Prologue
338 Words
Years had passed since Eastgate’s streets were claimed from fear and fire. The wolf’s howl had faded, the city breathing freely again. Scars remained, etched into brick and memory, but they were no longer wounds—they were reminders of survival, lessons forged in blood and ash.
At the heart of this rebirth, the community center pulsed with life. Children ran through its halls, laughter spilling into classrooms where lessons of protection and discipline mingled with music and chatter. The center had become more than a building—it was a symbol of what Eastgate had fought to preserve: hope.
The city’s new guardians moved with quiet authority. Antonio and Ben, trained and tempered by years of guidance, demonstrated precision and strength under the watchful eyes of The Knights. Technological upgrades mapped the streets beyond, making every neighborhood part of a living, protective network. Every motion, every drill, every order reflected the hard-won wisdom of those who had survived the chaos.
Yet not all shadows had lifted.
At the edge of the courtyard, a figure lingered in quiet observation. Vince Marrow, a man whose history was written in scars and survival, leaned against a battered truck. He watched the organized rhythms of Eastgate’s youth with eyes that had learned to see beyond appearances. Peace, he knew, was fragile. Comfort could not mask danger, and calm could hide a storm.
Even in a city healed, even amid laughter and light, Vince felt the tension coiled beneath the surface. He had walked through war, seen the cost of overconfidence, and trusted only what he could control. The next battle, he knew, was waiting—patient, inevitable. And when it came, it would not knock on the doors of mentors or legacy knights. It would come for him.
For now, the city celebrated its triumphs, and its guardians trained in preparation. But Vince Marrow did not rest. Peace was an illusion, and illusions, he knew, could be shattered in an instant.
And so, in the quiet of Eastgate’s courtyard, he waited.
- Writer
