Injustice. Injustice at its finest. Kayla grumbled to herself as she stumbled through the dense forest. The eerie night ushered in a brisk wind, reeking of sulfur. Her insides quaked. Sulfur could only mean one thing.The Swamp of Sudura.

Spine-chilling howling rent the damp air, and Kayla’s breath came in ragged gasps. Warm red blood trickled across her arms from her sprint through the undergrowth. The wolves were ever closing in, pushing her ever nearer to the Swamp of Sudura. The Swamp of Sudura was a haven to all kinds of peril. Quicksand pits, toxic air, gigantic creatures, and the ever-shifting landscape added to the horror of the place. The swamp lay at the center of the Dark Woods, and she knew nobody had ever come back from it. Rumor had it the swamp swallowed people alive.

She cursed again. Injustice. Banishing the common folk down here to this wretched planet of Rarogan while the nobles relished in the glory and splendor of the Upper Realm far far removed from here. Kayla had been told the nobility had grown wary of the increasing power and might of the common folk and exiled them down on Rarogan. The harshest, most terrifying planet in the galaxy. No spot ever stayed safe for long. Someone…or something…was bound to find you.

The common folk had established a dwelling in a secluded valley deep within the Macari Mountains. Long have they defended the settlement from invasion of any kind. Natural terrors as well as the flora and fauna had all attempted to overtake them but failed. But the most frightening of the invaders were the Onkrons, dark creatures lurking in the caverns and caves beneath the surface. The gloomy light from the red sun did not beautify their appearance one bit. Onkrons lived and breathed to lock the common folk up in the dank depths in agony for all eternity.

Kayla’s shirt snagged on a branch, and she cursed again, frustration broiling in her veins. She had gone against her family’s wishes, searching for the sole way off Rarogan: the Jewel of Laridal. Believed to lie at the very core of the planet, guarded by an army of Onkrons and a ferocious monster beyond imagination. Her brother Kevin had vanished in the Dark Woods, and his disappearance persistently haunted and tortured Kayla’s soul. She had suspected his designs to seek out the Jewel and had not taken any action to prevent him. It was her fault he’s gone; she owed him her life.

Snarling sounded in front of her, and Kayla skidded to a stop. The dark eyes of a wolf, two times its normal size, peered out at her from the undergrowth. Supposedly, these wolves hunted with their sight. If you remained motionless, they couldn’t spot you, and you might have a chance. The wolf slinked out of the bush, rising up to its full height of six feet. Whatever red light remained bathed its sleek coat in a way to enhance its rippling muscles. The wolf bared its razor-sharp fangs and growled. Kayla swallowed back a scream. The wolf had spotted her.

She drew out her sword, one of the many weapons she’d brought with her on this quest. The four-foot, double-edged blade glittered like a beacon of light, and she felt a sense of courage overwhelm her. This blade had seen many a foe and had delivered her every time. Even a few Onkrons had fallen before its sting, and the sword was not even Kayla’s strongest skill. The wolf raised its head and let out a low, bone-chilling howl. The howl was answered by others deep in the Dark Woods. Kayla’s resolve went numb. This wolf was calling reinforcements.