The rain kept pouring down, its sound echoing off the roof of the shack. I curled up in the cold, cramped corner, hugging myself to ward off the chill that seeped into my bones. But more than just the cold, a darkness haunted my mind—memories of that night. The night everything fell apart.

The Evernoir Kingdom—a grand and magnificent realm I once thought would last forever—vanished in an instant. It all happened so fast, like a storm that swept in mercilessly, destroying everything in its path.

I closed my eyes, recalling the moments when the castle's magnificent walls crumbled before me. The air, once filled with the fragrance of flowers from the royal gardens, was now tainted with the stench of gunpowder, blood, and death. Amid all the chaos, I remember gazing at the night sky lit up by flashes of war—not from our magic, but from the advanced weaponry brought by our enemies.

"Oriana, Goddess," I whispered softly. "Where were you when we needed you the most?"

We used to pray to Goddess Oriana, the protector of our kingdom. Her statue stood tall in every corner of the palace, and we, the royal family, always sought her protection. But that night, our goddess did not answer. The magic we prided ourselves on was powerless against the enemy's technology. Their anti-magic devices neutralized every effort we made. Even the greatest sorcerers in our kingdom could not stop the giant robots that advanced with heavy steps, toppling walls that had stood for centuries.

I could hear the cries of our soldiers, orders turning into desperate screams as they were mercilessly struck down. Those colossal machines, with their glowing red eyes and steel hands that crushed anything they touched, moved like unstoppable engines of death.

And I… I could only watch.

"Arche! Quick! Get out of here!" My father's voice still echoed in my ears.

I vividly remembered that night, standing frozen in fear in the grand hall of the palace. My parents stood there, trying to protect us. My father's eyes blazed with the fire of battle, his hand gripping the royal staff that radiated a golden aura. My mother stood beside him, her face tense yet calm, ready to protect us with her magic.

But they weren't prepared for what was coming. We weren't ready.

"Run, Arche!" my mother shouted, her voice filled with panic, something I had never seen before. She looked at me with eyes full of worry. "Find Ellora and Lily!"

I remember how my body trembled, how my legs felt paralyzed by fear. Then a loud crash echoed throughout the hall. The wall behind my father cracked and collapsed, dust and debris swirling in the air, obscuring my vision. In the next moment, I saw my father—the man I had always thought was invincible—stumble forward, blood pouring from a massive wound in his chest.

"Father!" I ran toward him, but my mother held me back.

"Don't!" Her voice was frantic. "You have to go, Arche!"

But I couldn't move. My chest felt tight, my breath stilled. My father fell to the ground, his eyes still open, as if he couldn't believe this was the end for him.

I watched my mother turn her body toward the approaching enemy. She raised her hand, channeling all the magic she had, but the enemy was too close. One of the giant robots lifted its steel arm, and before I could comprehend what was happening, it brought its weapon crashing down on my mother.

I fell to the ground. My entire body trembled, my eyes wide open, but I couldn't see anything but darkness. Father and Mother… both killed right before my eyes.

"Arche, hurry!" I heard someone's panicked voice, one of our loyal guards. His strong, large hand gripped my shoulder, pulling me off the floor. "We need to go now!"

"Ellora… Lily…" I mumbled their names, frantically searching for my siblings in the chaos. My voice was nearly drowned out by the roars of battle that shattered the palace.

"We'll find them," the guard said, trying to reassure me. "But right now, we need to get out of here."

With his strong grip, he dragged me through the collapsing corridors of the palace. We moved through a secret passage beneath the castle, known only to the royal family and a select few. My body felt weak, my legs shaking as I followed the guard's swift steps.

But before we reached the exit, he stopped. "Wait here," he said firmly. "I have to go back and look for Ellora and Lily."

"But… you can't go alone!" I cried, my voice hoarse. I knew what awaited us out there. "I have to go with you!"

He shook his head. "No. You are the prince. Your duty now is to survive. I will come back for them. Trust me."

Reluctantly, I let him go. I hid in the spot he indicated, waiting… and waiting. But he never returned.

I remember finally deciding to go on my own. Fear and despair enveloped me as I crawled out of that tunnel, traversing a path littered with corpses—bodies of royal soldiers, my friends, and people I had once seen in the palace. The smell of blood filled the air, and every step felt heavier.

My hands trembled as I crawled among the lifeless bodies, their blood soaking my robe. Tears streamed down my cheeks, wetting my cold and dirty face. I cried continuously, unable to stop my sobs, even as my voice grew faint.

"Ellora… Lily…" I whispered through my tears, hoping to find them among the dead, even though deep down, I feared what I would discover.

But I never found them that night. All I found was darkness, death, and destruction.

***

I opened my eyes again, returning to the harsh reality of this cold shack. My body still trembled every time those memories resurfaced. The sound of rain pounding on the wooden roof above seemed to drown everything out, but it couldn't erase those memories—the feeling of devastation, loneliness, and the fear that had followed me since that day.

"Oriana, Goddess," I whispered again, this time with a bitter burn in my throat. "Where were you when we needed you the most?"

The rain continued to pour outside as I sat alone in the cold corner of the shack. My thoughts wandered back to the past, to memories that haunted every second of my solitude. The longer I reflected, the fainter my once-strong hope became. The hope I had placed in Goddess Oriana, the protector who was supposed to safeguard us. But where was she now? Where was she when everything crumbled?

I began to doubt everything.

Goddess Oriana—the deity I had always believed in, to whom I prayed every morning alongside my father, mother, Ellora, and Lily. Were all those prayers in vain? Had she ever listened to us? If so, why did she allow Evernoir to fall? Why did she let our family be crushed by merciless enemies?

I recalled the moment I first returned to our kingdom, now a mere ruin. I was still young then—full of spirit despite losing everything. At that time, I was certain I could find Ellora and Lily. The belief that they were still alive, wherever they were, became the only light guiding me through the darkness.

When I arrived at what was left of our kingdom, the scene was drastically different. There was no grandeur, no echoes of laughter filling the palace halls. The once-mighty castle walls now lay in ruins, leaving only debris behind. Evernoir, which had once been a symbol of magical power, was now just a shadow of its glorious past.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

I wandered through the corridors of the castle, now filled with rubble and dust. The sound of my footsteps echoing against the crumbled walls was the only thing I could hear, aside from the wind whispering hollowly. Every corner I looked at was a memory turned into fragments—the grand hall where I had seen my father killed... where my mother had given her last orders. The place where they both… met their end.

But I found no bodies.

"Why…?" I whispered to myself. I searched around, checking every corner I might have missed. "Where are they? Where's Ellora? Where's Lily?"

I spent hours roaming the ruins of the castle, calling their names repeatedly, hoping to hear a response, longing to see them emerge from the shadows of the wreckage, tear-streaked yet alive. Yet all I found was silence.

Silence that slowly drove me mad.

It was then that the first attack occurred. From behind the rubble, enormous wolves emerged—eyes glowing red, their fur as dark as the night's shadow. They looked like monsters, not ordinary wolves. I heard them growling before they charged, but at that moment, I didn't care. Part of me wanted to give up. Part of me thought that if nothing was left, maybe it was better to die here alongside those who had already gone.

But somehow, I fought back. Maybe it was because a tiny part of me still wanted to live. I used the remnants of my magic to defend myself, but without training and without strength, my magic was nearly useless. I almost died that night, torn apart by their fangs, before I managed to escape to the secret hideout I used to flee to.

Since then, I kept returning to the ruins of Evernoir, even though I knew it was dangerous. Each time, I hoped to find traces of Ellora and Lily. Each time, I found nothing but disappointment.

Our kingdom was not only in ruins; it had become a den for bandits and monsters. They lurked in the wreckage, scavenging the remnants of Evernoir's former splendor. I had almost been caught by one bandit group; they wouldn't hesitate to kill me, but I managed to escape—once again, just to live another day with new wounds, both physical and emotional.

Yet, despite my constant returns and relentless searching, I found nothing. No sign of Ellora, no sign of Lily. No corpses, no clues. I began to doubt everything. Were they killed that night? Had they perished, their bodies vanished like my father and mother?

I remember the nights I sat before the remnants of the castle, staring at the ruins with tears streaming down my face, pleading with Goddess Oriana for answers.

"Where are they?" I screamed into the silence. "Where's Ellora? Where's Lily? Are you even listening?!"

No answer. No clues. No miracle.

That was when my faith in Goddess Oriana began to shatter. If she truly existed, why didn't she save our family? Why did she let everything fall apart? Why didn't she stop the enemy when they stormed in with their advanced technology, obliterating our magic, which was so weak against them?

I began to wonder if Goddess Oriana was merely a myth, a story we had inherited for centuries to give us false hope. For years, I had prayed to her, asking for protection and guidance. Yet when we truly needed her, she wasn't there.

And now, I was still searching. Searching for answers, searching for my siblings. But I began to doubt everything. Maybe Ellora and Lily were truly gone. Maybe I was just trapped in this nightmare, with no way out. Maybe Goddess Oriana had never heard my prayers… or worse, maybe she had never cared.

The rain continued to pour, flowing like tears that never stopped. Inside this shack, I curled up, holding myself tightly. I felt increasingly distant from the truth, farther from my family, and further from the person I used to be. I was no longer a prince. I was no longer someone who believed in miracles or deities.

I was just a lost soul, endlessly searching without knowing if what I sought still existed in this world. And amid this solitude, I began to realize that perhaps the hope I had held onto for so long had died a long time ago—along with the kingdom, my family, and the goddess who never answered.

I couldn't remember the last time I felt like this—completely empty, hollow, as if there were a black hole in my chest continuously sucking away any hope and desire I had for life. Tonight, the rain fell harder than usual, drenching an already dark world. In this dark shack, my body trembled, but the cold I felt paled in comparison to the chill inside my heart.

I was tired.

Tired of running, tired of searching. Tired of hoping.

There was nothing left for me to seek. Nothing more I could do. All my efforts felt futile. I never found Ellora, never found Lily. I returned to Evernoir Castle time and again, yet all I found were ruins, monsters, and shadows of the past. I called their names in every corner of the debris, but the answer was always the same: the crushing silence.

Lily might be dead. Ellora might be dead. Maybe I'm the last one left, and no one cares about me anymore—not even the goddess Oriana, who seems to have abandoned us long ago. I've started to think that perhaps I should have died with them. Maybe I shouldn't have escaped that night.

I stand at the doorway of the shack, gazing outside. The relentless rain blurs everything, turning the world into a hazy dream. My steps feel heavy, yet I throw myself into the downpour. If I'm going to die, I want it to be where it all began—where my parents were killed, where I watched them lose their lives right before my eyes.

I walk with a vacant stare, my body trembling from the cold. The rain stings my skin like needles, but I no longer care. I stopped feeling this pain a long time ago. The Evernoir castle isn't far from my shack, and within minutes, I see its crumbling silhouette in the distance.

The ruins are all too familiar to me. Each time I return, I hope for something to be different, but it never is. The walls that once stood proudly are now mere rubble, cracked surfaces that used to be adorned with gems and magic now draped in moss and damp earth. And tonight, as I stand here for what I know will be the last time, I realize that nothing remains—only devastation.

I halt in the midst of the once-grand hall. Here is where my parents were murdered. Here is where they fought until the end. I close my eyes, letting the painful memories rush back like blinding flashes of light. But this time, I don't fight the tears that begin to flow. I'm tired of resisting.

"I'm done," I whisper to myself. "I give up. If this is the end, so be it."

Suddenly, from behind the ruins, I hear a low growl. Wolves. They're back. I open my eyes and see them—massive wolves with glowing red eyes, emerging from the shadows like grim reapers coming to claim me. I should be scared, but I feel nothing. Maybe this is the best way to end it all. If I die here, where everything fell apart, perhaps I'll finally find peace.

One of the wolves leaps toward me, its mouth wide open, teeth bared, ready to tear me apart. I shut my eyes, waiting for the pain to come. Waiting for it to be over.

But the pain never comes.

I open my eyes. What I see leaves me breathless. Time… has stopped. The heavy rain hangs in the air, droplets suspended as if gravity has no hold. The wolves that should have pounced on me are frozen mid-leap. The wind, the rain—everything is silent.

What is happening?

I turn my head, my gaze falling on something I've never noticed before. In the midst of the ruins, still standing tall despite the cracks and moss, is a statue of Goddess Oriana. It seems untouched by the devastation surrounding it, strong and graceful even after the great war.

As I stare at the statue, a gentle voice echoes in my head. It's not unfamiliar, but it's a voice I've never heard before. A woman's voice, soft yet powerful, and most surprisingly—filled with regret.

"I'm sorry, Archemidas Evernoir," the voice resonates within me. "I know you are suffering. I know what has happened to you, to your family, to your kingdom. And I am deeply sorry."

I freeze. "Who… who are you?" I ask, even though I already know the answer.

"I am Oriana, the goddess you've always believed in. And I have let you down."

Her words strike me like a physical blow to the chest. For years, I've pleaded with her, cursed her, questioned whether she ever heard my prayers. And now, just when I'm about to give up, she appears?

"What good are your words now?" My voice comes out louder than I expected, filled with anger. "Where were you when we were slaughtered? Where were you when I lost everything?"

"I was here, witnessing it all. But my power is limited by the rules of this world. I cannot intervene directly. The magic of your kingdom… and the power of your enemies, it all operates within a greater order than you can comprehend. I could not stop what happened."

I let out a bitter laugh. "So you just watched? You stood by while everything crumbled? My parents… Ellora and Lily… they're all dead because you were silent?"

There's a moment of silence before the voice returns, softer this time, filled with sorrow. "No, Archemidas. I wasn't silent. I tried, but the forces your kingdom faced were too great. I didn't have enough power to protect everything. I wanted more, but I'm bound by the laws of this world. I could only guide your path, but I could not change fate."

I fall silent, swallowing her words. Part of me wants to believe her, but the pain and anger within me are too immense to simply extinguish.

"Then why now? Why appear now?" I ask quietly.

"Because you are on the brink of surrender," she answers gently. "I cannot let you fade away. There is much more for you to do, more truths for you to uncover."

My chest tightens. "I'm so tired of searching… searching for Ellora, searching for Lily… searching for answers. I don't even know if they're still alive."

"They are still out there, Archemidas." Oriana's voice grows stronger. "They are alive. But you must hold on. They need you, just as you need them."

The tears I've held back for so long finally fall, mingling with the rain that hangs motionless around me. I gaze at the statue of Goddess Oriana standing resolutely before me, despite its cracks.

"So… I have to keep living?" I ask, my voice hoarse.

"Yes," she replies softly. "Live, Archemidas. For them. For yourself."

And for the first time in a long while, I feel something stir within me—a small spark of hope, beginning to grow amidst the darkness.

***