Nidar groaned as he struggled to rise, his hands clawing against the rubble-strewn floor. He wiped blood from his mouth, and squinted through the haze of dust swirling around his squadron.

“Nidar!” I called out, frustration pushing through my mind. The least thing I wanted was to have my men killed.

“Stand back!” I ordered, scanning for the other elves who had attacked along with Nidar. And where was Alynna? Even Aria’s system had a hard time locating them now, which worried me greatly.

I had to get them to safety.

CONNOR: Alynna. Lariel. Can you hear me? Answer. We’ve got a situation.

“I’m here!” Alynna’s voice echoed ahead of us. She was standing proud, despite the soot on her hair and robes, her sword in hand gleaming under the moon.

“Alynna!” I shouted. “Stand back!”

And then I heard a faint cough that startled me.

My heart lurched as I turned towards the source. Lariel lay just a few feet away, pinned beneath a collapsed section of the wall. Her blonde hair was tangled, matted with dust and blood, strands clinging to her pale, sweat-dampened face.

“Lariel!” I rushed to her side, ignoring the searing pain in my side as I knelt beside her. “Hold on, I’m here. I’ve got you.”

Her eyes fluttered open, her voice barely a whisper. “Connor… I…”

“Don’t talk,” I said, gripping the wooden segment and pushing with all my strength. It wouldn’t budge. The weight of it was immense. “Just hold on.”

I was losing strength fast.

And that chilling wind started whirling around us.

Our enemy wasn’t done.

I looked up just in time to see Zyra and Ina, both staggering out of the smoke. Ina was barely standing, her face pale and her hands glowing with weak healing magic.

I had to get my people to safety. And what about the people who resided in the castle? I couldn’t put them in jeopardy.

Two elves rushed next to me and helped me lift the wood, managing to free my elven lover. I leaned in, to reach for her body and pulled her away from the rubble before the elves dropped it with a crash.

She mumbled my name, as I wrapped her arm around my shoulder. She was still conscious enough to hold her own weight, but I needed Ina to heal her.

At that moment, the sorcerer’s wind lifted a collapsed chandelier, aiming the jagged parts right at us.

He was coming for me.

If we didn’t move soon, we were both going to get impaled.

It rushed toward us like an oversized arrow.

I lacked the strength to move out of its way.

All I could do was take the damage for myself, taking a step forward and standing in between Lariel and the chandelier as it rushed closer.

I shut my eyes, bracing for impact.

But nothing happened. I opened my eyes again. A golden bubble was circling me. Looking around, I noticed how Ina had stretched her hand forth, creating this magic shield that shimmered with a soft golden light. It held for a moment, blocking the wizard’s attack, but I could see the strain on Ina’s face. She couldn’t hold it much longer.

“Ina!” Zyra called, rushing to her side. She tried to help her stand, but Ina’s strength was fading fast.

This magic shield gave me an idea, Lariel crouching beside me with her last ounce of strength. She nodded to me, her eyes half closed, a hand through her ruffled hair.

I nodded. She knew what I was planning.

I grabbed my sword, releasing it from my pommel, feeling the weight of it in my hands. I had to end this. Now.

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The sorcerer turned his eyes on me, the dark energy swirling around him intensifying.

CONNOR: Ina, please hold for an instant. Can you hold it as I move?

INA: Yeah, whatever you say.

With a shout, I charged forward, my sword cutting through the storm as I aimed for his heart.

And then, with a roar, he unleashed everything. The winds screamed, the flames surged, and the very earth trembled beneath us, all coming toward me.

Another large beam whirled toward Ina. I feared for her life, but Zyra moved her to safety.

But I wasn’t backing down.

And then I saw a figure coming from the shadows. A man in full armor, pointing, commanding a handful of soldiers. Bow and arrow aimed at the mage, they let go. The hurricane shifted, making their arrows burst into the air as though paper birds were thrown at a wall.

But then I had my moment.

“For Aria!” I shouted with all my might, while the mage wasn’t looking, my blade passed through his heart.

He looked at me. With a final scream, the wind gathered around me, cold and hot, like a tornado promising to tear me in a thousand pieces.

I had gotten lucky.

Or so I thought. With the sorcerer huddled over, blood pouring from his chest, mirroring my own wound, chaos erupted around us. Debris spun wildly through the air, and before I knew it, so did I.

My body lifted, weightless, hurtling toward the sky. My hands clawed at empty space, fingers scraping desperately against the wind, seeking anything to grip. But there was nothing. Panic surged through me as I curled into a ball, bracing for impact. The thought flashed through my mind: this fall could snap my spine in two and leave me broken for life.

I twisted and rolled, narrowly dodging a wooden beam as thick as a horse that crashed past me. My hands reached forward, desperately searching for stability, something to stop my descent. But it was all in vain.

Below me, the mage collapsed to the ground, blood pooling beneath him where my sword had pierced through his back. His robes darkened, soaking through with crimson. The storm he’d conjured faltered and died as his breath shuddered and ceased.

I hit the ground hard, the impact rattling my bones. Pain flared through my body, like fire coursing through my veins. I tried to rise, but my legs buckled beneath me, and I fell to my knees. Blood soaked through my tunic, mingling with the dirt beneath. My muscles burned, every ounce of strength drained away.

Darkness crept in, narrowing my vision until all that remained was a sliver of the sky. My head slumped to the side, and the world went black.

***

When I woke, the searing pain had faded to a dull ache. I blinked, disoriented, and looked down, somehow, thinking I’d find myself in a hotel room, waking up after a long and fantastical dream.

Images flashed through my mind, visions of my own body hurled across the air, flames and collapsed walls.

But I was no longer in the wreckage of that crumbling castle. Where was I?

Instead, I found myself lying down on some sort of bed, a mattress that was hard and yet comfortable, grass and wildflowers surrounding me, swaying gently in the breeze.

Nearby, Kent stood with his arms folded, his expression a mask of restrained frustration. He was flanked by several of his guards, all of them deep in a heated debate with palace officials. Their voices rose and fell, clashing like swordplay, but I couldn’t make out the words.

Instinctively, my hand flew to my chest, expecting the dreaded warmth of blood. But instead, my fingers met smooth skin, as if nothing had happened. Confused, I lifted my shirt, finding no wounds, only faint bruising, while the image of a bolt going through my gut seared through my mind.

“Ina took care of that,” came a soft, soothing voice behind me.

I turned, my breath catching as I recognized the speaker. Lariel. Her hand reached out toward me, her fingers gentle and warm, as if she feared I might break with the slightest touch.

“You did amazing!” she said.

“Did we lose anyone?”

“Some are still wounded, but we’re hoping Ina can get them fully recovered. She’s ultra tired, though.”

“As she should be,” I said, sitting upright. “What happened? What about the king?”

She let out a sigh, pointing with her thumb at the scene, Kent arguing with other palace guards, and a man with a beret-like hat, and regal looking clothes, in a 15h Century Spanish nobleman way, with a long mustache and a goatee. The man looked over at us, and the way he did it was anything but friendly.

I couldn’t really hear what they were saying. I tried to resort to Aria’s grid system, but I couldn’t even close in.

The man with the beret turned around sharply and disappeared back into the building. A group of soldiers and workers started marching toward the collapsed area, and Kent approached us.

“Lord Tactician?” Kent said. “I apologize, I was bent on taking you to the nursery, but your elven advisors were adamant that you remained out. Tell me if you need to rest.”

“I’m fine,” I replied. I felt fine, albeit a little dizzy.

Kent cleared his throat.

“I need to apologize for what happened,” Kent said, looking up at the ruins of the place. “My residence required double security from the kingdom, we were promised men but they didn’t come. I cannot ask you to excuse that oversight.”

“It’s fine,” I said through my teeth. Part of me wanted to be apologetic. This man had lost his entire palace in one night. And what about the casualties?

“He’s ready,” Lariel said, hands on my shoulders.

Kent looked up at her.

“So soon? I can have you change? We’ve secured you a new guest house, unfortunately, outside of the palace.”

“What do you say, Connor?” Lariel asked me. “Are you ready to meet him?”

“Now?”

My clothes were still a mess, to say the least. And it seemed like the elves had me. I inched forward, rising to my feet. I was alright.

“Then,” Kent said, clearing his throat. “I will make arrangements. Understand, Lord Tactician, the king is adamant that he wants a special meeting today. I’ll get your team all that they need.” He paused for a moment, his eyes drifting down. “I know what it is to lose everything, so do not feel sorry for me. Unlike others here, I do know what’s right and what’s evil.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Lord Kent.”

“It’s an honor for me to serve in this cause.”