The wind howled through the frozen valley, whipping up flurries of snow as Kaavi and Viktor moved through the uneven terrain. The sky had begun to darken, clouds heavy with the promise of an approaching storm.

  Kaavi’s raven flew ahead, a silent shadow against the grey sky, its keen eyes scanning the distant ridges.

  Then, a sharp cry.

  Kaavi halted, motioning for Viktor to stop. The boy, bundled in thick layers, glanced up at him with questioning eyes.

  Viktor: “What is it?”

  Kaavi didn’t answer immediately. His gaze was fixed ahead, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his blade.

  Kaavi: “Scouts.”

  A moment later, he spotted them—two figures moving cautiously through the snow, their dark cloaks barely visible against the white landscape. Their movements were precise, disciplined. Soldiers.

  They weren’t traveller’s or hunters. These were enemy scouts.

  Kaavi narrowed his eyes. If these men made it back to their command, the attack on the town would come sooner than expected. He needed to act.

  He turned to Viktor, his voice low and steady.

  Kaavi: “Stay here. Keep low. No sound.”

  Viktor swallowed but nodded, crouching behind a snow-covered rock.

  Kaavi moved like a shadow through the frostbitten terrain, soundless against the snow.

  The first scout never saw him coming.

  A sharp strike to the throat sent him choking to his knees, his body convulsing in the snow. The second turned, reaching for his weapon—too slow. Kaavi closed the distance in an instant, driving his fist into the man’s gut. The air rushed out of him in a strangled gasp, and Kaavi followed with a sharp twist of his wrist, sending the soldier’s blade clattering onto the ice.

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  Before either could react further, Kaavi slammed them into the ground, one under each knee, pressing their faces into the snow.

  The first scout struggled weakly; his breath ragged.

  Scout: “W-Wait—!”

  Kaavi’s grip tightened around his throat, silencing him. He closed his eyes briefly, focusing.

  The moment their resistance weakened; he dove into their minds.

  Flashes of thought. The army’s camp. The commanding officers. The planned route. The attack—scheduled in just two days.

  That wouldn’t do.

  Kaavi pressed deeper, bending their will. Their thoughts twisted under his control, unravelling as he reshaped them.

  Kaavi: “You found nothing. No one is here. The road west is clear.”

  Their eyes turned vacant; bodies tensed. The lie had settled.

  Kaavi released his hold, stepping back.

  Kaavi: “Return to your command. Tell them to march into the northern mountains.”

  The scouts stiffened but obeyed. Like puppets, they rose unsteadily to their feet and turned toward the snow-covered peaks. The army, expecting to take the town by surprise, would now march straight into a frozen wasteland.

  Kaavi exhaled, adjusting his cloak.

  Viktor hurried to his side; eyes wide.

  Viktor: “What did you do?”

  Kaavi didn’t answer immediately. He watched the retreating figures disappear into the storm.

  Kaavi: “Ensured the town has a chance.”

  Viktor looked uncertain.

  Viktor: “You controlled them?”

  Kaavi nodded.

  Kaavi: “Yes. If I had killed them, their absence would’ve been noticed. The enemy might have pushed forward, realizing something was wrong.”

  Viktor’s brows furrowed.

  Viktor: “Then… why send them into the mountains?”

  Kaavi’s lips curled into a faint smirk.

  Kaavi: “A snowstorm is coming. Marching through those peaks will slow them down. Some of them won’t survive. Their rations will deplete faster. A starving, exhausted army is much easier to fight than a fresh one.”

  Viktor’s eyes widened slightly. He glanced toward the distant mountains.

  Viktor: “So you didn’t just trick them. You’re making them weaker.”

  Kaavi nodded.

  Kaavi: “War is not won only through numbers and strength, VIktor. It’s also a battle of wits. Ensuring victory before the war even begins—that’s what strategies like this are for.”

  Viktor hesitated, then nodded slowly, absorbing the lesson.

  The wind howled around them, thickening with ice and snow. The scouts were gone, and the enemy army was walking into a trap of its own making.

  The town had time.

  Kaavi had made sure of that.

  Viktor’s Wraith! ?? As the story unfolds, you’ll start seeing Viktor take center stage, growing stronger with each challenge. Your support means everything, and I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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