Nerya entered her room and began packing her belongings into a bag, Telyssia having left her time to prepare her own things.

  She put away the objects that mattered in her eyes, but stopped when she picked up the small white dress she had worn on her fifth birthday.

  “I’d rather forget that kind of thing, honestly, remembering those looks and people’s words,” she muttered, tense.

  She set it on the back of her chair, resumed her packing, and quickly finished filling her small bag.

  She picked up her scabbard and adjusted it across her chest, then took her sword and slid it into place.

  She left the room and headed for the kitchen, flour and pieces of dough still scattered everywhere.

  “And to think tonight was supposed to be for Telyssia, they really couldn’t have arrived another day,” she sighed.

  On her side, Telyssia was also preparing her belongings, but she stopped for a moment to look at the paper Eldran had given her just before.

  She sat down and unfolded it, seeing that the paper was worn, as if it had been written several years ago.

  Her throat tightened for a moment, then she began to read what it contained.

  Telyssia, if you are reading these words, then the situation is more serious than you can imagine.

  I cannot tell you what it is in order to protect you and Nerya, but you must leave quickly.

  I showed you a hidden exit during a patrol in the village, leave as soon as possible through that path.

  Then cross the forest as discreetly as you can, and make your way near Lake Telvynanque.

  Follow it along the southern side, and when you see a rock fused with a tree, turn east and walk in that direction without ever deviating.

  You will end up reaching a large isolated house, friends of mine live there and will take you in.

  They are aware, give them this paper and they will know.

  When the time comes, they will explain the situation to you.

  I know Zephyra will not come with you, her mule-like temperament will make her stay with me.

  If we do not return, we entrust Nerya to you.

  You are the only one in whom I have full trust, and the only one who truly gets along with her.

  I am sincerely sorry to inflict this upon you, I would have liked things to be different.

  Take good care of our little girl, we entrust to you what we love most.

  Take care of yourselves, my dear Telyssia, look after Nerya as if you were her second mother, please.

  Preserve our daughter’s innocence, make sure she remains happy.

  She remained like that for a few moments, her eyes rereading the letter without seeing the words.

  Tears welled as she grasped what she had just read, not understanding why.

  “What am I supposed to do? Do you really think Nerya will stay cheerful if you don’t come back? What could possibly frighten you this much to say such things, why did you never tell me before?” she babbled.

  But she was pulled from her thoughts when someone knocked on her door.

  “Telyssia, I’ve finished preparing, it’s all set. Since you weren’t coming, I took the liberty of coming myself,” Nerya said from behind the door.

  Telyssia quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve, hurriedly slipping the letter beneath her top.

  She took a deep breath, then went to the door and opened it to let Nerya in.

  “You took a long time. I don’t know when we’ll be back, so I took what I could with what was important,” Nerya continued.

  Telyssia turned and headed for the kitchen, taking out some food and wrapping it without saying a word.

  She then went toward her room, Nerya following her, surprised by Telyssia’s silence.

  “Don’t be so sad, we’ll come back soon, I’m sure of it. And even if there’s damage, we can always rebuild,” Nerya said.

  “I know, don’t worry, it’s just that… everything is happening all at once. I should stay with them, I’m a soldier too,” Telyssia replied quietly.

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  “You… you see me as a burden, is that it? Having to take care of me because my father asked you bothers you?” Nerya asked, her expression falling.

  Telyssia turned toward her, realizing what she had just said.

  She stepped closer to Nerya and held her tightly against her.

  “But no, that’s not what I meant, forgive me. It’s just that… I also feel like I’m abandoning them,” she said, stroking her hair.

  Nerya pulled away from her and closed her eyes for a moment.

  Understanding what she meant, and feeling responsible for putting Telyssia in this situation.

  “But we don’t have time to talk. We need to get moving quickly, will you help me pack my things, please,” Telyssia went on.

  Nerya nodded and opened the drawers, pulling out the clothes they held and stuffing them quickly into a bag.

  After a few minutes, they closed the last bag and headed for the door.

  They stepped outside, and Telyssia took the path toward the place Eldran had shown her once before.

  Telyssia slipped onto a narrow trail hidden by dense vegetation, branches cracking as they passed.

  They reached the forest edge, Telyssia and Nerya turning back one last time before plunging among the trees, their shadows vanishing into a heavy silence.

  On their side, Zephyra and Eldran stood before the soldiers, all gathered in front of the gate.

  Eldran took a deep breath and cleared his throat loudly.

  All eyes turned to him.

  He briefly looked at his wife, who nodded, giving her assent.

  “Listen to me, the King’s army is not here to attack invaders.

  They are here to attack this village.

  I cannot ask the impossible of you, but if you let them do it, all the villagers will die.

  Your families, your friends, no one will be spared,” he explained in a firm voice.

  Among the soldiers, uneasy discussions began, unable to understand why the Kingdom they served would want to attack them.

  “And… why would they want to attack us?

  We’ve done nothing, and the King would not attack without reason,” one of the soldiers shouted.

  “It’s because of me.

  An old quarrel from the past that I had forgotten, but he ended up finding me,” Zephyra said.

  Everyone looked at one another, even more unsettled, unable to grasp how a quarrel could lead to such a situation.

  “Then we just have to hand you over and it’ll all be over,” the same soldier snapped.

  “Hand her over?

  Do you really think he moved such an army to let you walk away unharmed?” Eldran replied.

  “Then what?

  We’re supposed to fight against that many men knowing we have no chance?

  You’ve condemned us all these years, and we’re supposed to accept that?” the soldier pressed on.

  “Shut up.

  After everything they’ve done for us, how can you think like that.

  If you’re still alive today, it’s because the captain has always taken care of us,” another soldier protested.

  “SILENCE.

  I am not asking you to fight to protect us.

  What I’m asking is that you make sure the villagers can flee.

  Hold long enough to save as many people as possible,” Eldran cut in sharply.

  But their discussion was abruptly interrupted, a hoarse and powerful horn sounding from the plain.

  The village soldiers understood they no longer had time to complain.

  A crushing silence settled, no one daring to utter a single word as they waited to see what would happen.

  But the answer did not take long to arrive, the blue sky rapidly darkening.

  “SHIELDS OVER YOUR HEADS, NOW,” Eldran shouted.

  Though most reacted immediately to the order out of habit, some stood staring, unmoving.

  The whistling began, as flaming arrows that filled the sky rained down upon them.

  Several volleys followed, time itself seeming to stretch the moment as if it had chosen to slow.

  Screams erupted among the soldiers and the villagers alike, those struck by arrows howling in agony as their bodies burned.

  Panic spread rapidly, colliding bodies passing the fire to others, multiplying the cries like an endless lament.

  Out on the plains, another horn blast rang out, and the ground began to tremble once more.

  The King’s army had begun to move, covering other soldiers who were dragging battering rams meant to bring down the village ramparts.

  “Evacuate the villagers, now. Save as many people as possible, do not try to face them,” Eldran shouted.

  The troops moved into action, though some remained frozen before the bodies that were already beginning to litter the ground.

  Skin charred by fire, some soldiers soiling themselves in fear at the sight.

  “Zephyra, we need to buy them some time. Can you take care of it, please?” Eldran asked, dismounting from his horse.

  Zephyra nodded, but before she could move, Eldran pulled her to him and kissed her.

  He exhaled as he released her, Zephyra already heading toward the ramparts.

  She stepped out into the open and did not waste a second, extending both hands toward the advancing soldiers.

  She focused, fixing her gaze on the spots where the soldiers were pushing the battering rams.

  She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, keeping the places she had marked clearly in mind.

  “Sanguis Enso Kyra — Vareth Igni’Vahl — Thir Orym Custodia,” she began.

  Her hands split open as blood began to seep from the shallow cuts, drawn into the air as it filled with a metallic scent.

  A wave of heat spread around her, the air growing hot enough to warp and blur the surroundings.

  “Infernia Custodia, spell of the third circle… answer my call, and consume my enemies,” she continued.

  The distortion around her vanished, as if the spell had failed.

  But the soldiers she had envisioned suddenly began to feel an intense heat.

  Some halted, the air becoming hard to breathe.

  The air distorted around them, compressing to its limit.

  “GET AWAY RIGHT NOW,” one of the soldiers shouted.

  But Zephyra snapped her fingers, and the air imploded, creating an explosion of flames that burned everything across a wide area.

  The soldiers on the ground screamed in agony, running as their bodies burned, some collapsing almost immediately.

  Yet it did nothing to stop the others, who moved around and avoided the fallen soldiers.

  “Damn it, what are these men? They don’t even hesitate to advance after seeing that?” Zephyra spat, out of breath.

  “I won’t be able to do this for long.”

  She rushed down the stairs, hurrying back toward the entrance, where Eldran was shouting orders to the soldiers to evacuate the village as fast as possible.

  “Zephyra? What did you do? What was that we heard?” Eldran asked.

  But as she reached him, she collapsed to her knees, her breathing coming in ragged gasps.

  She lifted her eyes toward her husband.

  “It’s useless, there are too many of them and they don’t care if their comrades die.

  They advance without even looking at them, stepping around them as if nothing is happening,” she replied.

  Eldran opened his mouth to answer, but the sound of wheels from the approaching machines cut him off.

  He understood then that they no longer had time to talk, that soon the fragile walls separating them from the army would be gone.