Grimmor's movements had been calculated. Everything pointed to him studying us before attacking. We had been strategically separated, while his creatures destroyed each structure, crop, and everything the community had built with effort. If things continued like this, it was only a matter of time before the people of this tribe were found and eliminated.

Lyris looked at me urgently. "We have to leave Grimmor for now. Zhavros is facing that horde alone. If we don’t help him, he won’t survive."

In the distance, the riders were still holding off the harpies' attack, but the creatures surrounded them in swarms. Claws and beaks tore into the warriors relentlessly; their screams of pain drowned under the tumult of wings and crushed bodies.

Meanwhile, the beetles charged at the warriors trying to hold them back on the ground. With fierce mandibles, they shattered shields, ripped through flesh, and crushed bones in a bloodbath. The community's structures crumbled under their massive feet, crops reduced to dust and splinters, and any warrior in their path was mercilessly slaughtered.

"Damn it! We didn’t have enough time to organize as an alliance," I cursed, feeling my helplessness turn into rage.

Grimmor, watching the warriors fall helplessly, let out a cold laugh. “What a shame,” he said mockingly, “another community wiped out… by me.”

“Bastard!” I shouted, my fury overflowing. But before I could move, a shockwave shook the ground, raising a cloud of dust that enveloped the field. Lyris and I turned, alert.

Aelira appeared above us with an agile leap, suspended in the air and with her wings spread wide, imposing and steady. Her voice echoed like a sentence.

"I will not allow another community to perish at your hand."

Grimmor’s smile faded. He stepped back, his gaze, for the first time, fixed on Aelira with a mix of caution and contained fury.

Aelira crossed her arms, her hands tense and her body radiating power. With an explosion of energy, she released a wave of light that swept across the terrain, hitting the enemy creatures. The beasts staggered, disoriented, their gazes vacant, as if their minds had been wiped clean.

“Now!” I shouted to Lyris. The tribe and the riders seized the moment to counterattack with renewed ferocity.

From his drake, Vaelor raised his lance and shouted fiercely, “Riders, now’s the time! Finish them, no mercy!”

The tribe's warriors charged at the creatures, and the battlefield turned into a bloodbath. The harpies, previously unreachable, now fell under spears piercing their bodies mercilessly.

The drakes tore off heads and shredded wings in a bloody feast. The warriors surrounded the beetles, stabbing them repeatedly until they lay in pools of blood and remains.

Aelira descended slowly, exhausted. She had used up a large portion of her mana, but she had given us the decisive moment. However, her spell hadn’t reached the creatures besieging Zhavros on the hills.

I looked at Grimmor. He was no longer on his chimera, which now staggered, confused and disoriented. Lyris didn’t hesitate and charged with determination, landing a precise cut on each of its three heads, leaving no room for it to recover.

I ran to a nearby rock to get a better view of the terrain, desperately searching for Grimmor. I saw him fleeing cowardly, riding on a beetle he had prepared as an escape plan.

“Coward!” I shouted angrily, cursing his retreat.

Lyris ran to Aelira to check on her condition. “Are you okay?” she asked, concern evident on her face.

Aelira nodded, breathing heavily. “Nymira… help Nymira,” she replied, pointing towards her apprentice.

Lyris didn’t hesitate and scanned for Nymira. She found her taking down the last remaining specter, and without waiting for instructions, with incredible speed, she sprinted towards Zhavros, who was still fighting alone.

“Nymira!” she shouted, unsure of where she was headed so quickly.

Meanwhile, the beetles that had been destroying the place were being eliminated precisely by the tribe's warriors.

I ran to where Eldrek was, along with the rest of the community, to make sure they were okay. Upon arriving, Eldrek looked at me and reassured me:

“We’re all okay, just shaken,” he said, referring to the people.

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I looked around and saw most of them with fear reflected in their eyes. The children clung to their mothers, hoping it would all end soon. I felt a weight in my chest, but also an urgency to put an end to all of this.

Then I looked towards where Zhavros was fighting with undeniable majesty.

Now, he had Nymira at his side. Zhavros noticed her presence, and something changed. The two began to fight in almost perfect sync. From a distance, I could see how they complemented each other, with precise details of light and darkness magic blending together. Every creature still standing fell under their lethal combination.

Finally, when they had finished off the last of the creatures, both stood, panting, side by side, gazing at the fallen beasts scattered across the terrain.

Nymira, full of enthusiasm, started moving around Zhavros, exclaiming excitedly:

“Did you see how we took them down, grumpy?! And I helped you! I really helped, didn’t I?!” She repeated the same phrases over and over, circling him and tugging at his clothes.

When she finally stopped, she stood in front of him and said, “High five!” she exclaimed, raising her hand with a bright smile, waiting for him to reciprocate.

Zhavros glanced at her sideways, and for a moment I thought he would tell her to leave him alone, as he usually did. But, to my surprise, he cracked a small smile. He slowly raised his hand and, giving her a high five, said with unusual calm, “We did it, kid… we really did.”

Lyris and Aelira joined us. No creature remained alive, and Vaelor, along with his warriors, made sure of it, forming a perimeter while others began to clear the remnants. The battlefield was now covered with debris, bodies, and beast remains, but the immediate danger had passed.

I looked at Aelira as we both watched Zhavros and Nymira chatting, sitting on a fallen beetle.

“Nymira proved she was up to the task. You’ve trained her well,” I said, smiling sincerely.

Aelira nodded, with an expression of quiet satisfaction.

“The training has been essential, but what has truly strengthened her is reconnecting with others. It has rekindled the spark she already had by nature.”

I looked at her and couldn’t help but smile, reflecting my joy at what I had just heard. After all we had been through, seeing Nymira grow was a ray of hope.

I turned to her, becoming slightly more serious. Lyris and Eldrek were also nearby, observing the scene.

“I need to talk to you all… there’s something I want to propose. Especially to you, Aelira. I think you could guide me best. But I want to do it once we’ve finished getting things in order here, is that okay?” I asked, addressing everyone.

They all nodded silently, understanding that there was still much to do.

What followed was a collective effort. The team and the community, who had begun to emerge from their shelter, started clearing the remains and cleaning up. The destruction had been nearly total.

Although some survivors had miraculously been spared, several people cried, devastated not only by the loss of what they had built, but also by the fallen warriors. The bodies of the brave who had defended the community were carefully wrapped in cloth and mountain flowers, a simple yet solemn tribute.

One by one, their loved ones carried them to a nearby hill, where tradition dictated they be buried with stones engraved with their names and protective symbols. It was a dignified, brief, and respectful farewell, a reminder of their bravery.

Vaelor approached Eldrek, with a mixture of gratitude and exhaustion in his eyes.

“We wouldn’t have been able to prevail without your help. I don’t know how to thank you enough,” he said, his voice steady but laden with emotion.

Eldrek, nodding in understanding, responded calmly:

“You don’t need to thank us, Vaelor. We know what you’ve lost… what you’ve sacrificed,” said Eldrek, slightly bowing his head in respect.

“We will honor those who fell today, and you can always count on our support.” He paused for a moment and then added more firmly:

“However, I must strongly recommend that you consider relocating. Grimmor already knows this location, and he’s likely to return to finish what he started.”

Vaelor took a deep breath, the weight of the situation reflected in his face, but he knew Eldrek was right.

“Yes, I know, Eldrek. I don’t like the idea, but it’s the most prudent thing to do,” Vaelor replied in a resigned tone. With a grateful gesture, he withdrew to continue helping the others.

After several hours of work, we managed to bring everything to relative order. The community set up some tents for the night, and the next day they would gather to discuss the option of relocating. For our part, we gathered around a campfire, exhausted but relieved to have survived the day.

Eldrek was the first to speak.

“This group has shown great strength today. There is still work and team coordination to improve, but it’s nothing that can’t be refined, and for that, I want to commend you all,” he said, with a slight approving smile.

“Tomorrow, we’ll start finalizing the weapons and magical items. I feel we don’t have much time left before the real battle emerges. I don’t know what will happen with Vaelor, whether he will join us or not. Most likely, he’ll prioritize relocating his community, so that’s waiting on his decision.”

Then, Eldrek looked at me and added, “Darius also has something he’d like to discuss with all of us.”

I took a sip of water from my canteen, trying to clear my thoughts. The fatigue of the day weighed on each word I was about to say, but I knew I had to be honest.

“I’ll be completely honest with you. I feel this group deserves it,” I began, noticing everyone looking at me attentively.

“As you know, my mana is of a chaotic nature. I can’t fully control it yet. If you want, I can tell you how I obtained it, but what I find more important now is that you know something else…”

I paused to take a breath, feeling the weight of what I was about to reveal.

“Within my abilities, I can travel between eras, or rather, between different times. It’s extremely difficult for me to explain because, as I said, I don’t fully control or understand it… but what if I could master it?”

Zhavros let out a small laugh, crossing his arms. “I see where you’re going with this, kid.”

Lyris looked at him, then directly at me, raising an eyebrow. “What do you mean exactly, Darius? What do you have in mind?”

I paused again, the firelight reflecting in my eyes as I searched for the right words.

“If you help me master it… what’s stopping me from moving forward to the moment of the battle and then returning to this very moment to change the outcome? I could even come back before Grimmor attacked the community.”

The silence that followed my words was dense. They all looked at me, trying to process what I had just suggested.