The path to the next village was quieter than any before. Not because there was nothing to say, but because everyone already knew what we might find. After dividing the fronts, every decision carried a different weight, and every destination held greater uncertainty.
Rai'kanna moved ahead, as attentive as ever, while Scarlett walked beside me, her gaze fixed on the distant line of the horizon. The adventurers who remained with us were more restrained, less talkative, as if the environment itself had stripped away any lightness from them.
"How long since the last report?" Scarlett asked.
"Less than a day," I replied. "But that doesn't guarantee anything."
She nodded slowly.
"At this pace… it might already be too late."
I didn't answer.
Because it was true.
We kept moving until the smell arrived first.
It wasn't strong at first. Just a trace in the air. Something burned, mixed with wood and something heavier. As we got closer, it became impossible to ignore.
Rai'kanna stopped.
"We're here."
I raised my gaze.
The village was there.
Or what remained of it.
Houses destroyed, some still releasing thin smoke, others completely reduced to ashes. The ground was marked by signs of battle, deep footprints, drag marks. There was no movement.
None.
Scarlett tightened her hand slightly.
"…"
I stepped forward first.
My steps were slower, not out of hesitation, but out of respect for what lay before us. There was no fight happening. No enemies in sight. Just the aftermath.
"They're gone," one of the adventurers behind me said.
"Yes," I replied.
But that didn't make it better.
Elara wasn't here, nor Liriel, nor Vespera or Lyannis. This was the first time we faced something like this apart, and it made everything clearer. Each group now carried its own reality.
Scarlett crouched beside one of the destroyed structures. She lightly touched the burned wood.
"Recent."
"Yes."
Rai'kanna walked further ahead, observing the surroundings.
"No prolonged resistance."
"They didn't have time," I added.
The silence returned.
But this time, it was heavier.
We began to move through the village. Every step revealed more signs of what had happened. Impact marks on the walls, broken weapons on the ground, doors forced open. It wasn't just an attack.
It was direct destruction.
One of the adventurers called out.
"Here!"
I went to him.
There was a group of survivors hiding among the remains of a partially destroyed house. Few. Frightened. Injured.
Scarlett was the first to approach.
"It's alright," she said calmly. "It's over."
A woman holding a child looked at us, still wary.
"Will they… come back?"
"Not now," I replied.
She lowered her gaze.
"They took… many."
That confirmed it.
It wasn't just a massacre.
There was capture too.
Rai'kanna stepped closer.
"How many?"
"I don't know… many…"
She closed her eyes for a moment.
"Direction?"
The woman pointed with difficulty.
"North… always north…"
Of course.
Everything led there.
Scarlett began helping the injured with what we had available. The adventurers also moved, organizing what little could be saved.
I walked a bit further through the village, observing.
It wasn't the first destruction I had seen.
But this time was different.
Because now I was in command.
And that…
Was a direct consequence of the war I had agreed to lead.
Liriel would probably already be analyzing every detail. Elara would be organizing survivors. Vespera eliminating any remaining threats. Lyannis maintaining control of the line. Rai'kanna facing things head-on.
And me…
I was there.
Looking at the result.
Scarlett approached.
"It's not your fault."
I looked at her.
"It's my responsibility."
She didn't answer immediately.
"Then use that," she said at last. "But don't let it freeze you."
I nodded.
Because she was right.
Standing still wouldn't change anything.
I returned to the survivors.
"We'll evacuate you," I said. "Take you to a safe point."
One of the adventurers asked,
"And then?"
I looked in the direction they had pointed.
"We advance."
Rai'kanna smiled faintly.
"That's what I wanted to hear."
Scarlett finished helping the injured and stood up.
"They won't stop."
"No," I replied.
"Then neither will we."
We organized the evacuation of the survivors with part of the group. A small detachment was assigned to escort them to the nearest safe area. It wasn't ideal, but it was possible.
Before they left, the woman who had spoken to me grabbed my arm.
"Please…"
I looked at her.
"Don't let them come back."
I held firmly.
"I won't."
She let go slowly.
And stepped away.
I watched until they disappeared down the path.
Then I turned my gaze forward.
To the north.
Where everything was converging.
Scarlett positioned herself beside me.
"Ready?"
Rai'kanna was already prepared.
"No time to waste."
I took a deep breath.
The village behind us was still releasing smoke.
A clear reminder.
We could no longer just react.
"Advance," I ordered.
We began to move.
This time, without doubt.
Without hesitation.
Because now…
The war had a face.