Davian's eyes widened, and without hesitation, he pushed Alara to the ground, shielding her as he crawled back into the room, dragging her with him.

"Get down!" he shouted into the room behind them. Chaos erupted as guards rushed to the King's side and nobles scrambled to find cover. Alara managed to pull herself away from her brother and took shelter beside the solid wall near Rasa.

Rasa held her tightly, and for a brief moment, Alara felt a false sense of security in her friend's embrace. Rasa cupped Alara's face, her eyes searching her frantically. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice urgent. Alara nodded, still too shaken to speak.

Davian stood on the other side of the balcony, drawing his sword from his belt as another volley of arrows rained into the room. "With me!" he commanded the guards pouring into the room from the banquet hall. He glanced at Alara, his voice softening for a moment. "Keep yourself safe." With that, he led his men outside to face the attackers.

The guards in the room moved to escort the King further into the castle. Alara moved to follow, beckoning Elias to come with her. He shook his head, his expression firm. When she looked at him confused, he said, "We must return to the temple. Not only is it safer, but we must protect those who remain. Follow your father."

Alara hesitated her mind racing, before shaking her head. "My place is at the temple with you. I will come."

"Alara, it is not safe—" Elias began, but before he could finish, a soldier in red and gold scrambled over the balcony, charging at them. A nearby guard intercepted, kicking the soldier back off the ledge. Another attacker grabbed the guard's ankle, trying to drag him down.

"Get her out of here, Rasa!" Elias shouted, more guards running towards the balcony to engage the attackers. Separated from the other temple officials by the battle, Rasa grabbed Alara's arm and pulled her through the nearest door, dragging her into an adjacent hallway.

"Wait!" Alara protested, but Rasa ignored her, pulling her into a dark corner and covering her mouth with her hand to silence her. Alara's heart pounded as they watched a line of invading soldiers rush past them, heading into the room they had just escaped.

Once the coast was clear, Rasa removed her hand. "We can't afford to wait." She tore the hem of her dress just below her knees and did the same for Alara. She met Alara's eyes, her expression deadly serious. "Do you know a way out of here?"

Alara peeked around the corner, her mind trying to orient itself. She slowly nodded, recognizing where they were from as a child.

"We're close to the main entrance," she whispered, pointing towards a door at the end of the hallway that led outside.

Rasa shook her head. "They came from that direction. Is there another way?"

Alara hesitated, then nodded again. She remembered an exit from the kitchens that led to a mountaintop garden. There was a narrow path down the side of the mountain—dangerous, but it was an option. She had been warned about it many times, told to stay away for fear of falling into the chasm below.

Rasa nodded. "Lead the way."

Alara moved cautiously, leading Rasa through the castle's winding corridors. They had to stop several times, ducking into corners or hiding behind curtains as the sounds of battle echoed through the halls. The guards fought fiercely against the invaders, allowing Alara and Rasa to make it through without being detected. When they reached the kitchens, they found them empty, the servants presumably having fled at the first sign of attack.

Alara ran to the door leading to the garden and flung it open. Outside, two invaders turned to face them, surprise flashing across their features. They drew their blades, but Rasa reacted instantly. She kicked one in the groin, disarming him and swiftly slashing at the second invader's throat. He stumbled back, clutching his neck, as Rasa kicked the first attacker off the cliffside. Alara gasped, covering her eyes and sinking to her knees.

Rasa grabbed her arm, pulling her back to her feet. "Where do we go from here?"

Alara pointed shakily towards the far side of the garden. Rasa ran over to where she pointed and peered over the edge of the cliffside, her eyes tracing the narrow path as it wound around the cliff, sloping gradually down towards the river below. She checked the path, her eyes scanning for any sign of movement from the invaders. When she was sure it was clear, she tossed the sword she had taken from the invader down towards the base of the cliff, hoping it would be retrievable once they reached the bottom. She then took off her shoes, carefully placing her feet on the beginning of the path, her hands finding purchase on the rough surface of the rock face.

"Follow me," she whispered to Alara, moving slightly down the path to make room for her.

Alara mimicked Rasa's actions, displaying shaky movements as she lowered herself onto the narrow ledge. She gripped the rock as tightly as she could, her breath coming in shallow bursts. She glanced at Rasa, who gave her an encouraging nod before continuing downward. The two of them descended slowly, inching along the side of the cliff for what felt like hours. Alara's muscles burned, her fingers aching from the strain, and she had to fight the growing urge to just let go and fall, to end the unbearable tension and fear.

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She forced herself to focus and keep moving, handhold by handhold, footstep by footstep. When she finally reached the end of the path, she saw Rasa stepping off onto solid ground. Alara released a shuddering breath and stepped off the ledge, collapsing to her knees, her body trembling from exhaustion.

Rasa waited to pull her up this time. Instead, she let her rest while she searched the ground for the sword she had thrown. Alara watched her, her breathing slowly evening out. She followed Rasa's gaze as she looked up, seeing the bridge they had crossed earlier, now seeming so small and distant from where they stood. The river's roar below was louder here, a reminder of its power.

Rasa found the sword and returned to Alara, helping her to her feet. "I think we're away from most of the danger, but we must find a way back to town." She looked towards the river, frowning. "We can't swim across. The current is too strong."

Alara nodded, wiping her sweaty palms on her torn dress. "There's a bridge further downstream, near where the river empties into the sea. We can cross there."

Rasa gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry we can't rest longer."

Alara shook her head, offering a weak smile in return. "I understand. And there's no one I'd rather be with. I wouldn't have made it this far alone."

Rasa pulled her into a brief hug, then held her at arm's length, her eyes locking onto Alara's. "We'll make it through this."

Alara nodded, determination hardening her expression. Together, they turned and began to follow the riverbank, moving cautiously but steadily, each step taking them further from the chaos they had left behind and towards whatever lay ahead.

The girls half-walked, half-ran to the large wooden bridge when it came into view. To their surprise, it seemed like no foreign soldiers were anywhere in sight. They crossed the bridge and began following the shoreline along the beach, their bare feet leaving footprints in the wet sand. They stayed near the line of the forest until the rocks forced them off the beach and into the woods. Rasa led them into the treeline, keeping them hidden from view while staying close to where the main road entered the city. As they neared town, the extent of the damage caused by the invaders became apparent.

The homes closest to the forest had been burned to the ground, their remains glowing dimly with dying embers, ash drifting on the wind. The destruction allowed them to see further down the streets, where screams echoed as invaders chased fleeing townspeople. Alara's face paled, her heart heavy with despair. Rasa scanned the scene, trying to decide their next move. She noticed that the soldiers were coming from the forest near the path to the castle but were moving openly down the main streets. When it seemed clear, Rasa took hold of Alara's arm, pulling her quickly into an alleyway, pausing to listen for soldiers before guiding them into another alley.

Alara whispered urgently, "This isn't the way to the temple."

Rasa shook her head. "We can't make it there. It's too exposed."

"Where are we going then?" Alara asked.

"The canal," Rasa answered, pulling her across another street into an alley.

"Wait, we're leaving?" Alara moved in front of her, her eyes locking onto Rasa's.

"We can't stay here, Alara," Rasa said firmly, tugging her along.

"But what about Elias? Davian? Don't they need us here?"

Rasa shook her head. "We're more useful to them alive than dead."

Alara's thoughts flashed to Davian's last words to her. She bit her lip, shaking her head.

"Fine," she said, her voice trembling. Rasa nodded.

They continued, moving cautiously through the maze of alleys, Rasa often pulling Alara into hiding whenever soldiers approached. They crept closer and closer to the well that led to the canal.

Alara knew the well she was leading them to; she and Rasa had played there as children, climbing down into the canal below. The canal was a river that ran beneath the city, supplying its drinking water. They used to place a small boat in the water, navigating the dark passageways beneath Eldralore, emerging from wells at their chosen destinations. It was cramped, and they would have to lay low now that they were grown, but it was their best chance of escaping. The canal eventually flowed out of the city to a smaller town downstream, where they might find help.

As they approached the well, Rasa sucked in a sharp breath, suddenly pulling Alara's face into her chest. "What's wrong?" Alara whispered, her voice muffled. She turned her head, catching sight of what had frozen Rasa.

Davian lay on the ground, his once-white suit soaked in crimson. His face was pale, his sword discarded beside him, and several soldiers lay sprawled around him, similarly wounded. Alara let out a strangled cry and slipped from Rasa's grasp, running to his side. Rasa followed, kneeling beside her.

Davian moved his head slightly, his eyes finding Alara. She grasped his face, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Davian!"

"Keep your voice down," Rasa whispered, glancing around warily.

Davian's hand moved to Alara's arm, a weak smile forming on his lips. "You made it out," he rasped.

Alara's gaze darted between Rasa and Davian. "We have to get him down the well with us, get him help!" she pleaded.

Rasa shook her head gently. "The boat isn't big enough for all three of us."

Davian coughed, wincing. "Don't worry about me. I wouldn't make it anyway."

Alara shook her head violently. "I can't leave you."

Davian's eyes softened. "You have to. Father's in trouble, Alara. You need to get help—for him, for Emeresia. There may be no one else left to do it."

Alara's breath hitched, her heart breaking. "How am I supposed to do that?" she cried, but Davian's hand fell limp, his eyes closing as his last breath left him.

"Davian? Davian!" Alara screamed, panic seizing her.

Rasa pulled her away, her own eyes wet. "We can't stay," she whispered, her voice cracking. "He's gone."

Alara froze, the truth sinking in, tears streaming down her face. Rasa hugged her tightly briefly, then heard the approaching footsteps of soldiers. Without hesitation, she grabbed Alara and dragged her towards the well. They scrambled down onto the stone steps next to the river, just out of view as the soldiers ran past. Rasa knelt down, fitting herself beneath the low ceiling of the canal, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. Alara sank to the floor, burying her face in her knees.

Rasa found the boat wedged against the canal wall and pulled it towards Alara, urging her to climb in. She laid Alara down gently before lying beside her, pushing off the wall to let the boat drift downstream. She occasionally adjusted their course, but mostly, she just held Alara close as her friend sobbed into her chest, their small vessel carrying them away from the horrors of Eldralore and into an uncertain future.