Reflecting on her argument with Neven, Aria still felt the turmoil within. Since that dispute, the atmosphere between them had been tense and awkward. However, today she had no time to dwell on personal feelings, as the night patrol duty called once again.

Walking through the towering buildings, the biting cold made her shiver. Soldiers were busy preparing their gear, speaking in hushed tones, their faces marked by anxiety and tension. Everyone knew that tonight's patrol would be more arduous—they had to venture further and face unknown dangers.

Lyra was assigning tasks, her eyes scanning each soldier's face, both stern and worried. Aria approached her to receive the final instructions. She saw many familiar faces in the squad, as well as some new ones—the latest recruits to the Starguard.

"The hexagram is our Starguard's most proud emblem," Sable walked over and said emotionally. "Do you know why? Once, the Starguard were seen as gods by everyone."

"That was long ago," Oak chimed in, riding his warhorse, which seemed to struggle under his massive frame.

"We were once glorious," Sable said dejectedly.

In the night wind, Aria's thoughts drifted back to her first night patrol with Neven. It was her first mission, and she had nearly lost her life to a Celestial Deer's sudden attack. After that incident, Alpha became even stricter with the Starguard. She sighed and decided to put those worries aside for now.

As the cavalry prepared to depart, Tailsting officer Damian Blackwood suddenly appeared at the gate, arrogantly surveying the crowd. His curly hair fluttered slightly in the wind, and with a disdainful smile, he slowly raised a letter written by Alpha himself, announcing loudly, "Due to Starguard's mismanagement and frequent task failures, Grand Mentor Alpha has decided to remove the Starguard night patrol squad leader. From now on, this team will be led by Tailsting's captain."

After speaking, he lightly tapped the letter, his eyes filled with smugness and contempt, as if saying, "This is the right way to handle an underperforming team."

The soldiers immediately burst into an uproar, murmuring angrily. Oak clenched his fists, growling in a low, furious voice, "This is ridiculous! Tailsting knows nothing about night patrols!"

Sable frowned, speaking coldly, "Damian, this decision is too hasty. We've grown accustomed to our own way of command, and your interference will only cause more chaos."

Damian's smile widened at their reactions. "Oh, really? Is your 'way of command' referring to the recent chaos and failures in your missions? Is that what you’re proud of?"

His words cut into each soldier like a knife, and Aria felt a mix of shame and anger. She knew there had been some recent failures, but she also understood these issues were not entirely Starguard's fault. She suspected this had something to do with the secret meeting at the Moon Tower; Alpha sending Tailsting was clearly to get first-hand information about the demigods.

Sable, visibly angry, retorted, "Damian, this won't bring any benefit. Starguard knows this forest better than anyone."

Damian sneered, raising his voice, "Know the forest? Or do you mean knowing how to get lost and lose targets? Stop making excuses for your failures." He mocked, his eyes filled with scorn.

"You bastard!" Oak shouted, ready to charge forward, but Sable grabbed him just in time.

"Calm down, Oak," Sable whispered, though his eyes blazed with anger, "Rash actions won't solve anything."

Damian shrugged, looking indifferent. "Look at this discipline. I knew you needed stronger leadership." He turned to signal Tailsting's captain, "Alright, let's move out. Tonight, we'll teach Starguard a lesson on what real night patrol is."

"Damn it, their tasks always mess up," Oak muttered angrily.

Aria felt her blood boiling, forcing herself to take deep breaths, trying to stay calm. She knew arguing and anger wouldn't solve anything. No matter what, they couldn't give Alpha more reasons to criticize them.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, the night grew darker, with the moonlight barely piercing the dense canopy, leaving scattered patches of light on the silver snow. Aria felt a chill, not just from the cold, but from a sense of foreboding. The clatter of hooves echoed through the silent night. The howling wind and the desolate forest created an aura of mystery and danger.

Aria rode with the team, the biting wind cutting through her, making her shiver despite her tightened cloak. When they reached a particularly windy area, the team slowed. Aria scanned her surroundings, hoping to spot a familiar figure, but Neven was nowhere to be seen.

"He's not here, had a mission during the day," Sable called out through the wind, his voice fragmented, tinged with dissatisfaction, "Did he bang his head outside?"

"I don't know," Aria shouted back, her voice mostly swallowed by the wind.

"If it were the old him, you yelling at him that day...you'd piss him off, and that'd be a big problem," Sable cursed as the wind made breathing difficult.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

"What would he do?"

"You don't want to know. He's infamous as a devil of an officer. Lyra is much kinder, never coming up with any horrifying training methods."

Aria remembered Neven's furious expression, his anger had the terrifying authority of a tyrant.

"Sable, why are we on patrol?" A weak voice came from behind. A tall, skinny boy in an oversized armor was trembling with fear, likely on his first night patrol and scared out of his wits.

"To ensure safety, clear out Night Ghouls, and search for survivors," Sable replied.

"Will we encounter...Night Ghouls?" He shivered more violently.

"Of course, and I love smashing their heads in," Oak shouted excitedly from the side.

As the team continued onward, the night grew even darker, and the air was thick with tension. Aria gripped her reins tightly, her eyes scanning the surroundings, silently praying for a successful mission.

The wind and snow raged, with the howling wind causing the trees to sway unsteadily. A thick layer of snow had formed on the ground, creating a silver blanket. The troop trudged on with difficulty, the cavalrymen clutching their cloaks tightly while their horses, appearing uneasy, pawed the ground restlessly in the biting wind. Despite their efforts to move quickly, the storm was too fierce, forcing them to stop and rest.

“Stop! Everyone, take a break!” The captain's voice sounded faint in the blizzard.

The troop halted, each member trying to find some shelter from the wind and snow. Sable dismounted and lazily walked toward a patch of shrubs. Suddenly, a scream shattered the silence, and everyone turned to see Sable sitting on the ground, clutching his leg, his face contorted in severe pain.

“What happened?” Aria rushed over in alarm.

“It hurts so much!” Sable's voice trembled in the storm. “Something bit my leg!”

A bright red snake tail slithered from the bushes into the grass.

Aria anxiously inspected Sable’s wound, finding the marks of a snake bite, right where there was no armor.

“Quick, Oak, do you have a bandage?” Aria asked urgently.

Oak swiftly pulled out a bandage, tightly wrapping Sable’s leg to try and stop the venom from spreading. But Sable’s agony remained, his furrowed brow revealing his unbearable pain.

“I... I don’t feel right,” Sable's voice quivered.

“Hold on!” Aria encouraged. “We’ll get back to the city soon, Alexander will heal you.”

After returning to the capital, Oak and Aria helped Sable towards the herbary. Sable's face had turned a sickly green, and he kept moaning and wailing.

“Where’s Alexander? I’m going to die!” Sable groaned exaggeratedly.

“We’re almost there, hang on,” Aria tried to comfort him.

As they walked through a winding path, Aria felt the atmosphere grow oppressive and eerie. The trees cast long shadows in the night, like black nets trapping the path. The wind howled, and the dried leaves rustled, making the environment even more sinister.

Aria’s eyes scanned the darkness, searching for anything unusual. She noticed a dark shadow moving behind the bushes. Her heart tightened, as if a cold hand was caressing her spine, sending a shiver down her back.

“Oak, look over there!” Her voice was unusually clear in the night, filled with tension and fear. “There’s something there!”

Oak heard her call, his face turning pale instantly. His eyes squinted, trying to make out the shadow. “Oh my god, that’s…” His voice trembled, incoherent. “I’ll go get help… don’t go over there…” He turned and hurried off.

Aria stood still, her heartbeat pounding like a drum. It felt as if a formless chill enveloped her spine. An unprecedented fear gripped her, as if something unspeakable lurked in the darkness.

“What did Oak see?” Sable asked, his face pale.

“It looked like… a person.” Aria exchanged a glance with Sable, and they walked towards the direction together.

As Aria approached, she immediately understood why Oak had run off. A charred corpse lay on the ground, the air thick with the smell of burning.

“A ghost!” Sable screamed.

“Sable, it’s not a ghost, it’s a corpse, burnt to a crisp.” Aria tried to explain calmly, but her voice carried a slight tremor.

“Why would someone be burnt to death here?” Sable peered through his fingers. “No, they were burnt elsewhere and dumped here. The snow on the ground isn’t melted.”

Aria gathered her courage and moved closer, noticing something shiny in the corpse’s eye socket. She gently prodded it with her sword tip, and the object rolled out. She crouched down and picked it up carefully. It was a coin engraved with a bizarre eye symbol.

“Oh my god, you actually touched that filthy thing!” Sable started yelling again.

Soon after, Alpha arrived with Oak, who was explaining as they walked. Alpha gave Aria and Sable a cold, suspicious look.

“You killed someone and burned the body?” Alpha accused.

“It wasn’t us,” Aria explained. “We just got back from patrol. Sable was bitten by a snake. We were heading to find Alexander and stumbled upon the body.”

“Exactly, that’s what happened,” Oak panted in agreement.

“I’ve been poisoned, feeling dizzy,” Sable gagged.

Alpha stepped forward with disgust to examine the corpse, picking up another coin from the eye socket. At that moment, Sable suddenly vomited, the stench of half-digested food spilling over the body.

Alpha’s face turned ashen with rage. “Get out of here! And you…” Alpha pointed at Oak, “go fetch all the Grand Mentors.”

Aria and Sable left quickly. Once they were some distance away, Sable rolled his eyes and smirked. “I missed. I meant to puke on Alpha.”

“You did that on purpose? You actually…” Aria was stunned.

“He deserved it for being so obnoxious.”

They exchanged looks, and Aria couldn’t help but laugh. “Well done.”

When they arrived at Alexander’s herbary, the room was empty. The place smelled strongly of herbs, and the shelves were lined with strange jars. Sable continued to moan, lying on a bed. “Where’s Alexander? I’m dying…”

“I’ll find him.” Aria hurried out. Just then, the door burst open. She looked up and saw a familiar face.

“What are you doing here?” they both asked simultaneously.

Neven raised an eyebrow. “Are you hurt?”

“No, Sable was bitten by a snake.I thought you didn’t want to talk to me,” Aria said, pouting. It was the first time he had spoken to her in days.

“You thought I was mad at you?”

“I didn’t.”

“She did…” Sable groaned. “Ouch… can you focus on the one who’s actually hurt?”

“Sable, shut up,” Aria snapped.

“I wasn’t angry,” Neven explained. “I just found your silence amusing, so…”

“You…”

“Since you seem sincere, I’ll forgive you this time,” Neven said, pretending to be serious.

Aria took a deep, angry breath. All her pent-up frustration from the past few days seemed like a joke to him.

Neven walked over to the shelves and started looking through the bottles. “I wanted to join the night patrol today, but got delayed by a mission earlier. I was worried about you… It’s strange… Alexander always keeps it here.”

“What are you looking for?” Aria asked, still annoyed.

“Burn ointment…” Neven continued searching, his voice low. “I thought Alexander would be here. Where could he be?”