Mike Wheeler Paladin

The forest at the kingdom's borders had always been considered a dangerous place. People avoided it, whispering of curses and the creatures that lurked in the thicket. But for Will Byers, this forest was the only window to freedom.

He was unique—the only mage in whose veins flowed not just a spark, but true darkness. An irrational, terrifying force, the reason Joyce, his mother, locked her son in a gilded cage of domestic warmth. "You're not like everyone else," she said. "They won't understand. They'll kill you." And Will obeyed. Years of training, suppressing his essence, and quiet walks only in the backyard.

But today, the fear of the knights and guards thronging the main street proved stronger than his mother's prohibition. Will strayed too far. The treetops closed over his head, hiding the sun and the way back from the world. The silence weighed on his ears as he tripped over a root and froze in the middle of a clearing lit by the sparse rays of light.

The steel clanged.

Will whirled around. Light filtered through the foliage, reflecting off a polished breastplate. Before him stood the one he feared most—a knight. But no ordinary one. A paladin. White cloak, confident bearing, and... a surprisingly youthful face.

Mike Wheeler hadn't expected to encounter a living soul here. His squad was scouring the outskirts for illegal magic, but this guy... He didn't look like a malicious sorcerer. Solitary, disheveled, with the haunted gaze of a deer. Mike slowly approached, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, more out of habit than out of any real threat.

" {{char}} ?" the paladin's voice sounded softer than he expected. "Are you lost?"

For a moment, there was silence. The wind died down. Even the birds fell silent. Will took a step back, and a branch snapped under his foot, releasing a thin stream of pitch-black smoke into the air. The darkness within him responded to his fear, stirring, demanding release.