A fierce battle raged outside the manor, with only a handful of fighters on their hand some children decide to fight. The odds were overwhelmingly against them, and the gates to safety lay just beyond, but the price of escape was measured in sacrifices.

The distant town, a glimmer of refuge, was separated from the manor by a treacherous forest. While a well-trodden path led to the town, they opted for the dense, foreboding woods. Little did they know that this forest would eventually guide them to a perilous mountain. There was no other choice, no other escape.

With pounding hearts, they sprinted through the dark, unforgiving woods, leaving the manor far behind. They could hear the relentless footfalls of pursuing soldiers, their desperate cries for help haunting every passing minute. With every step, they knew they couldn't afford to glance back; they had to run, run for their lives, for their freedom, and for their tearful hope that they might make it through.

As the heart-wrenching cries of help and anguish gradually faded into the distance, it seemed like the pursuers had abandoned their relentless chase. Finally, a moment of respite emerged, and the children and Lena, the maid, dared to steal a glance back at what they had left behind.

But the agonizing truth revealed itself with brutal clarity—only five children remained, their eyes glistening with tears, reflecting the harrowing choice they had been forced to make. Those heart-rending sobs echoed a cruel reality; they had no choice but to leave their fellow children behind. Lena, with a glimmer of hope, held onto the belief that maybe the others had managed to survive, perhaps splitting off from the group or finding sanctuary with other maids.

Yet, I knew the grim and tearful truth: they were all gone, lost to the merciless clutches of that sinister place. Every cry for help, every desperate plea, now resided only in the echoes of memory, a painful testament to the haunting horrors they had endured, and the cruel reality of their fate.

Lena leads the children to the way she don't even know. She tries her best to stop the tears of the children and maybe give them some hope even she herself is losing hope but as the oldest alive, she needs to do something.

Facing the treacherous depths of the forest, the deafening silence left by the pursuers was replaced by the chilling sounds of wild animals. Every second was marked by haunting howls, echoing through the dense underbrush.

But the most terrifying encounter awaited them - a pack of wolves, numerous and fearsome. The children's frightened cries filled the air, and Lena, determined to protect them, fought to retain her own faltering hope. In the midst of this nightmare, she knew that saving these children was her unwavering purpose, no matter the peril.

They though its the end and then someone save them....

The children and Lena slowly awoke to the gentle sound of birds chirping outside the window. The tantalizing aroma of a hearty meal wafted through the air. Their surroundings were unfamiliar, and they exchanged puzzled glances as they tried to piece together their situation.

Just as their confusion began to mount, the creaking of a door drew their attention. The door swung open, revealing an old woman whose visage was marked by the passage of time. Her face bore the scars of old injuries, lending her an eerie, yet strangely intriguing appearance.

Amidst their unease, Grammy, with her mysterious and weathered appearance, tried to bridge the gap with humor. She looked at Lena and the children and let out a hearty laugh.

"Ah, don't look so suspicious, my dear! I know I might seem a bit intimidating with all these wrinkles and scars, but I promise you, I'm not as scary as I look," she said with a playful twinkle in her eye.

Lena raised an eyebrow, her wariness still evident, but the children couldn't help but giggle at Grammy's unexpected jest. Grammy continued, "You know, in my younger days, I was quite the adventurer, braving countless perils. These scars? Oh, they're just souvenirs from my wild escapades."

The children's laughter grew, and their apprehension began to wane. Even Lena couldn't help but crack a small smile. Grammy's warm and endearing sense of humor began to win them over, slowly breaking the ice between their newfound protector and these weary survivors.

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"Let's not waste any more time on being gloomy," Grammy said, still grinning. "We've got a delicious meal here, and I've got tales to share. Life's too short to be serious all the time."

They had been at Grammy's house for several days now, and it felt like an oasis of warmth and happiness in a world they had only known as cruel and unforgiving. Lena, despite the hardships she'd faced as a slave, began to wonder if love and happiness were indeed within her grasp.

She couldn't help but ask herself if she too could experience the love and joy the children were now finding under Grammy's care. The question hung in the air, heavy with both hope and uncertainty, as she gazed at the little ones who had already found their sanctuary.

Love, huh?" she whispered, her voice filled with a bittersweet resonance. The children's laughter echoed in the background, and it was both a joyous and painful reminder of the love, care, and happiness they had been deprived of for so long.

Its been days, the children, who had once known only suffering, reveled in the joy of these moments. Lena, too, experienced a taste of happiness she hadn't imagined possible. Yet, the reality of their circumstances was impossible to ignore. Life had taught them that joy was often followed by sorrow, and their time with Grammy was no exception.

One day, Old Grammy and a child named Stead had ventured into the nearby mountains to collect herbs, hoping to find some foods for them. As the setting sun painted the sky with shades of orange and purple, Lena and the remaining children couldn't sit idly by any longer. Worried by Old Grammy and Stead's prolonged absence, their concern grew as the hours passed.

With the fading light and a sense of urgency, Lena and the children decided to venture out to look for Old Grammy and Stead. But as they are about to go out they saw from the window a group of soldiers walking towards the cottage they are staying.

Lena stood her ground it is too late to flee, so she took a kitchen knife, it was clutched in her trembling hand, ready to protect the children at all costs. As the soldiers advanced, encircling them, fear and determination clashed in her eyes.

One of the soldiers, his expression twisted with malice, recognized Lena and sneered, "Oh! It's Lena. You're still alive, huh? I've missed you." The soldiers joined in a sinister chorus of laughter, their mockery cutting deep. "It's been days since I felt the warmth of my own bed," one of them jeered, their words dripping with insults and contempt.

Lena launched an attack on one of the soldiers, but he effortlessly deflected her, capturing her hand in an iron grip. He sneered, "The lord plans to kill you all, but let's have some fun first."

A brave child tried to intervene, shouting, "Don't hurt sister Lena!" Despite Lena's pleas to stop, the child sank their teeth into the soldier's leg, briefly freeing Lena from his grasp. The soldier, howling in pain, struggled to release himself and finally succeeded by kicking the child, sending them crashing into the furniture, resulting in a bleeding wound.

Tears streamed down Lena's face as she reached Larry, his life slipping away due to the severe bleeding. "Larry!" she cried out, her voice trembling with grief. The wounds were too grievous, and it was painfully clear that it was too late to save him. He mustered a smile and whispered his gratitude, "Sister Lena, thank you," before closing his eyes, forever still. He was gone.

The soldier who had been nursing the bite wound on his leg callously remarked, "Seriously, it's his fault. These kids are all the same, just like when I cut the other kid's head while he was with that old witch."

A sudden, dreadful realization struck Lena, as she considered what might have happened to old Grammy and Stead. Anguish and rage surged through her, and she snatched up the knife from the ground, unleashing a furious assault, her cries of defiance mingling with those of the other children, who, despite their tears, also tried their best to fight back against their tormentors.

They launched a desperate attack on the soldier, their tiny hands and makeshift weapons flailing against the relentless foe. But it was futile, as the soldier easily raised his guard, coldly defending himself. The children's efforts were in vain, and the battle became a gruesome spectacle.

A child fell, cut down by the soldier's merciless blade. Another was hurled through the air and met a violent end. One child was cleaved in half, their tiny body left to lie in pieces. The soldier's brutality knew no bounds, and one by one, the children succumbed to the relentless onslaught, their hopes crushed.

Lena, despite the multitude of wounds that adorned her body, mustered her strength for one final, desperate strike. With all her might, she managed to wound the soldier, causing him to bleed to death. It was a small victory, but the price they paid was immeasurable. They had lost everything, despair hung heavy in the air. One soldier, just one soldier, was all Lena had managed to vanquish, while the rest of the children lay lifeless, their dreams and hope end just like that.

As the chilling silence descended upon the blood-soaked room, the tearful sobs of the wounded and dying children, mixed with Lena's heart-wrenching cries, painted a picture of unimaginable suffering. They tried to be happy, but the world told them no. They believed in hope, but in the end... tears were all they could know. They just want to be love... is that too much!! is that too much??!!