Darven Solmar watched with pleasure as Auren struggled beneath his knee. The boy was gasping for air, his face pressed into the dirt. His eyes were locked on his sister, Lysera, who was being held back by soldiers further away.
Lysera was screaming, her throat tearing with the effort:
**Lysera:** "LET HIM GO! HE'S JUST A CHILD! PLEASE, DARVEN, I BEG YOU!"
Darven, acting as if he hadn't heard Lysera's screams, calmly drew the short sword at his waist. The cold sound of metal sliding against the scabbard drowned out every other noise in the forest.
Auren lifted his head with difficulty. There was pure fear in his eyes.
**Auren** *(in a wheezing whisper):* "S-Sister…"
Darven pressed the tip of the sword against Auren's back, directly over his heart. He leaned down and whispered into the boy's ear:
**Darven:** "Fear not, little mouse. This will take but a moment. Perhaps you won't be able to say hello to your brother Kaelrin… but your death will be the cement that seals his loyalty."
Lysera thrashed in the soldiers' grip; she dug her fingernails into the guards' armor.
**Lysera:** "NOOOO!!!"
But Darven did not hesitate. With a look of mingled disgust and ruthlessness, he gripped the sword with both hands and drove it down in a single motion.
***SHLUCK!***
The sound of piercing flesh and bone cut Lysera's scream short. The sword entered Auren's back, burst through his chest, and embedded itself in the earth.
Auren's body went rigid in an instant. His eyes opened wide. A clot of dark blood gushed from his mouth, staining the soil crimson.
His small hands gripped the dirt one last time… trembled… and then went slack. The expression of fear in his emerald green eyes froze in place. The light slowly receded from his pupils. Auren died right there, before his sister's eyes.
Lysera's world stopped in that moment. Time froze. Sounds ceased. Her eyes were locked on the sword protruding from her brother's back and his motionless body.
**Lysera** *(like a whisper, in disbelief):* "Auren…?"
Darven pulled the sword from the child's body. Blood began to flow like a hot river from beneath Auren. Darven shoved the corpse aside with his boot, as if clearing away a pile of trash.
**Darven:** "It is done."
He turned to Kaeltryn and signaled with a nod.
**Darven:** "Take the girl. We have much to discuss. I want her alive."
Kaeltryn walked over to the frozen Lysera. She had stopped resisting; it was as if her soul had been drawn out. Her eyes did not leave her brother's corpse.
Kaeltryn grabbed Lysera roughly by her hair and yanked her head back.
**Kaeltryn:** "Walk. Or I'll lay you down next to him."
The guards began to forcibly drag Lysera away. As she was hauled off, her feet dragging, her head remained turned back toward Auren's small, bloodied body. The final scream she let out before being pulled into the darkness of the forest was not a sound a human could make; it was the last plea of a wounded animal before death.
**Lysera:** "I WILL KILL YOU, DARVEN! I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!!!"
Her voice echoed through the trees and faded. Auren's corpse remained all alone in the cold soil of the forest, lying in a pool of blood.
***
On the other side of the forest, the roots of the trees were shaking, and the earth groaned.
Rrnaun laughed like a storm as he swung his massive black sword with one hand. But this laugh was blended with pain and rage. The wound Sira had inflicted on his shoulder had deepened; blood seeped through his shattered armor down his arm, causing him to grimace in pain with every swing.
**Rrnaun** *(breathless, gritting his teeth):* "Are you still running? Have you fallen this low for a Senior? Face me and fight!"
Devranna barely threw herself behind a tree. Her lungs were burning. This new body she inhabited belonged to a girl who had been bedridden for years, burned, with atrophied muscles. Her physical strength was weaker than even a common human soldier. Because of the Ket Curse, she could not summon that immense energy flowing through her veins, nor call upon ancient magics. Even thinking about it caused her heart to constrict, as if thousands of needles were piercing her brain.
Rrnaun was wounded, yes. Sira had battered him. But as a Luxaris Commander, he knew how to convert pain into fuel. Like a wounded animal, he attacked more wildly, more unhinged.
**Rrnaun:** "Luxaris Sword Technique: Wave of Destruction!"
Rrnaun slammed his sword into the ground. A physical shockwave radiated from the impact. The earth split, and stones scattered like bullets. Desperate and unable to conjure a magical shield, Devranna threw herself into the mud; she tried to escape the attack by rolling on the ground.
Her back slammed into a rock. Blood spilled from her mouth. Her ribs ached. Her clothes were torn, her face smeared with mud. Once, mountains would tremble at the mention of "Devranna"; now, she crawled on the ground like a worm.
Rrnaun emerged from the dust cloud with heavy steps. He cracked his neck while clutching his wounded shoulder. His breathing was ragged, his eyes bloodshot. Seeing Devranna in this helpless state gave him enough pleasure to make him forget his pain.
**Rrnaun:** "Look at you… Are you really one of those mighty Seniors spoken of in legends? Even the rune mage fought better than you. Even that 'dog' who pierced my shoulder had more honor than you. You are nothing but a fleeing coward."
Devranna grit her teeth. She clenched them so hard her gums bled. Her honor… her pride… her name that had stood for hundreds of years… all were currently being crushed under Rrnaun's bloody boots. She wanted to fight. She wanted to rip out Rrnaun's arrogant throat. He was wounded, his guard was down; under normal circumstances, Devranna would crush him with a single finger. But right now… in this accursed weak body, she couldn't even parry a single strike from Rrnaun.
Rrnaun approached. He raised his sword. His injured arm trembled, but it was still strong enough to kill.
**Rrnaun:** "You have nowhere left to run."
Devranna noticed the cliff behind her out of the corner of her eye: The Howling Abyss. Below was pitch blackness, and the sound of a raging river rose up. A Senior never turned their back. A Senior never fled. But if Devranna was to exact revenge… she had to live like a coward today.
The moment Rrnaun lunged, Devranna plunged her hand into the ashes of a dead campfire on the ground. This was a tactic of street fighters, of thieves. It did not befit a Goddess. But in that moment, honor was worth less than survival.
Just as Rrnaun was about to bring the sword down, Devranna threw the mixture of ash and earth into Rrnaun's face with all her might.
**Rrnaun:** "AARGH! YOU WRETCHED—"
As the ash filled Rrnaun's eyes, combined with the loss of reflex from his wounded shoulder, he stumbled and swung his sword at empty air. Devranna launched herself backward on all fours—not like a hero, but like an animal trying to save its life.
She trampled her honor. She swallowed her pride. And without hesitation, she let herself fall into the void, into the darkness of the abyss.
When Rrnaun wiped his eyes and ran roaring in pain to the edge of the cliff, he saw only darkness. From below came the furious sound of the river.
**Rrnaun** *(roaring in fury, his voice tearing through the forest):* "DID YOU RUN?! DID YOU RUN LIKE A RAT?!"
Rrnaun struck the ground viciously with his sword; fresh blood spurted from his wound, but he didn't care. Devranna had escaped. Dishonorably, disgracefully… but she was alive.
The forest fell into silence. All that remained was Auren's cooling corpse, the blood trails of the dragged Lysera, and Rrnaun's unsatisfied, wounded rage.
***
A full day had passed.
Night had settled over the town like a heavy, wet blanket. Rain poured as if the sky had been punctured. As the drops fell onto the embers of dying fires, they hissed, covering the area in thick steam and the smell of soot. The wind howled, mixing with the sound of the rain, singing a dirge for the dead.
On the muddy road at the entrance of the town, five silhouettes appeared as if torn from the darkness of the night. All were dressed in black, heavy robes from head to toe, their faces hidden beneath deep hoods.
When they reached the square, the group stopped. The robed figure standing at the very back signaled the others to go. Four of them bowed their heads silently and moved under the rain toward the forest, where the real destruction lay. Their robes were soaked through, splattered with mud.
The single figure left behind stood in the center of the town square. It was obvious they were different from the others. The torrential rain pouring from the sky parted as if hitting an invisible dome a hand's span away from them; not a single drop fell upon them. Their black robe was completely dry and billowed gently in the wind like a noble flag. The mud beneath their feet did not splatter; they moved with flawless tranquility, unshaken like a candle burning in the middle of a storm.
They opened their arms slightly to the sides. The whispers falling from their lips mingled with the thunder.
Thin, green smoke of energy began to rise from the wet and mangled corpses on the ground. These were the fragments of souls that had not yet dispersed. Green beams cut through the grayness of the rain, curling in the air and drifting toward the robed figure. The figure took a deep breath; they absorbed that soul energy into their body as if inhaling the scent of a delicious meal. Power coursed through their veins.
Finishing their task, the figure began walking toward the forest without even looking back. As they walked, nature bowed to them. The downpour parted without touching them; their jet-black robe remained perfectly dry. The mud they stepped on did not splash; they advanced like a candle burning in the storm.
Deep in the forest, the scene was even gloomier. Trees were shattered; the ground had turned into a quagmire of blood and mud. Craters were filled with rainwater.
The four robed figures ahead were examining the area, soaked to the bone. One of them stopped and lowered his wet hood. It was a very old Elf. His white hair stuck to his face, water dripping from his beard. He was shivering, but his eyes shone with an emerald light.
The old Elf planted his staff into the muddy ground.
**Aelrindel:** "A great power was unleashed here… Even the rain could not wash away the scent of this ancient magic."
Just then, they heard footsteps approaching from behind. The mud did not splash; it sounded like the rustling of dry leaves. They immediately turned around and stepped aside respectfully.
The "Dry Figure" from the town reached them. The air around them was pristine; the rain could not even touch them.
The old Elf, Aelrindel, bowed his head and spoke:
**Aelrindel:** "We are late… Lady Yuria."
The figure in the center slowly raised a hand and lowered her hood. Lightning flashed, illuminating her face.
Yuria.
Her bright, poison-green hair flowed like silk. There was not a single drop of rain on her face; her skin was pale and flawless. The black eye patch embroidered with green that covered her eyes vibrated slightly with the soul energy she had just absorbed. Pushing the eye patch aside, she opened her right eye: a pure white eye, as cold as the moon in the light of the storm.
Yuria scanned the battlefield without turning her head.
**Yuria** *(with a deep and authoritative voice):* "Sira… and Thalos."
She looked at the washed-out tracks in the mud.
"No corpses. The Luxaris dogs dragged them off as trophies."
**Aelrindel:** "There is another trace here, My Lady. It does not look like Sira's blood but… it is raw. More angry."
Yuria walked toward the shattered rocks. She placed her hand on the stone stained with Devranna's blood. The stone was wet, but her glove remained dry. The eye beneath her patch throbbed. A familiar vibration.
**Yuria:** "Devranna…"
Her lips curled mockingly.
"So, you finally woke up. And the moment you woke, you fed yourself to Rrnaun. Foolish woman."
She turned her back.
"We are leaving. There is nothing here but mud and failure."
Just as she was about to take a step, she stopped. Her right eye caught on the roots of a tree further ahead. Beneath the darkness and rain, a small body lay half-buried in the mud.
The others did not understand why Yuria had stopped.
**Robed Man:** "My Lady?"
Yuria did not answer. She walked toward the small corpse with gliding steps. As she walked, the rain parted before her.
It was Auren's corpse.
The large wound on his back washed by the rain, his face buried in water, an abandoned child.
Normally, Yuria wouldn't stop to look at a human corpse. But the soul energies she had gathered in the town gave off a strange vibration when she came near this boy.
Yuria came to the boy's head and stood. The rain ceased; the drops falling toward Auren hung suspended in the air and changed direction.
She did not bend down. She simply looked from above. Her single eye narrowed slightly.
**Yuria:** "Interesting."
Aelrindel and the others approached with curiosity.
**Aelrindel:** "Just a dead human child, My Lady. Left behind like trash by Luxaris."
**Yuria:** "You do not know how to look, Aelrindel."
She extended her gloved hand toward the boy. Green soul energy concentrated in her palm and glowed.
When the light illuminated the boy, the others held their breath.
The boy's body was dead. His heart had stopped. But around the body… there was a silvery thread that even the raindrops could not pass through: His Soul.
It had not left his body. It refused to go.
**Yuria** *(whispering in astonishment):* "He is dead… but he isn't leaving. Like he has locked the door of death from the inside."
She moved her hand a little closer. Her eye patch trembled violently. Yuria's pure white eye opened wide in surprise for the first time in centuries.
In the depths of the soul…
Right beside the boy's soul…
Independent of him, pitch black, very ancient, and asleep, was a second soul.
Yuria pulled her hand back sharply. An expression of amazement appeared on her face.
**Yuria** *(in a whisper mixed with fear):* "Who is this child?"
**Robed Man:** "What did you see, My Lady?"
Yuria looked at Auren's muddy corpse as if she had found the world's greatest secret.
**Yuria:** "There are two souls inside this child. One is his own… a stubborn brat clinging to his body with rage. The other is…"
She fell silent. She still couldn't make out what that second soul was.
Yuria turned to Aelrindel.
Her voice was as clear as lightning splitting the sky:
**Yuria:** "We are taking this child."
Aelrindel was surprised.
**Aelrindel:** "His corpse, My Lady? To bury him?"
Yuria looked at Auren's wet, silvery hair. Lightning flashed; a dangerous smile appeared on her face.
**Yuria:** "No, you foolish elf. To wake him up."