My steps felt unbearably heavy as I brought Ashrel back home. Every breath he took sounded strained, as if his body refused to move any further yet he forced himself onward just to remain standing. Dried blood clung to parts of his clothes, leaving dark stains that tightened my chest just from looking at them.
Above Thornwyn, the sky slowly shifted in color. Dusk descended gently, spreading a pale orange glow that felt like a warning the night was close. I quickened my pace, fear creeping into my thoughts fear that I would be too late, fear that something would happen before we arrived.
At home, Haldof would be waiting.
When we finally reached the door, my hands trembled as I knocked on the old wood.
"Haldof… Haldof!" I called hoarsely. "Please, open the door!"
Seconds passed without an answer. My heart pounded harder. I knocked again, louder this time.
The door swung open.
Haldof's usually calm face changed instantly when he saw me standing at the threshold, supporting an injured man at my side.
"Abraham?" His voice rose in alarm. "What"
His gaze fell on Ashrel.
"Inside. Quickly," he said, asking nothing more.
We rushed in. Haldof immediately helped lower Ashrel onto the bed in the front room. His movements were precise and practiced, as though he had done this hundreds of times before. I stepped back, my breathing still uneven.
"What happened?" Haldof asked as he began cleaning Ashrel's wounds. "How did he end up like this? And are you all right, Abram?"
I nodded faintly.
"On the way back… I was attacked," I answered honestly. "A black monster. I don't know what it was. I couldn't move. I thought… I was going to die."
My hands clenched without me realizing.
"Then this man Sir Ashrel saved me. If not for him…"
I couldn't finish the sentence.
Haldof paused and turned toward Ashrel.
"A monster?" he repeated quietly, his tone suddenly cautious.
Ashrel opened his eyes halfway, enduring the pain. His lips moved, his voice weak yet clear.
"Agrora."
The air in the room seemed to freeze.
Haldof went still. The concentration on his face tightened into tension.
"Agrora?" he murmured, almost a whisper. "How is that possible… for them to be in this forest?"
"They've begun appearing recently," Ashrel said with effort. "I was traveling, and… I ran into them by chance."
Haldof let out a long breath and returned to his work, though I could feel the unease he tried to conceal.
"Who are you, really?" Haldof asked after a while. "From the way you fight, from the wounds on your body… you don't look like an ordinary wanderer."
Ashrel gave a faint smile one closer to resignation than pride.
"I'm no one," he said. "Just someone who held a sword for too long."
Haldof studied him briefly, then spoke.
"Thank you for saving my student."
Ashrel shook his head weakly.
"Just call me Ashrel. And I owe Abraham more than he owes me. Without him, I might not have made it here."
Haldof nodded.
"Rest. Your body needs it."
Not long after, exhaustion and medicine worked together. Ashrel's breathing steadied, and he fell into a deep sleep.
Haldof sat on the sofa beside the bed, looking older than usual. I put away the medical tools with hands that still trembled slightly, then sat near him.
"Haldof…" I spoke softly. "What exactly is an Agrora?"
He stared into the small fire in the hearth, as if gathering his thoughts.
"Agrora are not mere monsters," he finally said. "They have no minds, no purpose beyond destruction. They attack without reason, without mercy."
"Where do they come from?" I asked quietly.
"There are many tales," he replied. "Some believe they are manifestations of hatred and resentment left behind in corrupted lands. Others say…"
He paused.
"They are born from the World Tree."
I turned sharply.
"The World Tree?"
"You remember, don't you?" Haldof glanced at me. "Thornwyn. The roots that support this world."
I searched my memory.
"The branches… the Six Sacred Trees. And the bloodlines… Tree Lineage."
A faint smile tugged at Haldof's lips.
"You remember more than you think."
He looked at me seriously.
"How did you feel when you first saw the Agrora?"
I lowered my gaze.
"I was afraid. I froze. I couldn't do anything."
"And now?"
I raised my head to meet his eyes.
"I don't want to be like that again. I want to be able to protect myself. I want to… protect you too."
Haldof chuckled softly.
"You're a reckless child."
But his voice was gentle.
"Very well. If that is your wish, we begin training tomorrow. For now, go to sleep. You're exhausted."
I nodded and went to my room. The moment my body touched the mattress, sleep claimed me.
But that night was not truly over.
"You're awake, aren't you?" Haldof's voice came quietly.
Ashrel opened his eyes, startled at being caught.
"My apologies. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
"I want to know one thing," Haldof said without preamble. "What is your true purpose in this forest? You know this is not a place people visit lightly."
Ashrel was silent for a long time before exhaling.
"I am hunting to survive," he said. "But that's not the main reason. I was once a knight of the kingdom."
Haldof's gaze sharpened.
"And now?"
"I'm retired. Because of an injury."
"Your leg," Haldof said calmly.
Ashrel nodded.
"The healers said it would never recover."
"I can heal it," Haldof said as if stating something ordinary.
Ashrel's eyes widened.
"What?"
"On one condition," Haldof continued. "You will train Abraham in swordsmanship."
"That's impossible," Ashrel let out a bitter laugh. "I've seen countless healers "
"They were amateurs," Haldof cut in.
Ashrel studied him more carefully.
"Who are you, really?"
"I am merely an old healer in exile," Haldof replied. "My name is Haldof Thorney."
Ashrel's face drained of color.
"Thorney… the Forest Mage?"
"Don't exaggerate," Haldof said. "I don't heal everything. But I know what's destroying your leg."
"Poison," he continued. "A slow poison that will ruin your joints. In a few years, you won't even be able to walk."
Ashrel fell silent. Then his voice trembled.
"Can it still be cured?"
"It can," Haldof answered. "One month of treatment."
Tears streamed down Ashrel's face.
"I accept," he whispered. "I'll train Abraham. I'll do anything."
"Don't swear to me," Haldof said. "I dislike knightly oaths."
He stood.
"Rest. Treatment begins tomorrow."
Ashrel closed his eyes once more but beneath the floor, deep within Thornwyn's roots, something ancient stirred…
as if a promise had been heard.