As I exhaled sharply, I sank to the ground, staring up at the night sky. My breath was ragged, and my chest rose and fell as I tried to steady myself. The distant murmurs of guards waking drifted through the air, none of them yet aware of what had happened. My eyes slipped closed, frustration settling in—the dagger and Suzan had slipped through my fingers. I felt a pang of exhaustion mixed with a strange hollow ache, but my expression remained impassive, my gaze lifelessly fixed on the moon.

After a few moments, I forced myself to sit up and shook off the weariness. I pushed to my feet just as one of the guards, gripping his sword, approached. His brow furrowed as he took in the surroundings, his gaze finally landing on the jagged wound in my shoulder, still raw from the ice shard.

“Damn,” he muttered, clearly taken aback. “What happened here?”

“Suzan and her mother ambushed us,” I explained, swallowing back any emotion. “The soup—she spiked it. You all were out cold.”

His jaw tightened. “That cunt… where’d they go?”

“I fought them off. But they escaped.” I gestured to my shoulder, still throbbing. “They were stronger than me.”

He grimaced, muttering under his breath. “Figures… And here we are, needing a so-called ‘milk-drinker’ to save us. What a disgrace.”

“I could use some healing, though. Think you can help?”

“Yeah, yeah.” He gestured toward a healer in the distance. “Come on over here; we’ve got someone for that.”

“Thanks.”

I followed him, clutching my injured shoulder, each step hurting like hell. My whole body slumped forward, favouring my injured leg as I walked. The chill of the night bit into my wounds, and my shoulder stung as if freshly torn. I was beyond weary of getting beaten down like this; in my old life, I’d always kept my head down, avoided trouble. But here, I had no choice—no easy way out of these brutal confrontations.

The guard motioned to a nearby bench, and I sank onto it, hardly caring about the splintered wood beneath me. He exchanged a few words with a long-haired healer, who approached with a gentle but serious expression.

“Let me see that wound,” the healer said, gesturing for me to expose my shoulder.

With a nod, I moved my hand away from the injury. He examined it closely, frowning, then took a seat beside me. He held his palms up, closing his eyes, and a faint green glow illuminated his hands. I felt a soft warmth as he pressed them near my shoulder, the magic working to close the wound. The pain, however, pulsed hotter, and I clenched my fist, pounding it on my knee to keep myself from flinching. My vision blurred momentarily as I pitched forward, barely catching myself in time.

After a few long moments, the healer let out a breath. “That should hold for now. You’re tough.” He looked at me curiously. “Mind telling me who you are?”

“Axel,” I replied quietly, resting my head on my knee, looking at the ground. “I’m here for the Queen’s dagger. I lost it here.”

The healer’s eyes widened slightly. “Maybe it got lost in the skirmish?”

“No, I saw it,” I said bitterly. “That woman---Suzan has it. She showed it off right in front of me.”

“That’s not good news.” He glanced over his shoulder, a trace of worry in his gaze. “Any idea where she went?”

I exhaled heavily. “She talked about skipping town—setting up shop somewhere else, serving ‘special dishes’ to whoever’s unlucky enough to cross her path.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

The healer grimaced. “So… why come here? Why target us?”

“Gold, most likely. I caught her looting the guards,” I replied, weariness dragging down my words.

“Damn it…” He clenched his fists, his voice thick with frustration. “She played us for fools.”

The guard with the sword nodded grimly. “Best you stay the night here, lad. If she’s still out there, waiting for another chance, you’ll be safer with us.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, the exhaustion weighing on me. “Probably the smart move.”

He motioned toward the cabin. “Get yourself some rest. We’ll set up a few makeshift beds.”

“Thanks,” I said, nodding my gratitude.

The guard grumbled under his breath, casting a last look toward the darkened woods. “What a damn night…”

══════✦══════

Standing before the Academy, I took in the massive structure, hands tucked deep into my pockets. The headmaster had made it clear—Redwood at noon. But I couldn’t. That insane woman, Suzan, and the dagger were out there, I had to find them before I found myself hanging by a tree. Escaping this world could wait; so could finding answers in dusty books. For now, I had no choice but to follow this strange path.

I pulled up my hood and started away from the Academy. My clothes were a mess, torn and stained, though my cape partly concealed the worst of it.

As I walked, snippets of conversation drifted through the air. “Did you hear about the cannibals?” a woman asked her friend in hushed horror. “Thank the gods I didn’t eat there.”

Her friend shuddered. “They’re as bad as the elves. The gods save us from them all.”

“Human meat! Fed their customers human meat!” the woman shrieked, her voice wavering. “What a sick world this is.”

“And dogs, too! That’s why no one in my neighborhood can find their pets… just vile.”

Rounding a corner, I caught sight of two elves shackled to the wall, their bruised faces pressed against the cold stone. Their bodies bore fresh marks from some cruel treatment, and judging by the guards’ sneers, these elves weren’t meant to live much longer. They were likely waiting for their turn at the gallows.

I limped to a nearby bench and sat, my gaze fixed on the grim sight. The guards yanked them roughly each time they moved, slapping them silent if they dared to speak. People passed, muttering darkly.

“Cannibals. Elves.” a man scoffed. “What’s next?”

“Those damned elves,” muttered another voice behind me. “Bet they had a hand in it, somehow.”

An older man chimed in, nodding in agreement. “You can see the connection.”

I rubbed my wounded leg, stretching my sore arm to ease the pain, then rose, aching all over. I’d only managed six hours of sleep, my insomnia gnawing away at what little rest I’d hoped for. Everything felt twisted.

I adjusted my hood and moved on toward the tavern, the one where Suzan and her mother had served their gruesome dishes. The thought turned my stomach, but I couldn’t ignore the possibility that they’d left some clue behind.

A crier’s voice broke the murmur of the crowd as he walked down the street, flanked by two guards. Unrolling a parchment, he began, “By order of the Queen, a curfew will begin at midnight! For the next fourteen days, no one shall be out after that hour. Spread the word!”

“About time,” a woman muttered nearby. “It’s for everyone’s safety.”

Another man nodded. “Exactly. With those wretched elves and that madwoman loose, we need it.”

“Right?”

I turned right, making my way past a tailor shop, then walked another five minutes before reaching the tavern. The rain had finally ceased, clouds giving way to a pale sun, which cast a grim light over the place. The front of the building was crawling with guards, ten at least—no chance Suzan and her mother were still here. But there was always the chance of a lead, something left behind that might point me in their direction.

“Halt,” one of the guards barked as I approached the door, stepping forward with a firm hand held up. “What’s your business here?”

“I’m here for the Queen’s lost dagger,” I replied, standing straight. “Name’s A—”

“Axel,” he interrupted, giving me a knowing look. “I remember when the Queen gave you that dagger. Haven’t found it yet, I see?”

“Not yet, sir.”

He grunted, folding his arms. “Alright. Go in, but don’t linger.”

“Hmm. Thank you, sir.”