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“Let’s go out and help!” Celestia said. “They can’t fight all of them alone—there’s too many!” she added, holding Adelaide’s hand tightly.
“Celestia’s right, Adelaide. We can’t keep hiding in here,” Freya said firmly.
“I promised Renee I wouldn’t let anything happen to Celestia,” Adelaide replied, her voice full of worry.
“Adelaide, you know you can’t keep doing this. Celestia has to learn how to fight someday,” Freya reminded her gently.
“Then protect me while I fight!” Celestia said, frustrated. “Come on, Aunt!” she added and stood up quickly before rushing toward the door.
“Celestia, wait!” Adelaide called out, but it was too late.
“Let’s go,” Freya said, following after her.
Outside, they were greeted by chaos. The street was filled with smoke and the scent of blood. Dead bodies of the enemy piled up on the road. Celestia didn’t stop—she raised her hand and created a fireball, hurling it at a cloaked enemy who was about to strike Dwayne’s wolf form.
“Who was that?” Celestia asked as she spotted someone else helping Flint fight.
“I don’t know,” Adelaide said, watching closely. “But don’t attack them. They’re on our side,” she added.
Adelaide and Freya moved beside Celestia, forming a shield. They made sure Celestia was in the middle—protected from both sides.
Soon, more of the Northern guards began to appear, rushing to the fight. The few enemies who were still alive saw the backup and panicked. They turned and ran, hiding behind the trees and buildings like cowards.
“What the hell happened here, and who are those people?” Jeremiah asked as soon as he arrived at the scene. He walked quickly to check on Adelaide, who nodded to show she was alright.
“These... people...” Kieran said while dropping the bloody body on the ground, breathing hard and covered in blood. “They started attacking your house. We had no choice but to fight back,” he added.
Jeremiah’s eyes darkened. “Take the bodies away,” he ordered the guards. “This road will be closed for a day. Announce it to everyone,” he added and breathed deeply. He rubbed his temple. Problems kept piling up.
Then he turned to Leon, who was standing near Kieran.
“And you? Who are you?” Jeremiah asked sharply.
“We need to speak with her,” Leon said and pointed at Celestia. Celestia, who had just finished helping a guard, looked surprised and confused. Kieran stepped forward, eyes narrowing.
“Who are you? And what do you want with my mate?” he asked coldly.
Leon met his gaze and didn’t look away.
“We only want to talk to the woman,” he said calmly.
“And what makes you think I’ll allow that?” Kieran asked, arms crossed, clearly not trusting Leon. Jeremiah stepped between them.
“Kieran, let them inside,” he said seriously. He was done for the day, and if his patience snapped, he didn’t know what he might do. “They look familiar to me. If they try something, I can just kill them,” he added, his voice full of warning.
Kieran didn’t like it, but he nodded. Leon bowed his head slightly and followed Jeremiah into the house. His group followed behind him, quiet but alert. Celestia stood frozen for a second, heart beating fast, not sure what they wanted—but she followed them too.
“So, what is it that you want?” Jeremiah asked.
“We need her,” Leon said, pointing at Celestia. “To defeat the Nightmare Wolf and for the South to finally unite as one,” he added.
“Vlada Clan,” Jeremiah said, his eyes narrowing. “I finally remember," he added.
Leon nodded.
“A native of the South?” Kieran asked.
“Born and raised,” Nash answered with a grin.
“We’ve been looking for the marked one for a long time,” Leon explained. “Our leader wants us to bring her back to the clan. He said he has something that can help the marked one defeat the Nightmare Wolf—if it ever breaks the seal.”
“The South is still at war, right?” Flint asked, breaking the silence. Everyone looked at him. He just shrugged. “I heard it from some merchants,” he added. Even if the South was lawless zone, merchants still come and sell them things because they were protected to some extent.
Leon nodded again.
“Yes. Our leader has been trying to unite the South, but it hasn’t been easy. The South used to be a lawless land, full of violence. That’s why only a few people follow him and his idea.”
“There’s another clan in the South,” Leon continued. “They want to crush the Vlada Clan. Their leader, Azul, wants power and control. He’s dangerous and cruel. He’s already taken many lives,” he added.
“And we believe he’s helping that group with the tattoos on their wrists,” Esther added.
“Have you ever had a run-in with them?” Adelaide asked.
“Many times,” Esther said. “We even lost some of our friends. They’re everywhere like a plague,” she added.
“Was it you?” Freya asked, looking at Esther. “The one who knocked out the guards?” she added.
Esther nodded slowly.
“Good job,” Freya said with a slight smile. “Looks like Adelaide’s barrier didn’t do much this time,” she added, chuckling making Adelaide sigh.
Leon turned his eyes to Celestia.
“We believe you’re the one who can stop all of this. If we defeat Azul, we can bring peace to the South,” he said.
Celestia’s hands tightened on her lap as everyone looked at her. She didn’t speak right away, but her eyes showed how serious the situation was.
She had already thought about traveling to the South, but she was unsure. The danger was real. Still, when she looked at Kieran and saw him nod his head, her heart calmed. His look said everything—whatever choice she made, he would be with her.
“Then I will go,” Celestia said softly. “A week from now, if that’s alright?” she added. She looked at Leon.
“I’m still training. I want to be ready,” she added.
Leon and his group looked at each other and smiled.
“Thank you, Celestia,” Leon said with true respect. “We’ll be waiting,” he said. Celestia nodded. It felt like so much has happened to everyone.
- Writer
