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1051 Words
The sky was gray, and the air was hot. In the shadows of a broken fort, Cassius stood alone. He wore a dark green cloak and held a small black crystal. It glowed softly in his hand. Cassius, a leader in charge of the Abyss Brotherhood in the South, watched and waited.
It was through that crystal that he had been watching Hector—the man Azul trusted to capture Celestia.
Cassius’s lips curled into a half-smile, not from joy, but from knowing. He had seen everything. Hector’s failures. Hector’s fear. Hector’s pride crumbling bit by bit.
"You’re falling into my hands," Cassius whispered to himself after Hector took the binding stone with him.
He didn’t trust Azul. Not entirely. Azul was powerful, yes. Ruthless. But Cassius had always known that Azul's eyes were clouded by arrogance. Azul wanted to crush Marañon, and the North, to claim all lands, to destroy the marked woman. But Azul was too confident—he didn’t see how things were shifting.
Cassius saw it.
Celestia was getting stronger.
And that made things more interesting. He needs to report this to his bother in hands. The revival of Nightmare Wolf is near.
If Hector failed again, Cassius would pull his hand away. He would step back from the shadows and allow Azul to clean up the mess. But not yet. Not now. Cassius still believed there was a small chance Hector could do what he was told.
"Let’s see what he does now," he said softly.
The sky was red with dust as the sun began to fall. Hector stood at the edge of the broken ruins, his cloak stained with old blood. The air around him was hot and dry. His jaw was tight. His mind was full of anger.
He had waited long enough.
It was time. He didn't care what Azul would think. Cassius will back him and that is enough for him. He will defeat the enemy of Azul and will become the new king of the South.
Hector turned to his men, who were quietly standing by, ready for orders.
“We’re done waiting,” he said. “Tonight, we attack the Vlada land again. This time we will wipe them all out and take the witch,” he added.
His voice was sharp and cold. His eyes burned with rage.
They all looked at him in silence.
“No more hiding in shadows or taking foolish orders from Azul,” Hector continued. “We’re not sneaking in this time. We’re going straight through their walls,” he added.
Rurik, his tall and loyal soldier, stepped closer.
“Boss, are you sure?” he asked. “They might be ready,” he added.
“I don’t care,” Hector snapped. “They lost people. They’re tired. Their guard is weak,” he added.
He looked toward the hills where the Vlada land lay quiet in the distance.
“They won’t see us coming,” he said.
Just then, Cassius stepped out from the side, his dark green cloak dragging on the ground.
“You’ve made your choice,” Cassius said calmly. “There’s no going back,” he added.
“I know,” Hector answered. “I’ll take her, just like you wanted, but she's quite young so let me have a taste of her,” he added.
Cassius looked him over, disgust written all over his face.
“Alive,” he reminded him. “You must bring her alive,” he added.
“I will,” Hector said. “And I’ll crush anyone who stands in my way,” he added.
Cassius gave a small nod. Then he stepped back into the shadows and disappeared.
Hector raised his hand to signal his crew.
“Get your weapons. We march now.”
His men moved quickly. They picked up their blades, their shields while other transformed into ther wolf forms. No one spoke. They all knew this could be the final strike.
They didn’t take horses. They traveled by foot, moving fast through the dry hills. The air was quiet, only the soft sound of boots on the ground.
Hours passed.
Then they saw it—fires glowing from inside the city walls. The Vlada land.
Hector stopped and looked at the gates. The guards were fewer now. The walls still showed signs of the last attack. Smoke still clung to the edges.
“Now,” Hector whispered. “We move.”
He ran forward. His men followed.
Shouts broke out as the first arrows flew. The Vlada guards rang the bell. But it was too late.
Hector and his men were already climbing over the wall, already inside.
“Find her!” Hector shouted. “Take Celestia alive!” he yelled.
And yet another battle has began.
Fire lit up the night. Magic clashed in the air. Swords hit shields. Cries and screams echoed across the land.
But Hector didn’t stop.
He was going to find her.
And this time, he would not fail.
Celestia sat beside the fire, her fingers gently wrapped around the handle of the dagger Maraño had given her. She kept in by her side every hour and every day. The fire’s glow touched her face, but she didn’t feel its warmth. Her thoughts were heavy. Her heart felt tired.
She stared at the flames, but her mind was somewhere else.
Something didn’t feel right.
The wind had changed once again. It blew faster now, colder—even though the fire still burned.
The stars above looked strange, like they were watching.
And the fire… it flickered in a way that made her uneasy. It burned, but not like before. It felt colder.
Kieran sat down beside her. He glanced at her, noticing how quiet she was.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked gently.
Celestia didn’t answer right away. She looked down at the dagger in her hand, then slowly turned to him. Her eyes were filled with worry.
“I don’t know,” she said.
They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the wind.
Then it happened.
A loud yell broke through the night.
“Enemies! They’re coming!”
More voices followed—shouting, panicked, rushing through the camp.
Kieran stood up quickly. Celestia grabbed the dagger and rose beside him.
- Writer
