The Sapphire knight deflected blow after blow, countering with his own futile strikes. Zander barely registered Asa’s command for the camp to fall back to the tree line. Theo and Vernon’s shouts urging him to flee fell on deaf ears. Zander didn’t care. He needed to avenge River.

The Sapphire in the horned helm was unlike any opponent Zander had ever faced. They matched strike for strike, neither gaining ground, neither faltering. The knight’s broad frame, wrapped in lobstered steel, made him look monstrous, and his black cloak billowed behind him with each powerful swing. His movements, though, were surprisingly swift—faster than Zander’s, but less powerful.

“What’s your name, giant?” the knight taunted, his voice laced with arrogance.

Zander answered with an upward slash, which the knight easily parried.

“I like to know the names of worthy opponents,” the knight said, his arrogance a blade of its own. “Like the last man I killed.”

Rage overtook Zander, propelling him forward with reckless fury, driving the Sapphire across the camp. Yet, the knight held his ground, steady and unyielding. They were far from the breach now, but Zander hardly noticed. All that mattered was this fight.

“I am Zander of Mirrevar!” he shouted, slashing in rapid succession. The knight deflected the blows, as Zander sidestepped a counterstrike. He bashed forward with his shield. “For River!”

The Sapphire dodged, his defense impeccable. He remained infuriatingly calm. “Zander of Mirrevar,” he replied, blocking another flurry of strikes with a grunt. “You’ll meet Zamael knowing you fell to Sir Aldius of Lelac.”

A boulder crashed through the palisade. Another followed and the Sapphire forces surged through. The Rubies had already fled to the tree line—except for Zander. He needed to finish Aldius, or he’d be trapped on the wrong side of the killing ground. Abandoning caution, Zander charged, surprising the knight with his sudden intensity. Aldius lost his footing, spilling to the ground.

Finish strong! Zander swung with all his might, but Aldius absorbed the blow with his armor and rolled to his feet.

“For Alexia!” the Sapphire knight shouted, targeting Zander’s neck with a sweeping cut.

Alexia. The name sent a vision flashing through Zander’s mind—Alexia, trapped in darkness, calling for him, her pain unbearable. She needed him. He had to survive for her. Suddenly, the rage that fueled him retreated, replaced by a desperate will to live, to see the Sunrise again. The desire for her love overcame the seduction of hatred.

Zander stepped into Aldius’s slash, parrying it with his blade. He feinted and misdirected his opponent, then dashed for the tree line, his mind now focused on survival. Alexia. Her name, her image, filled his thoughts as he ran. Every stride brought him closer to her. A warm wind pushed him forward, propelling his stride.

“NOW!” Asa’s voice rang out.

The crack of trees falling echoed through the camp as an entire orchard came crashing down. Zander dove headfirst, sliding through the mud beneath the falling branches, shielding his head as he prayed. The ground vibrated with the impact of trees hitting the earth, but only a few small branches landed on his legs.

“Zander! Over here!” Alfread shouted.

Zander staggered to his feet, his body heavy and unsteady. He stumbled toward Alfread, who handed him a bow and quiver.

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“All right, Zander?” Alfread asked, releasing an arrow into a Sapphire’s neck across the barrier of fallen trees.

“No,” Zander replied, nocking an arrow of his own and sending it into the enemy ranks.

Alfread made a low sound of agreement, acknowledging the pain. “This is worse than the stories.”

Zander nocked another arrow. “Let’s just survive the night—” his voice trailed off.

“And greet the sunrise on the morrow,” Alfread finished, releasing another arrow.

“NORALIS!” Asa shouted from atop a makeshift scaffolding.

A blinding silver light filled the sky, illuminating the Sapphires as they stumbled over the fallen trees, struggling to advance. The Rubies took advantage of the increased visibility. For several turns, Zander released arrow after arrow, the endless stream of Sapphires making easy targets. But the flood of enemies seemed unending, like a swarm of locusts. Every time one fell, three more took his place.

Then, without reason, the Sapphire stopped attempting to cross the tree barrier. A cold dread settled over Zander, as the heat seemed to drain from the world. Alfread tapped his shoulder. “Let’s see what’s happening.”

Zander followed him up the scaffolding. Asa stood, her staff held high, scanning the tree line with an eerie calm. Her tranquility at odds with the murmur of voices on both sides of the tree line and the fear that permeated the expressions of those still alive.

A man shouted across the treetops, sending shivers down Zander’s spine. Then, flames erupted, casting the night in a fierce orange glow. The fallen trees blazed in an inferno, like a bonfire fit for Meladon and his scions. Asa mumbled something under her breath, summoning rain clouds to douse the flames, but the heat remained suffocating. The real danger came as the smoke gusted toward the Ruby defenders.

The Rubies dissolved into a cacophonic symphony of coughing. Zander dropped from the scaffolding, pressing himself flat to the ground in a desperate attempt to avoid the deadly fumes. His thoughts drifted to Alexia, Leverith’s answer. He yearned to see her, to hold her again. With his eyes closed, he felt her—her pain, desperate and growing, echoing his own. She was thinking of him too, yearning for him, her suffering entwined with his. She couldn’t let him suffer like her. He didn’t deserve her pain. He was Leverith’s answer.

Then, the air grew still. The wizard’s spell ceased, and the smoke no longer flooded his nostrils. The world seemed to freeze—no sound, no air.

“Purita!” Asa gasped, the moment the wind returned.

The smoke thinned, replaced by humid air that filled Zander’s lungs with a breath more refreshing than any he’d ever taken. It was like rising from the waters on Purification, renewed and revitalized. Dizzy from the smoke and exhaustion, Zander clambered to his feet. He steadied himself against the scaffolding and climbed back up.

Asa’s magic dispersed the smoke, and her rain quenched the flames. All around, Rubies regained their breath. Zander spotted the outline of the Sapphire wizard across the tree line. Yearning for survival, for another sunrise, he nocked his arrow. He and Alfread loosed in unison. The arrows struck true, piercing the wizard. He dropped his staff and collapsed, writhing on the ground from the poisoned platepiercers.

A blue light quickly enveloped the fallen wizard, but it couldn’t save him from the poison delivered by two lethal arrows. His body seized within a few turns before going still.

A cry of anguish rang out across the treetops. “Retreat! Fall back to the Cardian!” A woman’s voice, laden with despair.

The once proud Sapphire host fled across Mirrevar, scattering like ants fleeing from a dog about to piss and trample their hill. The once fearsome force now appeared broken and lost.

“We won! You did it!” Alfread cheered, wrapping his arms around Asa. She returned his embrace, burying her head against his shoulder, her face radiant with a joy that outshone her magical aura and the stars above.

This is your moment, Alfread, Zander thought. Kiss her. Make her your radiant star.

But Alfread missed his shot. Asa’s smile faded; her embrace grew hesitant. They parted awkwardly, and she turned to Zander with a soft nod. “You were glorious,” she said.

Those three words hit him harder than any blow he’d ever received. Zander turned away from her, striding away from the battle. For the first time in years, he felt completely unsure of where he was headed or what his purpose was. One thing was certain—his dreams were dust, and his innocence lost.