The storm above Ashkar raged without mercy.

Thunder rolled across the mountains.

Rain lashed against the cliffs.

And suspended high above a roaring river—

hung an ancient wooden bridge.

Its ropes groaned in the violent wind.

Its planks cracked beneath every movement.

One wrong step could send a person plunging into the canyon below.

At one end of the bridge stood a notorious bounty hunter.

A giant crossbow rested in his hands.

Countless criminals had fallen to that weapon.

Across from him—

at the opposite end of the bridge—

stood a ragged 15-year-old boy.

His clothes were torn.

Mud and dirt covered his face.

The river thundered far below.

The hunter laughed loudly.

“You have nowhere to run.”

The bridge swayed.

The wind howled.

Then—

THUNK.

A crossbow bolt exploded forward.

The boy moved instantly.

The bolt shattered a wooden plank behind him.

THUNK.

A second bolt.

THUNK.

A third.

Splinters burst through the air.

The hunter kept firing.

The bridge shook with every impact.

The crowd watching from the cliffs expected the boy to retreat.

But instead—

he charged forward.

Straight toward the hunter.

Rain whipped across his face.

The bridge rocked violently beneath his feet.

Another bolt flew.

The boy jumped.

It struck only inches from his boots.

Another bolt.

He twisted aside.

The projectile vanished into the storm.

The hunter frowned.

The child was closing the distance too quickly.

Then—

the boy did something unexpected.

Instead of staying on the planks—

he leapt onto the bridge’s side ropes.

Gasps echoed from the canyon walls.

Balancing above the raging river—

he sprinted along the narrow cables.

The bridge swung harder.

And harder.

The hunter hurriedly reloaded.

His hands moved faster.

But tracking the boy had become impossible.

Left.

Right.

Above.

Below.

Every movement was unpredictable.

The bridge groaned beneath the strain.

The old ropes stretched.

The support beams creaked.

The boy glanced briefly toward a cracked wooden joint near the center of the bridge.

Then he smiled.

The hunter finally loaded another bolt.

And aimed directly at the child.

“Got you.”

THUNK.

The bolt shot forward.

At that exact moment—

the boy stomped down with all his strength.

CRRRRRAAAAK.

A critical support beam snapped.

Lightning flashed across the canyon.

For one terrifying second—

everything froze.

Then the entire bridge twisted violently sideways.

The hunter’s eyes widened.

“What?!”

The structure swung across the canyon like a giant pendulum.

The hunter lost his footing instantly.

His crossbow slipped from his hands.

The boy calmly looked at him and said—

“Wrong bridge.”

The hunter reached desperately for a rope.

Missed.

And fell.

The storm swallowed his scream.

His crossbow spun through the rain beside him.

Far below—

the river surged between black rocks.

The bridge continued swaying above the canyon.

And balanced effortlessly on the remaining cables—

stood the boy.

Motionless.

Unafraid.

Lightning illuminated his silhouette against the storm.

Then—

deep beneath the river’s surface—

something enormous moved through the dark water.

A shadow.

Far too large to be a fish.

Far too large to be human.

The boy looked down toward the river.

As if he already knew it was there.

Another flash of lightning illuminated the water.

The shadow rose.

Closer.

Closer.

And then—

BOOOOOOM.

The river exploded.

A colossal creature erupted from the darkness.

Water blasted high into the air.

The crowd screamed.

The bounty hunter’s eyes widened in absolute horror.

The creature was enormous.

Its body was covered in black scales.

Ancient scars crossed its hide.

Its jaws could have swallowed a horse whole.

Glowing blue eyes burned beneath the storm.

The River Serpent of Varkor.

A monster spoken of only in legends.

Most people believed it didn’t exist.

Now it towered above the canyon.

Alive.

Hungry.

And staring directly at the falling bounty hunter.

“No!”

The hunter desperately grabbed a dangling rope from the bridge.

His body swung violently.

Only twenty feet above the river.

The serpent lunged upward.

SNAP.

Its jaws missed him by inches.

The crowd on the cliffs erupted into panic.

People ran backward.

Several horses bolted.

The giant beast crashed back into the water.

A tidal wave smashed against the canyon walls.

The hunter clung desperately to the rope.

Rain poured into his eyes.

His arms burned.

His strength faded.

Above him, the boy finally climbed back onto the damaged bridge.

Then something surprising happened.

He didn’t leave.

He didn’t run.

Instead—

he began descending.

Hand over hand.

Toward the hanging bounty hunter.

The crowd stared in confusion.

Why would he help?

The hunter had tried to kill him.

The boy climbed lower.

And lower.

The serpent circled beneath them.

Its glowing eyes never blinked.

The hunter looked up.

“Why are you doing this?”

The boy didn’t answer.

The hunter’s arm slipped.

He almost fell.

The serpent immediately surged upward.

Its massive jaws opened.

The boy reacted instantly.

He kicked off the rope.

Dropped several feet.

And grabbed the hunter’s wrist.

The crowd gasped.

Now both of them hung above the river.

The serpent crashed beneath them.

Water exploded upward.

The monster missed again.

The hunter stared at the teenager.

Completely bewildered.

“Let me go.”

The boy shook his head.

“No.”

“Why?”

The boy finally spoke.

“Because my father taught me something.”

Lightning flashed.

Rain hammered their faces.

The hunter waited.

The boy continued.

“If someone tries to kill you, stop them.”

The hunter frowned.

“That sounds normal.”

The boy’s grip tightened.

“Then save them.”

The bounty hunter froze.

Those words.

Something about them felt familiar.

Very familiar.

Before he could think further—

the serpent attacked again.

The rope snapped violently.

CRACK.

Several strands broke apart.

The bridge above groaned.

The boy looked upward.

Then toward the cliffs.

Then back at the hunter.

He made a decision.

“Climb.”

“What?”

“CLIMB!”

The hunter obeyed.

For reasons he couldn’t explain.

The two began ascending together.

The serpent followed below.

Again.

And again.

Each time it lunged higher.

Closer.

Closer.

One mistake would mean death.

Finally—

their hands reached the bridge.

The crowd rushed forward.

Strong arms pulled both of them onto solid wood.

The hunter collapsed.

Breathing hard.

Exhausted.

Alive.

The serpent roared below.

Its massive body twisted through the river.

Unable to reach them.

Then it vanished beneath the water once more.

Silence returned.

Only rain remained.

The bounty hunter slowly stood.

Everyone expected him to attack again.

Instead—

he removed a leather pouch from his belt.

Inside was a wanted poster.

The paper was soaked from rain.

The hunter stared at it.

Then stared at the boy.

Then back at the poster.

His face slowly turned pale.

The drawing was old.

Years old.

The face wasn’t identical.

But it was close enough.

Very close.

The hunter whispered,

“No.”

The boy noticed.

“What?”

The hunter’s hands trembled.

“What is your name?”

The teenager hesitated.

“Ash.”

The hunter nearly dropped the poster.

The crowd looked between them.

Confused.

The hunter slowly reached inside his coat.

Then pulled out something else.

An old silver pendant.

Half of a broken coin.

Worn by time.

He held it out.

The boy’s eyes widened.

Without a word—

he reached beneath his shirt.

And revealed the other half.

The entire bridge fell silent.

The broken pieces fit together perfectly.

The hunter staggered backward.

Impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

Twenty years earlier—

before becoming a bounty hunter—

he had served in the royal army.

One night his commander had entrusted him with a mission.

Protect a newborn child.

Deliver him to safety.

But bandits attacked.

The child disappeared.

The kingdom assumed he had died.

The hunter had carried half of the identification coin ever since.

As a reminder of his greatest failure.

The boy stared at him.

“What does this mean?”

The hunter could barely speak.

“You were never a criminal.”

The crowd leaned closer.

“You were never an orphan.”

Thunder echoed across the canyon.

The hunter pointed toward the royal seal engraved on the coin.

A seal hidden for fifteen years.

A seal belonging to only one family.

The royal family of Ashkar.

The boy’s eyes widened.

“No.”

The hunter nodded slowly.

“You’re the missing prince.”

The world seemed to stop.

The crowd stared.

The soldiers on the cliffs stared.

Even the wind seemed to vanish.

Ash shook his head.

“That’s impossible.”

“I carried you.”

The hunter’s voice cracked.

“I was supposed to protect you.”

Memories suddenly surfaced.

Fragments.

Dreams.

A woman’s voice.

A golden room.

A lullaby.

Things Ash had never understood.

The hunter fell to one knee.

Not out of respect.

Out of guilt.

“I failed you.”

The teenager stood frozen.

His entire life had been built around survival.

Around being unwanted.

Forgotten.

Alone.

Now everything was changing.

Then—

another voice echoed across the canyon.

“Interesting.”

Everyone turned.

A new figure stood atop the cliff.

Black armor.

Dark cloak.

Dozens of soldiers behind him.

The commander smiled coldly.

Ash recognized him immediately.

General Varok.

The man who had placed the bounty.

The man who had hunted him across the kingdom.

The man who supposedly served the crown.

Now his smile revealed the truth.

“You finally figured it out.”

The hunter’s face darkened.

“You knew.”

Varok laughed.

“Of course.”

Lightning illuminated his face.

“The prince was supposed to die years ago.”

The crowd gasped.

Ash stared.

Varok continued.

“But somehow he survived.”

The hunter drew a dagger.

“You betrayed the royal family.”

“I replaced them.”

The confession echoed across the canyon.

Soldiers shifted nervously.

Some looked horrified.

Others already knew.

Varok spread his arms.

“The king died.”

“The queen died.”

“And nobody questioned who controlled the kingdom afterward.”

Ash clenched his fists.

Everything suddenly made sense.

The bounty.

The assassins.

The endless pursuit.

Varok pointed toward him.

“Kill the boy.”

Several soldiers hesitated.

Nobody moved.

The hunter stepped forward.

Standing directly between Ash and the general.

“You’ll have to kill me first.”

Varok smiled.

“I expected that.”

Then—

the impossible happened.

A deep roar echoed from the canyon.

Everyone froze.

The river serpent emerged again.

But this time—

it wasn’t attacking Ash.

Its glowing eyes were fixed on Varok.

The giant beast slowly rose from the water.

Watching.

Waiting.

The general’s confidence faltered.

The hunter stared at Ash.

Then remembered something.

The old stories.

Ancient legends.

The royal bloodline of Ashkar.

Guardians of the river.

Protectors chosen by the kingdom itself.

The serpent wasn’t hunting the prince.

It was protecting him.

The realization spread through the crowd.

One by one.

People stepped away from Varok.

Then soldiers lowered their weapons.

Then more soldiers.

And more.

The general’s smile vanished.

“No.”

The crowd began kneeling.

Not because they were ordered.

Because they believed.

The rightful heir had returned.

Varok backed away.

Fear finally replacing arrogance.

The serpent roared again.

The sound shook the canyon.

The general turned and ran.

His remaining followers fled after him.

No one stopped them.

No one needed to.

Their power was already broken.

The storm slowly began to fade.

Clouds parted.

Sunlight touched the mountains.

The river glowed gold beneath the morning sky.

Ash stood at the center of the bridge.

Still trying to understand everything.

The hunter approached quietly.

“What happens now?”

Ash looked toward the horizon.

Then smiled.

A real smile.

The first in years.

“I think we rebuild.”

The hunter nodded.

And for the first time since losing the child fifteen years earlier—

he smiled too.

Far below—

the ancient serpent slipped back beneath the water.

Its duty fulfilled.

Its prince found.

And as sunlight spread across Ashkar’s mountains—

the boy who had been hunted his entire life finally stopped running.

Because he had never been the prey.

He had been the future of the kingdom all along.