just been following a duty? Protecting me because it’s what you were trained to do?”

Kael’s jaw tightened, his blue eyes darkening. “At first, yes. It was my duty. But it’s not just that anymore.”

His words hung in the air, and Alina felt her heart pound louder. “Then what is it?” she asked softly, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Kael stepped closer, his gaze holding hers with an intensity that made her breath catch. “It’s because I care about you, Alina. It’s not just a responsibility anymore—it’s personal.”

Alina’s breath hitched, the admission catching her off guard. She had sensed a growing bond between them, something beyond the danger and prophecy, but hearing him say it aloud made it feel real. Tangible.

“But it wasn’t always like that, was it?” she pressed, needing to understand more. “There’s something else. You’ve been keeping something from me. I can feel it.”

Kael’s face hardened, a shadow passing over his features. “There’s more to my past than I’ve told you,” he said quietly, his voice laced with something darker. “Things I’m not proud of.”

Alina waited, sensing that this was something he didn’t share easily.

“My family,” Kael began, “isn’t just any noble house. We’re from an old lineage, one that’s been tied to the Empire for centuries. My father was a Duke, and I… I was his heir.”

Alina’s eyes widened. “A Duke’s heir? Then why are you here, wandering from place to place, hiding who you are?”

Kael’s expression darkened. “Because I walked away from that life. I left the nobility, the title, everything.”

“Why?” she asked softly.

Kael’s gaze flickered with pain, and for the first time, Alina saw the depth of the burden he carried. “Because I failed them. My family, my people. I couldn’t protect them.”

He paused, the memories clearly painful. Alina’s heart ached at the sight of his struggle, but she waited, letting him find the words.

“There was a war,” Kael continued, his voice low. “Not long ago. The Darkness had begun to corrupt parts of the Empire, and we didn’t know it at the time, but they had infiltrated my family’s stronghold. When the attack came… I wasn’t there. I was away, fighting battles elsewhere, and by the time I returned, it was too late. The Darkness had already taken them.”

Alina felt a pang of sorrow. “Kael, I’m so sorry…”

He shook his head, his eyes clouded with guilt. “I couldn’t save them. My father, my brothers—they were all gone. And I had nothing left. I couldn’t stay there, pretending to be a Duke when I had failed at the one thing I was trained to do: protect my own bloodline.”

Alina reached out, placing a hand on his arm. “It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known.”

Kael clenched his fists, his voice rough. “It feels like my fault every day. That’s why I’ve been searching for the Starborn ever since. I couldn’t save my family, but maybe… maybe I can save you.”

Alina’s heart swelled with empathy. She had known Kael was burdened, but she hadn’t realized how deeply his past haunted him. His determination to protect her, to fulfill his duty, wasn’t just about her destiny—it was his way of atoning for a past he couldn’t change.

“You don’t have to carry that alone,” she said softly. “I’m not your second chance, Kael. I’m not your duty or your redemption. I’m… just me.”

Kael met her gaze, the walls he had built around himself softening slightly. “You’re more than that, Alina. You’re hope. You’re the light in all of this darkness.”

Her breath caught, the weight of his words sinking in. She didn’t know what to say, how to respond to the raw emotion in his voice.

The two stood there in the forest, surrounded by the quiet night, and for the first time, Alina saw the full depth of the man standing before her. Kael was not just a warrior or a protector—he was someone who had lost everything, yet still found the strength to keep going. And despite everything, he had chosen to fight for her.

But the Darkness was still out there, lurking, waiting for the moment to strike again.

Alina knew now, more than ever, that the path ahead would be filled with challenges. But with Kael by her side, she felt stronger. Together, they would face whatever fate had in store.