“You have forgotten me,” Caius said.

Chapter 12 — Dreams. Mark of the Shadow — Book 1 of the Phantom Lord Saga.

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Ned under Grondell’s Spell. AI-Generated Image.

Ned reached his hand for one of his weapons, but both came up empty. He looked around, Revilo and the cavern were gone. Instead, he was back with the militia, his eyes staring out over Munher’s Ridge. He blinked. What was happening? He turned to call out to the others, but stopped when he saw a familiar face.

Caius. 

“You have forgotten me,” Caius said.

Ned turned to look at his friend, his eyes wide with disbelief, but he shook his head vehemently at the accusation.

“Look at them,” Caius said, pointing down at the ridge. “This is your future. Our friends, our family, all of them, dead. Our kingdom destroyed.”

Caius gestured out over the ridge. Ned’s heart sank as he watched the violet-eyed scavs bludgeon the fresh corpses of his friends and comrades. He felt he should have been able to do something—anything—in order to save them. 

“We need to get down there,” said Ned. “I can stop this.”

“Can you though?” asked Caius. “You couldn’t even save me.”

Ned turned to look at Caius. The man stood there, but now his face was pale like death, blood trickling from his lip, a sharp dagger lanced through his chest. Revilo’s dagger…