Elenor stood quietly at her post, her bow slung across her back, her gaze steady on the winding path before her. The familiar rustle of leaves and distant calls of unseen creatures surrounded her, a constant reminder of the Maze of Lystrgate she was sworn to protect. The maze was her duty and her home—a place she had always been told to cherish and defend. But lately, the weight of her responsibilities felt heavier than ever.

Her thoughts were broken by the soft crunch of footsteps on the forest floor. She turned to see Veldna approaching, her face tense with worry. Veldna had always been quieter, more cautious, but lately, something had shifted. The curiosity that once seemed innocent had grown into a restlessness that worried Elenor.

"Elenor," Veldna whispered urgently, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and excitement. "We need to talk."

Elenor glanced around, ensuring no other guards were nearby, before nodding. "What is it?" she asked softly, though she had a feeling she already knew.

"I... I can't stay here any longer," Veldna confessed, her voice trembling. "I heard what happened to your father. I... really am sorry. I want to see the outside world, a world beyond the forests. Come with me, we can make it out. With your expertise, we can escape! We can do what your father would've wanted."

Elenor hesitated. She had been asking herself the same questions ever since her father was arrested for speaking out against the restrictions placed upon them. The pain of his loss was still fresh, a wound that had not yet begun to heal. However, she stood firm to her cause. "Veldna, my father made a decision and he got the consequences because of it. Please, you're the last person I'd want to be captured too."

"Please," Veldna pleaded, her eyes filled with determination. "Just think about it. Think about leaving with me. We could find a way out together."

Elenor shook her head, conflicted. "I can't, Veldna. I have to stay here. It is the law."

Before Veldna could respond, a harsh voice cut through the air. "What are you two whispering about?"

Elenor and Veldna turned to see a patrol captain approaching, his expression stern and suspicious. "Nothing, sir," Elenor replied quickly, her heart racing. "We were just discussing our shift."

The captain narrowed his eyes. "You'd best keep your focus on your duties. There are rumors of unrest. The royal family doesn't take kindly to disobedience."

With a final, warning glance, the captain moved on, leaving the two friends in tense silence. Veldna looked at Elenor with a mixture of fear and defiance, but Elenor could only shake her head. "I'm sorry, Veldna," she whispered. "I just can't."

The next day, the news came like a blow to the gut: Veldna had been caught trying to leave the maze. Elenor's heart sank as she overheard the whispers among the other guards. Fear coursed through her veins as she thought of her friend.

The next day when she went to the town center, she saw the thing she feared most. Her father, who had been arrested for his growing opposition to the royal decrees, stood beside Veldna, his eyes fixed on the ground. Elenor knew he had been accused of treason, but she never imagined it would come to this.

A cold voice echoed through the clearing. "For attempting to leave the maze and incite rebellion, Veldna and Thalion are sentenced to death by flame."

Elenor's heart stopped. The blood rushed to her head, her vision going white with shock. Her body moved on its own, pushing through the crowd until she stood at the front, her voice breaking through the stunned silence.

"No!" Elenor shouted, her voice trembling with emotion. "They didn’t do anything to hurt anyone! They only wanted some freedom!"

Stolen story; please report.

Gasps rippled through the crowd, and all eyes turned toward her. The patrol captain who had caught them yesterday stepped forward, his face dark with anger. "Elenor," he growled, "stand down. You’re a hunter, not a rebel."

Elenor’s heart pounded in her chest, but she couldn’t stop herself. "They’re not rebels!" she cried. "Veldna just wanted to see what was beyond the maze! And my father—he spoke against the restrictions because he wanted a better life for all of us. They don’t deserve this."

The commander sneered. "The law is clear. The royal family has decreed that all attempts to leave the maze are punishable by death. Your father and Veldna are traitors."

Elenor’s voice shook with a mix of rage and grief. "Is it treason to want to live? To want to see the world beyond these walls?"

A murmur spread through the crowd, whispers of agreement and jeer. The commander’s face twisted in fury. "Enough of this insolence! Guards, seize her!"

Before Elenor could react, two guards grabbed her by the arms, their grips tight and unyielding. She struggled against them, her mind racing with panic and anger. They forced her to her knees, holding her head so she couldn’t look away from the horrific scene unfolding before her.

The crowd had grown loud, with the crowd laughing and insulting the two convicted elves.

Elenor watched in horror as the flames licked at the wood, smoke rising in curling tendrils. Veldna’s face was pale, her eyes wide with fear, but there was a steely resolve there too—a determination that cut through Elenor’s heart like a knife.

Her father's gaze found hers, calm amidst the chaos. "Live, Elenor. Live and fight."

The fire roared to life, engulfing the pyres. The screams of the damned and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Elenor screamed, her voice a raw, guttural cry of anguish and rage. "I WAS BORN FOR THIS KINGDOM. I WORKED FOR THIS KINGDOM. I DEVOTED EVERYTHING FOR THIS KINGDOM. I trained day and night, bled and broke myself for this realm! I gave everything—my heart, my soul, my family—for a kingdom that promised us safety and honor in return!"

Her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white, nails digging into her palms until they drew blood. "But what did you give us? Lies. Betrayal. Death! You turned your back on us, on your people, for your own twisted gain. You call us traitors, yet it is you who have betrayed us all!"

"You say this is justice? You call this honor?" She pointed toward the flames that consumed her father and Veldna, her hand shaking with fury. "This is nothing but cruelty! Cowardice! You hide behind your power, your wealth, your decrees, while we suffer and die for you!"

She could feel the eyes of the crowd on her, feel their fear and their unease, but she didn't care. She didn't care about anything anymore except for the truth that burned in her veins. "I was loyal," she spat, her voice dripping with venom. "I was faithful. And this is how you repay us? By burning our bodies and breaking our spirits?"

"You think you've won? You think you've crushed us?" she shouted. "But you haven't! You can't kill what's already dead inside! You can't break what's already been shattered!"

Tears streamed down her face, but they were hot with rage, not sorrow. She glared at the captain, at the guards, at everyone who stood with the royal family, her chest heaving with fury. "Remember this day," she snarled. "Remember what you've done. Because I will never forget, I will never forgive. And I will never stop fighting until justice is served!"

She thrashed against the guards holding her, her fury giving her strength. Tears streamed down her face as the flames rose higher, consuming her father and Veldna. The smell of burning wood and flesh filled the air, a sickening stench that made her want to retch.

Then, suddenly, a sharp whistle cut through the air, followed by a thud and a scream. One of the guards holding Elenor released his grip, an arrow protruding from his shoulder. Chaos erupted as more arrows flew, striking down guards with deadly precision.

"Elenor! Run!" It was her mother's voice, fierce and commanding. Elenor turned to see her mother, bow in hand, standing on a rooftop, raining arrows down on the guards with unmatched skill.

The remaining guard hesitated, and Elenor seized her chance. With a surge of adrenaline, she wrenched free from his grasp, her body moving on instinct. She darted into the crowd, weaving through the chaos as the guards scrambled to respond to the sudden attack.

"Elenor, this way!" her mother shouted, gesturing toward a narrow alley. Elenor sprinted toward her.

As she reached her mother’s side, her mother grabbed her arm and pulled her into the alley. "We don’t have much time. You need to get out of here," she said urgently.

Elenor shook her head, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "I can't leave you, not after—"

"You must," her mother insisted, her eyes fierce. She hands her a map. "Your father has entrusted me with a map to Hestoria, the land of the spirits and fairies. Find Eltium."

With tears in Elenor's eyes, she grabbed the parchment and raced out. Looking back once, she gazed at her mother contending with elven guards and the burning corpses of her father and friend. She vowed she would come back and destroy the maze and the royal family, the things that tore her family apart.