A Fight For Survival: Kingdom of Zarias, #3

By Frank Hyden

The third installment in the epic fantasy series Kingdom of Zarias brings more adventures, heroes, and monsters into the world. The unfairness of life strikes a terrible blow that will forever change those who witness it firsthand.

 

Serena Summers has suffered unimaginable loss. She wants to help her friends make the world a better place but can she overcome the crippling fear that plagues her?

 

Daniel Summers continues fighting for what's right but a disastrous encounter on the high seas places him in grave danger and tests his will to live. If Daniel's going to survive he's going to have to fight like never before.

 

Zach Summers has made tremendous leaps in his magical ability and the stoic wizard will need every ounce of that power if he hopes to avenge his murdered family members.

 

Xavien Ekens continues to test the limits of his new Vampire abilities and soon finds himself facing a foe unlike anything he's ever seen before.

 

Tiana Highsmith may finally have the lead she's looking for, one she hopes brings her face-to-face with the man who destroyed her life.

 

Adviser to the King of Vhaharen, Phreyz Nelson finds himself stuck between duty to his friend and trying to not start a war when the King is seriously injured during an assassination attempt.

 

Tomiko Nagano finds herself excommunicated from the Executioners of Kelvrin when she refuses to kill children. How can she survive when the most dangerous assassins in the world are out to kill her?

 

All this and more as the stakes continue to climb and the danger grows as the world of the Kingdom of Zarias continues to expand. This is Book 3 in the series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Frank Hyden
• Release date: Nov 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215893562

Frank Hyden

Frank Hyden has spent his entire life reading and watching every book, movie, and TV show he can in his relentless pursuit of knowledge. He considers open-mindedness and empathy to be among the most important traits one should strive for. A lifelong sports fan, Frank enjoys following the ups and downs of a game and season.

Book preview

The map of the Kingdom of Zarias

The Quisezthrun Continent, consisting of Vhaharen, Koltac, and Levalin

The Rawleon continent, consisting of Surhameret and Fliyr

The nations of Rexadal and Drziong

Chapter 1: TIMELINE

Significant events have taken place throughout the nearly six millennia of the Modern Era.

FIRST ERA

The First Era began when Ferris Dominiceus ascended to the role that became known as High Wizard when he fought and defeated the Demon King Theloshagorath Gorobrahmagus at the site of what would become Kingsberry. That day would be known as Day Zero and would go down in history as the day the world started. Ferris was only able to save approximately 20 of each race and it became their job to repopulate the world. The majority of the planet was ruined and destroyed and became uninhabitable after the battle between Ferris and Theolshagorath. Only the ten countries that remained were left and were assigned to each race.

Drziong- Leipert

Fliyr- Fllighan

Kolftac- Nefiel

Levalin- Merglin

Rexadal- Goretigan

Surhameret- Velen

Unal- Zatine

Urobi- Woldfer

Vhaharen- Wvarden

Zarias- Humans

The First Era ends on 1E 2844 during the Battle of Graywood in the country of Unal when Ferris sacrificed himself to kill the near-unstoppable Anunnaki leader Enlil.

1E 0- Ferris Dominiceus kills Theloshagorath Gorobrahmagus at the Battle of Fort Wayne.

1E March 11 91- Ferris Dominiceus founds the neutral country Cooperantur in the ocean west of Zarias. It was intended to allow for a place where all nations could send representatives that would work together to make the world a better place by ruling as fairly as possible and as dictated by the citizens.

1E November 1 187- Ferris Dominiceus finishes creating the Carnelian Tower.

1E May 29 332- Ferris Dominiceus imbues his friends Tyrone and Mary Graves with Psionic abilities that can be passed down to their descendants, thus making them the progenitors of all Psionics in history.

1E February 18, 1072- Mt. Argen erupts and destroys the city of Greenbark, burying it under 50 feet of ash and lava. The city of Candlewick would eventually be built in its place.

1E November 9, 1521- Waldorf Blanton unsuccessfully challenges Ferris Dominiceus to a magical duel for the ownership of Cooperantur and loses an eye in the ensuing battle.

1E August 30, 1890- The rogue wizard Stalago Glimer publishes his seminal journal The Planes of Reality, detailing the many different Planes of existence that he's traveled to.

1E March 11, 2091- Waldorf Blanton destroys Cooperantur by creating a massive whirlpool underneath it that sucks the entire country down into the ocean, killing over 50,000 of its inhabitants. The whirlpool becomes permanent and is named Blanton's Portal after Waldorf is cast into it by Ferris Dominiceus and is never seen again.

1E March 11, 2191- Ferris Dominiceus creates the Hanging Bridges of Cooperantur. Those brave enough can sail to the permanent portal and emerge on a free-floating bridge above the waters at the site where Cooperantur vanished into the sea. The connecting bridges are suspended above the raging waters of Blanton's Portal and are dedicated to the memories of those who died that day.

1E May 29, 2844- The Battle of Graywood begins as the Anunnaki leader Enlil travels from the AnKi Realm to Unal to enslave all of its inhabitants.

1E May 30, 2844- The First Era ends when Ferris Dominiceus sacrifices himself to kill Anunnaki leader Enlil.

SECOND ERA

The Second Era began when Tedrick Blockthorn became the second High Wizard of Zarias and created the High Wizard's Council along with representatives of the remaining 9 countries. Ferris Dominiceus is considered the first High Wizard of each country and after his death, each country had its own High Wizard. The original Council was as follows-

High Wizard of Zarias- Tedrick Blockthorn

High Wizard of Levalin- Klent Bartholomew

High Wizard of Vhaharen- Colog Ashay

High Wizard of Kolftac- Cesar Goode

High Wizard of Unal- Prant Thogner

High Wizard of Drziong- Drig Atathlon

High Wizard of Rexadal- Gleeg Sunmer

High Wizard of Surhameret- Yan Red Bloom

High Wizard of Fliyr- Micks Flataven

High Wizard of Urobi- Del Ubo

The Second Era ended on 2E 1955 when King Elivo Tanimount of Zarias declared it over after winning the War of the Kings and unifying the entire country under his rule, the first such time in the Modern Era that Zarias was ruled under a single banner.

2E June 4 0- The Second Era begins when Tedrick Blockthorn becomes the second High Wizard of Zarias, the first Velen to do so, and forms the High Wizards Council.

2E October 28 44- Antony Dewester finishes creating the Dewester Set, his signature Mythic Item, and the most powerful item ever created.

2E November 29 288- Hilms Doegham founds the Executioners of Kelvrin.

2E January 2 735- The Devil King Sar'argwetin invades the island nation Urobi, seeking to capture the large island nation to the south of Zarias for himself. King Hale Nemas leads the Urobi Army versus the invaders in the Battle of Urobi.

2E January 3 735- Tedrick Blockthorn disappears during a massive explosion during the Battle of Urobi. The island nation is completely destroyed and wiped from the map. The ocean is renamed in honor of King Hale Nemas.

2E February 1 735- Legent Stiano becomes the third High Wizard of Zarias.

2E August 3 780- Legent Stiano finishes creating the island of Gentano approximately 100 miles to the west of Surhameret in Old Hale's Ocean.

2E October 20, 1113- The Four Ones War begins in Zarias as one of the five Kings of Zarias, David Benoest, is assassinated by the Executioners of Kelvrin and the remaining four Kings vie for control of his land. Contrary to popular belief, the name of the war comes not from the four Kings all vying to become the one King but from a mistaken calculation of scholars decades after the war that attributed the assassination of Benoest and the start of the war to two years before it actually began.

2E April 19, 1118- The Four Ones War officially ends with no meaningful resolution, though skirmishes would continue for the next decade until the four Kings agreed to name the disputed land a neutral territory.

2E December 23, 1397- Antony Dewester is poisoned and killed before he can complete the follow-up to his namesake Mythic Item set. Accusations abound that the Executioners of Kelvrin carried out the assassination at the behest of Harrison Dithume, one of the four Kings of Zarias but both sides deny any involvement.

2E September 1, 1534- Legent Stiano and the Demon Lord Wiyntreg are killed during the Battle of Dalry as Stiano helped fight off an invading Demon army led by Wiyntreg.

2E October 2, 1534- Adamaris Koble becomes the fourth High Wizard of Zarias, the first woman to hold that rank.

2E December 13, 1878- The Demon army led by Razackel mysteriously vanishes after winning the Battle of Mnemgan on Bagos Island off the coast of Fliyr. Neither the army nor the city of Mnemgan are ever seen again.

2E February 14, 1887- The fourth High Wizard of Zarias, Adamaris Koble, is discovered dead in her quarters, her body ravaged by age and nearly unrecognizable.

2E March 17, 1887- Wagner Jensen becomes the fifth High Wizard of Zarias.

2E December 30, 1951- The War of the Kings begins when Queen Lenore Belgarden kills Queen Alyice Tanimount in what was supposed to be a friendly jousting match, causing her husband Elivo to declare war.

2E November 22, 1955- The Second Era ends when King Elivo Tanimount unifies Zarias under his banner after winning the War of the Kings.

THIRD ERA

The Third Era has seen the most and fastest advancement in magic, especially among the common folk. However, that's come with a price, that being that this era has seen the most wars.

3E January 1 0- The Third Era officially begins when Elivo Tanimount declares himself King of Zarias.

3E May 14 20- King Elivo Tanimount dies in his sleep and his son Clarence assumes the throne, though he only holds the crown for a little over a year before he's killed by his brother Joseph.

3E April 19 29- The Second Vhaharen Civil War begins as Queen Jacia breaks with her son Prince Najeer after the death of King Reyland under mysterious circumstances.

3E February 3 35- The Second Vhaharen Civil War ends as Queen Jacia kills Prince Najeer at a treaty signing in an event known as The Night of the Red Sky.

3E June 2 212- The Rexadal-Zarias War begins as Queen Pulsvit of Rexadal orders the invasion and annexation of the Rotterwood Province of Zarias.

3E July 17 215- King Terry II of Zarias ends the Rexadal-Zarias War by signing over control of the Herve islands near Rexadal, islands which to this day lay empty and unused.

3E August 11 439- Kolftac officially joins Levalin and Vhaharen and unifies the Quisezthrun continent for the first time under the rule of King Myco.

3E December 9 615- King Yael officially closes Unal's borders to foreign trade, triggering The Great Famine that results in the deaths of over 200,000 Unalian citizens over the next 30 years.

3E September 15 644- Queen Hilary of Zarias overthrows King Yael of Unal and installs her hand-picked successor James Reuto in his place. However, the Unalian people rebel and oust King James and the Unalian Civil War begins as four different groups for control of the country.

3E November 26 653- After nearly a decade of fierce fighting the four groups vying for control of Unal agree to split the country and each control their own region, bringing an end to the fighting that saw over 100,000 Unalian citizens killed.

3E June 30 777- The Three Sevens War begins as Zarias invades southern Unal and annex both regions, causing Vhaharen to annex the two northern regions. Rexadal and Drziong then join forces to expel both Zarias and Vhaharen from the two eastern regions so they can assume control of them. The four regions of Unal claim independence from all invading armies. Surhameret maintains neutrality through the conflict.

3E March 26 779- Vhaharen abandons all claims in the regions of Unal and withdraws from the Three Sevens War.

3E April 10 783- Zarias abandons all claims in the regions of Unal and withdraws from the Three Sevens War.

3E September 22 784- Rexadal and Drziong declare war on each other, starting the Prolar War and ending the Three Sevens War. Rexadal wanted the country of Drziong for themselves as they believed that the continually erupting volcano Prolar there could provide them with immense power.

3E December 2 817- Ramon Del Nitto forms the Star Crusaders.

3E July 8 977- Raefoten Nar assumes control of the Executioners of Kelvrin.

3E October 21, 1004- The Imperien Stuimm Narras uses his mind control to start the Third Drziong Civil War, known as The War of the Winds in Zarias.

3E January 18, 1006- The Third Drziong Civil War ends at the Battle of Rylin as the Imperien Stuimm Narras is killed.

3E February 18, 1025- The country of Unal is ravaged and all its citizens are killed by an invading army of demons led by Merlag K'tha. That army is then systematically hunted down and killed by the mysterious figure known only as Ignotum Hominum, the Nameless Man.

3E January 1, 1033- Prince Horace Jenkins ascends to the throne and becomes the 41st Monarch of the Kingdom of Zarias after the peaceful abdication and retirement of his father William II.

3E April 4, 1053- The Pelofahine War begins as the evil necromancer Pelogithis captures the city of Easthollow.

3E May 24, 1053- The Fifth Battle of Dragontail is won by Legions One and Two of the King's Army. The surviving soldiers are sailed to Winthrope by ships owned by Gregory Whitethorn.

3E May 25, 1053- The Third Battle of Winthrope is won by Legions Three and Four of the King's Army as they drive out the forces of Pelogithis and force them to retreat back to Trottington.

3E May 29, 1053- The 75 citizens of the city of Trottington stage a dramatic last stand to delay Pelogithis and his forces and give the combined King's Army enough time to march north from Winthrope.

3E May 30, 1053- The Pelofahine War ends as Pelogithis and his forces are killed in the Battle of the Ice Plains.

3E August 10, 1056- The Duke of Argen, Lawrence Davidson, is killed along with the Legion Legate of Legion Two, Trevor Thomas, sparking the Argen Civil War.

3E August 15, 1056- First known appearance of Galren, as his forces burn the city of Balania to the ground and kill all its citizens.

3E August 15, 1056- Cassius Westbrook uses his Psionic powers to force Theodore Mason to kill his and Tiana Mason's unborn baby before forcing Tiana to kill Theodore in the city of Caldwell.

3E August 21-22, 1056- The Battle of Eastcliff is fought and the Imperium Stuimm Valstek is defeated, ending the Argen Civil War.

3E December 10, 1056- The Battle of Kingsberry is fought and the necromancers Novah and Rosalie are defeated. Novah is killed.

3E August 15, 1057- Tiana Highsmith, Arwanda Xaltriver, and Daves Kline nearly kill Cassius Westbrook in the woods outside of Caldwell, severely injuring him and amputating his left arm during the fight.

3E August 15, 1057- Galren launches a false attack on the city of Fairfield to distract the King's Army as he lures Dustin, Serena, and Daniel Summers into the Negativus Plane where he forces Serena and Daniel to watch as he kills Dustin.

Chapter 2: The Spark

3E August 30, 1057  Serena

It's been a few weeks since Serena Summers was forced to watch her older brother Dustin be killed by the monstrous Galren. Dustin might have been able to beat him, as Galren wasn't at full strength and was underestimating Dustin. If it hadn't been for the Energy Ray spell that the treacherous Rosalie had shot into Dustin's back things might have turned out differently.

After returning from the Negativus Plane where this all happened Serena was in a near-catatonic state for the next few days. The young 5'6" 19-year-old redheaded woman has been through a lot recently. Her parents, brothers, and husband were all killed in the attack led by Galren that had decimated her hometown Balania a year ago. So she dedicated herself solely to getting stronger so that she could kill Galren and avenge her family, only to be too weak to do so and could only watch helplessly as yet another member of her family was taken from her.

Galren is the embodiment of a nightmare to Serena. He's a 7'0" tall mountain of muscle and power that's deceptively quick and seems nearly invulnerable, though Dustin did cut off Galren's left arm. However, that only slowed the undead monster down a bit. Galren is a Revenant, the most powerful form of undead there is. There's never been another Revenant in recorded history so it's unclear how powerful Galren truly is and what it would take to kill him, if he even can be stopped. No one knows the depths of Galren's power or his true nature, as Revenants are considered children's tales.

Serena wants to die, she can't handle the sadness and depression overwhelming her. She also can't deal with the incredible depths of rage that threaten to consume her and has driven her to the brink of madness. She sees and feels the line of insanity she's standing on and knows just how close she is to crossing it. The only thing that's prevented her from tumbling into madness is the mental block the Psion Warrior Clive Woods placed in her head before he started training her. Clive was a Velen, a race of long-lived people originally descended from the country Surhameret. They can live to be 950-1,000 years old and have skin colors ranging from white to blue to red. They average about five and a half feet tall, a little shorter for the females and a little taller for the males.

Clive had been training Serena for nearly six months before Galren had led an attack on his isolated cabin in the middle of King's Woods, the enormous forest on the northern tip of the Valano Province. Serena had made great strides under Clive's tutelage, though he wasn't her first teacher. Serena had spent a handful of months training with an old human man named Marino Brooks. He was a former instructor for the King's Army so he was very good at teaching people how to fight and building a solid foundation to work with. Serena lost Marino to the ravages of old age, which was painful but also bittersweet. Marino was so at ease with the end of his life that it brought Serena some comfort.

That didn't happen with Clive, who was brutally killed by Galren as Serena could only helplessly watch. That helplessness feeds the rage bubbling inside of Serena. It scares her.

Serena's a Berserker, a warrior driven by intense rage, a gift inherited from her father Brett. However, that only surfaced shortly before Brett was killed by Galren so he wasn't able to truly teach her how to control it. Marino had experience teaching Berserkers so he was able to help her better contain her rage but that's not the same as controlling it and certainly not the same as using it during a battle. If Serena had just a few more months with Marino she might have been able to learn how to properly harness her rage. It would have been the most difficult thing she ever did but it was possible. At least, before.

After the events of the last few weeks, Serena's rage has spiraled and grown considerably. If it wasn't for the mental block that Clive put into her head Serena would be lost in the madness of her endless grief and rage. Clive didn't have much experience working with Berserkers but he was an excellent teacher. He taught Serena a lot in those six months they were together, aided by Serena dedicating herself completely to getting better.

Part of Serena is happy and grateful that Clive put that mental block in. If he hadn't, she would have been driven insane and put into a quiet room somewhere until the day she died. Another part of her is angry at Clive, though, because it feels like he's sentenced her to having to deal with a mountain of grief and pain. The strain on her is nearly enough to make her mind snap but it's not quite enough to push her over the edge. Part of her curses Clive for that, as she can feel the rage roiling just beneath the surface.

The funeral for Dustin was an elaborate and extravagant affair, something Dustin would have hated. However, the King of Zarias, Horace Jenkins, insisted on it. He wanted to honor the man widely considered the greatest warrior in Zarias. Many people spoke and eulogized him in the capital of Zarias, Kingsberry, before his body was taken to the crypt in his former home of Balania. The famed painter W. Faora Ilt captured the scene in one of her paintings. A new city is being rebuilt on the ashes of Balania and will be known as New Balania.

Niall and Livia have both been spending as much time with Serena as they possibly can. They're both Velen, Niall with yellow skin, black eyes, and light brown hair, and Livia with tan skin, red eyes, and dark brown hair. They both look at Serena like she's the daughter they never had. They met her after the attack in Balania and grew fond of her quickly. They were scavenging for treasure while looking for pieces of the fabled Dewester Set, the legendary Mythic Item set that grows in power as you collect more pieces. There's 17 pieces of the set, though they only know about 16 pieces, and they've collected 4 pieces along with the two other members of their group, human wizards named Morgan and Ramona.

Do you guys want something to eat? Niall asks as they all sit around a tent at the edge of Kingsberry. It's early in the morning and everyone has just woken up, though their sleep schedules are messed up as the group insists on having someone sitting with Serena at all times when she's awake and she's been sleeping at odd times throughout the day and night. She has been sleeping less, though she's still sleeping nearly twelve hours a day, so that's a good sign. It just happens at different times. She'll sleep for four hours and then wake up crying for a few hours before going back to sleep.

Yes, thank you, dear. Livia smiles at her longtime companion as she stands and stretches.

No, I'm... Serena quietly trails off as she shakes her head no.

You should eat something. Livia smiles at Serena as she puts her hand on her left shoulder. Please? Serena nods so Livia smiles again.

You know, I uh...I was...kind of thinking... Morgan hesitantly says as the group looks at him. We could get the Executioners of Kelvrin to kill Galren. Livia's eyes bulge at the forwardness of Morgan just saying that seemingly out of nowhere.

Whoa! Say what? Ramona is just as gobsmacked as Livia is.

I'm just saying...I mean... Morgan shrugs. That way you don't have to worry about it. Morgan looks at Serena as he talks but she's not really reacting to anything he's saying. She blames herself for Dustin being killed. If she hadn't challenged Galren and gotten knocked into that portal he wouldn't have followed her to the Negativus Plane and gotten killed. If she was stronger she could have slain Galren herself.

Why would you even suggest such a thing? Ramona asks. Associating with those people? They're killers!

No, that's not happening. Niall shakes his head. I'm gonna kill him. Livia's intently watching Serena to try to gauge her reaction.

I'm just saying...I don't know what it would take but... Morgan shrugs again.

Too much! It would be...it'd be a piece of your soul! Ramona exclaims. They're remorseless killers!

Doesn't that piece of...doesn't he deserve to die? Livia asks sternly. For what he did?

Yes, but...at what cost? Ramona asks. We'd be better off asking Xavien to help! Xavien is a friend of theirs that was recently turned into a Vampire. Ramona is strictly against having anything to do with him now and thinks he should be killed himself so for her to even suggest asking for his help shows how against contacting the Executioners she is.

No, we'll...we'll do it together. Niall grabs the top of Serena's hand and squeezes it, a very slight smile crossing her lips. It's the first time Livia's seen Serena even come close to smiling in the last few weeks.

That's what I like to see. Livia smiles as she squeezes Serena's left shoulder. However, she's confused when Serena starts shaking her head no.

No. Serena says quietly. I love you, I love you all but... Serena looks up at Niall. I'm not going to fight him. Not anymore, I'm done.

What? What are you talking about? Niall demands.

He...he said to never raise a sword to him again. Serena shakes her head as she looks around at everyone. I know what he meant. The group looks around at each other in confusion. I attacked him in Oakston, he killed Clive. I attacked him in Fairfield, he killed Dustin. Tears begin to fall down Serena's cheeks as she continues. If I attack him again...he'll kill Daniel. Or you. Serena looks at Niall. Or you...or any of you...all of you... Serena looks at Livia then Morgan and Ramona.

I'll kill him, I promise. We'll kill him. Niall answers. I promise...I swear...

No...my...my father was the strongest person I've ever known. Serena says through her tears. But Dustin was probably close...and even he couldn't beat Galren. I, I just...

We'll fight him together...all of us. We'll get more people. Niall says as he looks around. So many that he won't be able to beat us all!

I can't! I can't... Serena emphatically shakes her head.

But... Niall starts to object but trails off as he looks at the ground.

I can't...lose anyone else. Serena closes her eyes as she continues crying. I've...I can't lose anymore, I can't... Serena stands up and turns away from her friends, unable to face them. Promise me...you won't fight Galren. Please...I can't...I already want to kill myself.

No, don't... Niall looks over at Livia, who's silently weeping.

I got Dustin killed. I got Clive killed. Serena sighs heavily. I just want to live my life. Why do I have to shoulder this burden? Let me live in ignorance. Morgan looks on in disbelief at what he's hearing, sighing himself as he notices that Ramona is crying as well. The young woman's pain is palpable in her voice.

Serena, I... Morgan trails off, not sure what to say.

I still want to train and get better so I can help protect the group but...I can't fight Galren, I won't. Serena turns around and faces everyone. And I'll ask you all...don't fight him either. Please?

Serena... Niall walks up to Serena and puts his right hand on her left shoulder. I swore I would kill Galren for what he did but...if you don't want me to...I won't. I love you. Niall hugs Serena. I want you to be happy.

I'm happy just traveling with you all. Just...please promise me that you won't fight Galren? Serena looks around at the rest of the group.

Okay...all right. Morgan nods. I still want to get the Dewester Set pieces, though.

That's fine, I'm all for that. Serena nods herself.

You don't have to worry about me fighting Galren, dear. Livia's wiping her tears away.

Me either. Ramona adds. I'm not a fighter...so I wouldn't...do that anyway. But...I will help heal the injured and sick. I can't...not do that. And that can be dangerous.

I understand. I'll do everything I can to help you with that. Serena nods and Ramona smiles back. I love you all.

We love you too, Serena. Livia forces a smile.

That went better than I thought. Serena sighs deeply.

Hey, why don't we go...take a bath? Ramona puts her arm around Serena as she glances at the others with a look of sadness as she leads Serena to the bathing area.

What are we going to do, dear? Livia asks when they're out of earshot.

I still want to kill Galren but...I can't...I'm not going to go against Serena. Niall replies. She couldn't...if something happened...

Yeah, she's hanging on by a thread. Morgan adds as Livia starts crying again.

Well, we'll just...keep hunting for Dewester pieces and...hopefully she'll...get better? Niall says.

It might not work like that. Livia sighs. She's lost that...she's lost her purpose, her spark.

I'd really like to talk to Xavien and Whitney. I don't... Morgan trails off. I'm surprised they're not here.

Chapter 3: Second-in-Command

3E August 30, 1057  Daniel

The death of Dustin Summers has hit Legion One hard. Obviously his brother Daniel was shellshocked to see the man he looked up to his whole life be killed in front of him. Daniel was heavily affected by his father Brett's death one year ago but he actually saw Dustin die. He saw the life leave his eyes and his body. That's an image he can't forget. He saw the bodies of his parents when he buried them but they were already dead. His father was decapitated but he wasn't forced to witness that. To see the trauma and violence inflicted upon Dustin by Galren is something Daniel will always remember as long as he lives.

However, unlike his sister, Daniel isn't shaken to his core by this and is even more focused on finding and killing Galren than before. He knows he can't do it alone but he has to play a part in it. Daniel is going to train as hard as he can to become as strong as