Chapter 1: A Message With No Hope.
The sun filtered through the trees, casting a warm glow over the bustling market of Green Arbor. The town had slowly returned to a sense of normalcy in the two months since the Siege of Green Arbor, but the scars of battle still lingered. Among the market stalls and familiar faces, Miko moved with his usual efficiency, his steps still marked by the limp that hadn’t fully healed. Each day, he walked the perimeter, checked in with the town’s defenders, and ensured that Green Arbor remained vigilant.
Near the old fountain, where water now flowed more steadily than it had during the siege, a Sentinel courier approached Miko. The young man was easily recognizable by the dusty grey uniform and the worn emblem on his satchel, marking him as a messenger of the Northern Command. Miko greeted him with a nod, already reaching for the daily dispatches.
“Morning,” Miko began, his tone casual, though his eyes scanned the man’s face for any hint of news. “Anything good in there today?”
The courier shook his head, shrugging slightly as he pulled the leather satchel over his shoulder. “Mostly reports from up north. Nothing exciting, though. Looks like they’re sending more scouts out to the borderlands. Always trouble brewing up there.”
Miko sighed, tossing a coin into the courier’s palm. “Get yourself a drink. You’ve earned it.”
The courier grinned, pocketing the coin with a grateful nod before disappearing into the crowd. Miko adjusted the weight of the satchel on his shoulder and made his way to the edge of the market square, finding a shaded spot near the tavern. His fingers worked through the familiar motions of sorting letters and reports, but as he came across one particular envelope, marked with the seal of the Northern Command, his heart skipped a beat.
The official stamp on the letter caught his attention immediately—urgent. Miko’s fingers hesitated for a moment before breaking the seal, his eyes scanning the message quickly. The words leapt off the page, each one landing like a blow.
Ambush. Fierce firefight. Gear retrieved. No bodies found. Feared dead. Items belonging to Sentinel Ava and Sentinel Talon recovered—Ava’s sword, helmet, service rifle,Talon’s jacket, pack, service rifle.
Miko’s heart pounded in his chest, the weight of the words pulling him down. His hands trembled, and for a brief moment, the world seemed to tilt on its axis. Ava and Talon—gone? The notion felt impossible, unimaginable. They had survived everything together, but now... Miko struggled to process the cold, bureaucratic language that spoke of such finality.
With a deep breath, he stuffed the letter back into the envelope. His legs felt heavy as he began the short, but arduous walk toward Jess’s home. The noise of the market seemed to fade as his mind raced with how to tell her, how to say that the people they loved were gone.
Jess was in the garden, tending to a patch of flowers that had been trampled during the siege but were now slowly regrowing. Little Ava was by her side, holding a small watering can, her innocence and laughter a sharp contrast to the message Miko carried. He hesitated at the gate, watching them for a moment, gathering his resolve.
Jess looked up, noticing him standing there. “Miko, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s wrong?”
Miko swallowed hard, his throat tight as he stepped closer. “Jess, we need to talk.”
At the tone of his voice, Jess’s smile faltered, her brow furrowing with concern. She motioned for little Ava to go play with her toys inside. Once the child was out of earshot, Jess turned her full attention to Miko, sensing the gravity of what he had to say.
“Miko... what is it?” Her voice was quieter now, laced with fear.
Miko took a deep breath, pulling the letter from his pocket and holding it out to her. “I received a report from the Northern Command. It’s about Ava and Talon.”
Jess’s hand trembled as she reached for the letter, her heart already racing. As her eyes scanned the words, her face went pale, her breath hitching in her throat. “No...” she whispered, the weight of the news crashing over her like a wave.
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She dropped the letter, her hands covering her mouth as the tears began to fall. “No, no, no... they can’t be... they can’t be gone, Miko.”
Miko’s own voice cracked as he reached out, pulling Jess into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry, Jess. There was an ambush. They found their things, but... no bodies. They’re feared dead.”
Jess sobbed into his chest, her body trembling with the force of her grief. “We just got them back... how can this happen again?” Her words were muffled, but the pain in them was unmistakable.
“I don’t know,” Miko whispered, his own tears threatening to spill. “I don’t know.”
They stood there for what felt like an eternity, Jess clinging to him as the weight of the news settled over them both. Miko knew there were more people he needed to tell, but for now, he stayed with Jess, letting her cry, knowing there was nothing he could say to make the pain any less real.
When little Ava returned, her wide eyes filled with concern for her mother, Jess knelt down, pulling her daughter close. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” she whispered, though her voice was thick with tears. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
But as Miko stood there, watching the scene unfold, he knew that nothing would ever be the same again. Not for Jess, not for the village, and certainly not for Eli, who had yet to hear the devastating news.
The marketplace was quieter now, the morning rush of trade giving way to the softer hum of midday. The weight of the message still hung heavy in Miko's heart as he made his way through the familiar streets toward Eli’s market stall. Every step felt heavier than the last, each one bringing him closer to the unbearable task of delivering the news.
Eli was bent over a display of fresh vegetables, carefully arranging them with the kind of precision that came naturally to him. His expression was calm, his movements deliberate, unaware of the storm about to crash down around him. Miko paused a few steps away, watching Eli for a moment, his heart heavy with dread.
“Eli,” Miko called out softly, his voice betraying the burden he carried.
Eli straightened at the sound of his name, turning with a welcoming smile, but the moment his eyes met Miko’s, the smile faded. He saw it immediately—the sorrow, the weight of something terrible—and his body tensed in anticipation.
“Miko?” Eli’s voice was hesitant, his hands still gripping a bundle of produce. “What’s happened?”
Miko took a breath, stepping closer. “Eli, I... I have something to tell you. It’s about Ava.”
The color drained from Eli’s face, his heart pounding in his chest. He dropped the vegetables, his hands trembling as they fell forgotten to the ground. “What do you mean?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, fear creeping into every syllable.
Miko gently took Eli by the arm and guided him to a nearby bench, away from the noise and the eyes of the other villagers. He needed to do this privately, away from curious stares. When they were seated, Miko reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter, the official seal of the Northern Command still visible.
“I received this from Northern Command this morning,” Miko said, his voice strained. “There was an ambush. Ava and Talon... they’re missing.”
Eli’s breath hitched, and his world tilted as the words sank in. His vision blurred, his pulse racing. “No... no, that’s not possible. She’s... she’s not gone. She can’t be gone,” Eli stammered, his voice trembling with disbelief.
Miko lowered his head, his heart aching for his friend. “They found some of their gear. Ava’s sword, Talon’s jacket... but there were no bodies. They’re feared dead.”
Eli’s eyes filled with tears, his hands gripping the edge of the bench as if it were the only thing anchoring him to the world. He shook his head, his voice barely a whisper. “If only she had stayed...” His words broke as his chest heaved with the effort of holding back the sobs that threatened to overwhelm him. “If only...”
Miko placed a hand on Eli’s shoulder, squeezing it gently, offering whatever comfort he could. “I’m so sorry, Eli. I don’t have the right words... I wish I did.”
Eli broke then, the walls of composure he had tried so hard to maintain crumbling around him. The sobs came hard and fast, racking his body as the reality of the situation set in. Ava, the woman he loved, the woman he had hoped to build a future with, was gone.
“She can’t be...” Eli choked out, his face buried in his hands. “She promised... she promised she’d come back.”
Miko sat with him, silent but present, knowing that no words could ease the agony Eli felt. The market continued on around them, the world moving forward even as Eli’s seemed to have come to a crashing halt.
After what felt like an eternity, Eli lifted his tear-streaked face, his eyes red and swollen. “What do we do now?” he asked, his voice hollow, empty.
Miko sighed, rubbing his face with one hand. “We wait,” he said softly. “I’ve sent a message to Northern Command asking for more details. But... until we hear more, we hold on to hope. As slim as it is.”
Eli nodded slowly, though his heart still felt shattered, the pieces scattered too far to ever put back together.
“I’ll be here,” Miko said quietly, standing up. “If you need anything. Don’t hesitate to ask, Eli.”
Eli remained seated on the bench, his mind swirling with memories of Ava—her smile, her laugh, the way she could make him feel like he mattered in a world that had never given him much. But now those memories felt like they were slipping away, slipping through his fingers like sand, lost to a future that had been stolen from them.
As Miko walked away, Eli was left alone with his grief, staring blankly at the bustling market, the world oblivious to the pain tearing through him