Liffel staggered slightly again as she tried to stand up, and Lesky, without hesitation, helped her. After she rested for a few more minutes, the two left the cabin, with the forest stretching out like an ocean of shadows and twisted branches. However, they had barely taken a few steps when a familiar figure blocked their path.

The warlock emerged from the shadows, his face marked by an expression of deep distrust and displeasure.

-STOP! Did you think you could get out of here so easily? -he snarled in his authoritative voice. At last I sensed your aura... The dark aura you try to hide. Liffel, the Witch of the End, as the legend prophesies. I cannot allow such a dangerous creature to roam free, and now that you are weakened, it is the perfect time to stop you.

Lesky stood on guard and stepped forward, stepping between the warlock and Liffel.

-Let her go,” he said firmly, his gaze fixed on the warlock.

The warlock looked at him incredulously, then let out a bitter laugh.

-Let her go, Lesky? Are you crazy? She's a menace to this world. She is manipulating you, and when she is strong enough, she will not hesitate to destroy everything in her path. Don't be fooled, her weakness is only temporary.

Liffel, pale but determined, looked up and stepped forward.

-Let's make a pact,” she said, her voice firm despite her obvious exhaustion. Lesky will come with me, and if at any time I become a threat, he will have the right to kill me.

The warlock frowned, clearly distrustful.

-A pact? -he repeated, skeptical. You think I don't see through your lies? You'd kill Lesky at the drop of a hat. That pact is worthless.

Liffel held the warlock's gaze with an intensity that seemed to tear the air.

-Not if it's a pact of magical blood.

The warlock looked at her silently, considering the proposal. Finally, he nodded with a slow, distrustful gesture.

-All right. If Lesky has the power to stop you at any time... perhaps we can take the risk,” he agreed, though his tone was still laced with suspicion.

Lesky nodded, and without another word, pulled out a small dagger and slashed his palm. Liffel mimicked him, and as both bleeding hands joined, a warm energy surrounded them. The ancient words Liffel muttered were barely audible, and yet each syllable seemed to encapsulate an ancient force. A deep glow rose from her chest, connecting their hearts with a faint light that then faded.

A dark mist appeared behind the sorcerer, spreading through the trees. Out of the mist emerged armed, hostile silhouettes: bounty hunters. Their faces were impenetrable, and the ferocity in their eyes reflected a single objective.

The warlock stepped back, cursing under his breath.

-It seems our troubles are just beginning,” he muttered, not taking his eyes off the newcomers.

Lesky and Liffel prepared themselves for what was to come, sensing that in that blood pact they were bound together not only by a promise, but by the need to survive together in the midst of that unforeseen threat.

The tension in the forest grew like a dark, palpable shadow as the warlock fixed his gaze on the newcomers. His expression changed to a mixture of surprise and anger.

-What is Balker's group of assassins doing here? -he snarled, his eyes narrowed.

One of the assassins, a wild-eyed man named Isker, let out a shrill, deranged laugh.

-We just came to hunt butterflies, hahaha! -he laughed with a palpable insanity in his tone.

Next to him, another stoutly built assassin named Taunt, cracked his knuckles with a cruel grin.

-To shatter bones,” he added, his voice thick and husky.

Fillus, a man with a sharp grimace and a wicked glint in his eye, looked up at Liffel.

-To steal a lady.

Falkon, grim-faced and cold-voiced, hurled his threat like a sharp knife.

-To kill that witch.

Then, a tall and seemingly gentle man, known as Fliork, spoke in a calm voice as he lit a cigar.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

-And to tea.

Finally, Kario, with narrowed eyes, looked at the sorcerer and then at Liffel with an expression of pure contempt.

-Isn't it obvious? We've come to kill you all. Especially the witch.

Suddenly, an imposing figure emerged from among the assassins: Balker, their leader, a man of commanding and ruthless presence. His voice cut through the atmosphere like a steel blade.

-Silence,” he said in a deadly tone, ”I've had enough of all this talk. Kill them at once. I want their heads.

The warlock gritted his teeth and took a step forward, his energy swirling around him like a storm.

-Balker, you idiot! Do you know who you're up against? I'm the most powerful warlock in this goddamn world. -His words were charged with an almost tangible power.

Balker glared at him.

-So what? I don't give a damn. -Then he looked at his men and began to hand out orders with lethal precision. Isker, Falkon, Fliork, get the witch. Taunt, you take the brat. Fillus, Kario and I will take care of the warlock.

In an instant, Balker, Kario and Fillus launched themselves at the warlock, but he raised both hands, from which emerged spiraling waves of power. With a short spell, the warlock summoned shards of ice so thin they seemed invisible, hurling them like lethal projectiles. Kario deflected several of them to the ground, Balker raised a magic shield and Fillus tried to dodge them, but the sorcerer manipulated the wind, redirecting the fragments and surprising Fillus, who fell lifeless instantly, pierced by the ice.

Meanwhile, Liffel faced his own attackers. With a quick gesture, she launched three invisible bolts of lightning at Isker and Falkon, who fell lifeless to the ground in a split second. Fliork, however, dodged with supernatural agility, and instantly drew a bow. Portals opened around Liffel and a shower of arrows began to pour out of them, redirecting towards Liffel from all directions.

Liffel conjured a shield of magic around herself and expanded it, blocking all the arrows. In a final push, he managed to redirect the force of the shield towards Fliork, knocking him down with a blast of energy that threw him backwards.

Fliork slowly stood up and lit another cigarette, his eyes shining with a mixture of surprise and respect.

Incredible... You killed two of my companions in one second and repelled a multi-portal attack. -The smile on his lips was somewhat sinister.

Liffel looked at him coldly.

-Did you really think you would come out unscathed?

Fliork gave a short laugh.

-It was to be expected from a witch of a powerful lineage. -However, his eyes noticed something: Liffel was bleeding from her eyes and spitting blood onto the ground.

-And to think you've used so little magic, and you're already having a hard time. It's the consequences of being incomplete,” Fliork said with a venomous smile.

Liffel staggered, but her gaze still burned with determination.

-I can... destroy you in a second.

Fliork let out a mocking laugh and shook his head.

-I doubt it in your current state. I don't usually kill ladies, but those are my boss's orders.

Liffel shot him a look of contempt.

-Should I thank you for such words?

Fliork raised his bow, his smile mocking.

-Rest in peace, my sweet lady.

He shot an arrow through the portals, which began to move, changing direction so many times that Liffel, with blurred vision, could barely follow it. The arrow deflected and struck her in the left shoulder, and Liffel fell to the ground with a groan of pain.

Fliork watched the impact and then smiled, disappointed but satisfied.

-I missed the shot. Next time, it will go straight through the head.

The confrontation between Lesky and Taunt was unfolding like a dangerous dance. Taunt, with his huge heavy armor, was throwing devastating blows, but Lesky, agile and quick, dodged each attack with dexterity. Taking advantage of an instant of distraction, Lesky slipped behind him and, with a precise movement, cut Taunt's neck. The colossus fell to his knees, his body trembling for an instant before collapsing lifelessly.

Lesky wasted no time; his gaze quickly shifted to where Liffel lay on the ground, wounded and vulnerable. Without hesitation, he ran to her, his protective instinct stronger than any fear.

-Hey, brat! -Fliork shouted, a smirk on his face. Stop playing the hero. You won't be able to protect her.

As Lesky arrived next to Liffel, Balker, the leader of the assassins, unsheathed a long, sharp sword, charged toward the warlock. Kario, his loyal follower, threw chains that wrapped around the warlock's leg, knocking him hard to the ground. But the warlock, still on the ground, channeled his magic with impressive speed and cast a devastating spell at Fliork. Fliork barely had time to raise a barrier, which crumbled on impact; Fliork fell to the ground, defeated.

-Lesky, run away with the witch! -shouted the warlock in desperation. Take her away, quickly!

Lesky nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. Gently, he lifted Liffel in his arms, holding her as if she were a princess, and began to run in the opposite direction, into the forest.

The warlock, meanwhile, gathered all his energy, his eyes blazing with unbridled power. He channeled a spell of fire that enveloped the chains and destroyed them in an instant. With a last-ditch effort, he generated an explosion that shook the area, raising a cloud of smoke and ash. When the vision cleared, the sorcerer had disappeared.

Lesky, in his flight, turned for a moment and saw the explosion lighting up the sky. His heart shrank; though the sorcerer had been a cautious friend, he had saved his life and Liffel's. His thoughts were filled with an unexpected sadness.

-Take it easy, kid...” said Liffel in a barely audible voice, trying to calm him down. I'm sure he's fine.

Lesky looked ahead, trying to focus his attention on the road, though the pain and uncertainty weighed on him.

-You're right,” he murmured, trying to smile to give him some hope. He's a tough guy.

Meanwhile, at the site of the battle, Kario observed the ruins and the silence left by the explosion.

-Is that warlock dead? -he asked Balker with a tone of doubt.

Balker shook his head, his eyes still fixed on the scattered smoke.

-I don't think so, but he's probably half dead after that.

Kario looked in the direction where Lesky and Liffel had gone.

-Did we chase them?

-Let them be,” Balker replied, a calculating expression on his face. We'll get another chance to finish them off. Besides, the witch hunters are on their way. It's in our best interest to disappear before they arrive.

Without further ado, Balker and Kario opened a portal and disappeared into it, leaving Fliork behind, abandoned in the rubble.