Zenia and Robert returned home after serving in the military for two years, their hearts etched with the scars of war. The village, once a place of laughter and joy, now seemed foreign and overwhelming. The war had taken a toll on them, stealing their innocence and leaving behind a haunting sense of loss.

As the village celebrated their return with a grand feast, Zenia found himself withdrawing from the crowd. He sat alone, eating in silence, observing the festivities from a distance. The music and laughter only seemed to highlight his feelings of isolation.

Elizabeth, noticing her son's distress, approached him with concern. "Are you alright, Zenia?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle.

Zenia forced a smile, trying to reassure her. "Yeah, just not feeling like joining the party."

Elizabeth's eyes filled with understanding. "I know you haven't been yourself since the war. If you want to talk about anything, you can come to me."

Zenia appreciated her concern but needed time alone. "It's alright, I just need some time to myself for now."

Elizabeth nodded and handed him a golden bracelet. "Before I forget, maybe this can help." She left him alone, giving him space to process his emotions.

Zenia stared at the bracelet. He slowly put it on, feeling a sense of comfort and security. As he looked up, he sensed someone approaching from behind. His quick reflexes kicked in, and he grabbed a nearby stone, ready to defend himself.

But it was only Elliot, his childhood friend. "Chill, Zenia, it's me!" Elliot said, shocked by Zenia's sudden movement.

Zenia immediately dropped the stone, feeling embarrassed. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to."

Elliot understood, having experienced similar struggles. "It's alright, this always happens to survivors of war."

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the serene river, Zenia and Elliot began their journey back to the village,as their fishing trip was a resounding success.

"The fish we caught today was truly massive!" Zenia exclaimed, holding his hands apart to demonstrate the size. "I never thought something like that would be found in our river."

Elliot chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "If that fish we caught today was big to you, wait till you visit the mermaid pod. There, you'll find fish . big as you, boy, for Penny's sake!"

Zenia's eyes widened in awe. "Wow, have you been there?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Elliot nodded, a faraway look in his eyes. "Yes, once. It was an experience I'll never forget."

Zenia laughed, shaking his head in amazement. "You really have traveled everywhere, I'm sure you've even gone to the other side of the barrier."

Elliot grinned, his teeth flashing in the fading light. "Maybe one day I'll take you there, and you can see for yourself."

Meanwhile, two werewolf kids, Magna and his friend, were picking herbs alongside the barrier, their baskets slung over their arms. Suddenly, one of them spotted a crack in the barrier and called out to the other.

"Magna, come quick!" he whispered urgently.

Magna looked up from his work, his brow furrowed in concern. "What's wrong?"

The other boy beckoned him over, his eyes fixed on the crack. "Just come and see."

Magna walked over, his heart racing with a sense of foreboding. As they stared at the crack, a reflection of themselves appeared on the other side of the barrier, smiling in a sadistic way and waving at them.

The kids dropped their basket and ran away as fast as their feet could carry them, their hearts pounding with fear.

"The barrier is broken!" the two kids cried out in unison as they ran into the village, their voices piercing the festive atmosphere.

A young man, caught up in the celebration, stopped one of them, concern etched on his face. "What do you mean? What's happening?"

The kid struggled to catch his breath. "The barrier has cracked, we saw something bad on the other side...".

Before he could finish, a mysterious figure, identical to the young man, appeared behind him. The kid's eyes widened in terror. "Ah! He's behind you!"

The young man turned, confusion written on his face, and that was his last moment. The creature slashed his neck, and he fell to the ground, bleeding furiously.

Panic erupted as the villagers saw the attack. They ran for safety, screaming and shouting. The creature transformed into a woman, her eyes glowing orange.

"A mix!" someone cried out, horror in their voice.

The woman smiled, licking the blood on her hand. "Just as I like it."

More mix appeared, slaughtering the werewolves they saw. The werewolves were weak, unable to fight back, and outnumbered.

As Zenia and Elliot walked through the forest, laughing and jesting, a group of mix, numbering five, emerged from the shadows, surrounding them.

"Stay behind me," Elliot said, his voice firm and commanding, as he transformed into a werewolf. His green eyes brightened, and claws and fangs sprouted out, his ears growing longer, and his hair spiky.

The five mix transformed into different abnormal creatures, their eyes glowing dark orange .

"When I say run, you run as fast as you can," Elliot said, standing guard against the mix that were getting ready to attack.

"I can fight," Zenia said.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"I need you to save the villagers first, they need you," Elliot said, his eyes locked on the mix. "Now go!"

He cried out as the five mix pounced on them. Zenia ran as fast as he could, his heart pounding in his chest, as Elliot tried to hold them back. But he was no match for them, as he was instanty killed.

Zenia turned around as he ran, seeing Elliot fall to the ground, his body torn apart by the mix. The memory of Captain Ortega and Scott's death flashed in his mind, and he felt a wave of grief wash over him.

But still, Zenia ran forward, the five mix turned their attention to Zenia and began chasing after him. Zenia tripped and fell into a thick bush, rolling down to what seemed to be endless, using his arm to protect his face until the roll ended with his head hitting on a stone and which caused him to faint.

The five mix saw this and thought he was dead, leaving him behind.

Meanwhile, the village was in chaos as a mix flew a dragon over the village, blazing everything in its path. Robert fought as hard as he could, but he couldn't fight anymore as a mix that looked like a reptile approached to fight him.

Robert thought it was his end, that he would die there. The reptile mix roared and raised its claws to slash Robert, but out of nowhere, Robert's father jumped on the reptile mix, and a fierce fight ensued.

"Robert, run!" his father cried out.

Robert stood up and immediately ran into the forest, through the thick bushes filled with thorns, without looking back. Memories of the war with the trolls flooded his mind, causing pain and confusion.

Robert ran until he tripped on something, falling face down. He immediately turned to see what had tripped him, his eyes wide in fear and mouth open, gasping for air like a fish out of water.

"Ah!", he screamed, his heart racing.

It was Zenia, lying motionless on the ground. Robert rushed to his side, gathering himself and checking if he was still breathing. He then saw that Zenia was still breathing and stood up to leave, but he couldn't leave him behind.

He turned back and carried Zenia on his shoulder, beginning to run again. The village was utterly destroyed, with burning buildings and debris scattered everywhere. An army of mix marched out of the barrier, their numbers seemingly endless.

At the far end of the myriads of mix army was the leader, Justus, a demon with a mighty dark aura surrounding him. His eyes gleamed with malevolence, and his presence seemed to draw the very light out of the air.

Robert knew they had to keep running, to get as far away from the village and the mix army as possible. He gritted his teeth and kept moving, Zenia's weight on his shoulder, his heart heavy with fear and his mind racing with thoughts of escape.

As they ran, the sound of the mix army grew louder, their roars and screams echoing through the forest. Robert knew they were gaining on them, and he pushed himself to run faster, his legs burning with exhaustion.

But he refused to give up, refused to let the mix catch them. He kept running, his eyes fixed on the horizon, his heart pounding in his chest.

The five kingdoms were in chaos as news of the mix attack spread like wildfire. Military defenses were raised, and fear gripped the hearts of the people. Amidst the turmoil, Robert carried Zenia to safety, his thirst and exhaustion momentarily forgotten.

After laying Zenia down, Robert rushed to the nearby river to quench his thirst. As he drank, he glanced back at Zenia, but his friend was nowhere to be seen. Confusion turned to panic as Robert frantically searched for Zenia, only to spot a group of hyenas dragging him away.

With a fierce roar, Robert charged at the hyenas, sending them fleeing. He rushed to Zenia's side, relief washing over him as he saw his friend was alive.

As night fell, Robert gathered wood and lit a fire using two smooth rocks. Zenia woke up , groaning in pain.

"Where are we?" Zenia asked, his voice weak.

"I don't know," Robert replied, his eyes fixed on the flames.

Zenia's eyes opened wider as memories flooded back. "I remember running from the mix...and then.."

Robert nodded. "I found you unconscious in the forest. I'm just glad I saved you."

Zenia stood up, determination etched on his face. "Let's go back."

Robert's expression turned grim. "Are you crazy? Everyone's dead. The village is destroyed."

Zenia's face fell as he remembered Elliot's brutal death. "Mother..." he gasped.

Robert's voice was somber. "She could be dead by now."

Zenia's anger flared. "You talk as though you don't care!"

Robert's face turned serious. "I care, but what can I do? My family's dead too. My dad died in front of me, trying to save me from a lizard. Oh god I wished I didn't save you".

" I wish you left me for dead", Zenia said.

The night wore on, with both boys hurling insults at each other, their grief and anger boiling over.

King Ferdinand and Queen Diana entered the grand throne room, their regal presence commanding attention. The five generals, seasoned warriors with years of experience, rose from their seats, bowing their heads in respect.

"Please, be seated," King Ferdinand said, his voice firm and authoritative. "We have grave matters to discuss. The Mix invasion has caught us off guard, and we must act swiftly to protect our kingdom."

Queen Diana took her place beside the king, her eyes scanning the room with concern. "We've not seen an army of Mix in over two hundred years. Their sudden appearance is a dark omen."

General Marcus, a grizzled veteran with scars etched on his face, spoke up. "Your Majesty, we've received reports of the Mix army's destruction of the village. We must assume they'll target our capital next."

King Ferdinand nodded, his jaw clenched in determination. "I agree. We must assign roles to each of you to ensure our defense is strong. General Marcus, I task you with leading our military defense. Prepare our troops for battle and fortify our walls."

General Marcus nodded, his eyes narrowing. "I'll not fail, Your Majesty."

General Elara, an expert in logistics, spoke up next. "I'll oversee food storage and distribution. We must ensure our people are fed and nourished during this crisis."

King Ferdinand nodded. "See to it, General Elara. General Thorne, I task you with recruitment. We need able-bodied men and women to bolster our ranks."

General Thorne, a burly man with a thick beard, grinned. "I'll find the best fighters in the land, Your Majesty."

General Lirien, a slender man with piercing green eyes, spoke up. "I'll handle intelligence gathering. We need to know the Mix's plans and weaknesses."

King Ferdinand nodded. "Your skills will be invaluable, General Lirien. General Ryker, I task you with leading a scouting party to gather information on the Mix army's movements."

General Ryker, a young and ambitious warrior, nodded eagerly. "I'll not fail, Your Majesty."

Queen Diana spoke up, her voice gentle but firm. "Remember, our people's safety is paramount. We must work together to protect them."

The generals nodded in unison, their faces set with determination. King Ferdinand's eyes swept the room, his gaze lingering on each general.

"Let us work together to defend our kingdom. We will not falter in the face of this darkness."

The meeting concluded, the generals departed to their assigned tasks, their footsteps echoing through the throne room as they strode into the unknown.

Queen Diana's gaze drifted away, her fingers absently tracing the intricate patterns on her golden bracelet. The same bracelet that looked identical to Zenia's. King Ferdinand noticed her distant expression and asked, "My dear, are you alright?"

Queen Diana's eyes refocused, and she smiled weakly. "Yes, I'm fine. Just lost in thought."

King Ferdinand's expression turned concerned. "Is it the Mix invasion? We'll get through this, my love."

Queen Diana's smile faltered, and she nodded. "I know. It's just..."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their son, Henry, the crown prince. "Father, a diplomat from Sariel awaits your presence."

King Ferdinand smiled at Henry and nodded. "I'll attend to it. Carry on, my son."

As King Ferdinand exited the room, Queen Diana turned her attention to Henry. "How's your training progressing?"

Henry shrugged. "It's alright, Mother. I'm learning a lot."

Queen Diana's eyes sparkled with interest. "I'm glad to hear that. You'll make a great king one day."

Henry's gaze drifted to the bracelet on his mother's wrist. "Mother, that bracelet still amazes me. I remember seeing it as a kid and being fascinated by it."

Queen Diana's expression turned nostalgic. "Yes, it's one of the treasures of my family from the kingdom of Moka. Passed down through generations."

Henry's eyes widened with curiosity. "Tell me more about it."

Queen Diana smiled, but her expression turned serious. "Not now, Henry. I have a meeting to attend. Carry on with your training."

With that, she left Henry alone in the room, lost in thought as he gazed at the bracelet, wondering about its secrets and significance.