If you wanted someone to fit the fairy tale stereotype, Aaliyah was it.

A sweet and delicate girl, trying to find her voice in her oppressive family of three, where her kind brother supported her as much as possible against their morbid abomination of a father.

Treated from birth like a caged princess by her father's subordinates, her brave and kind heart would struggle to one day find the courage to change her situation. Studying the sciences was but her first step to her audacious and independent life.

Of course, as costumary of the tales, she was also beautiful and unblemished. Her honey skin would glisten against the sun and her dainty features were often framed by soft flowing dresses and headscarves adorned with pearls and colourful metals, isolating every detail and making each one stand out from the others.

An external observer would probably point out that her external appearance couldn't be index of her in er self, or that surely no person could ever be purely good natured without selfish traits, or that many would envy her rich lifestyle and she didn't have the right to lament, or even just complain about the clicheness of it all.

Nicalua though, was living in her tale, and he had to say, the pressure externally and the softness internally really helped in liking the girl.

Nights in the sandy desert had always been cold, but tonight was especially so.

Because of this, many more tents on the camp were illuminated internally by fires, and if someone wasn't sleeping, no one would be none the wiser.

In fact, in the small tent of Nicalua, beside the bigger one of Aaliyah, three youths in their mid twenties were talking in hushed voices.

"You two, after all these years, you are finally of one mind on something, and it's sneaking out of the camp!"

Even covered rag clothes, Zeeshid's slanted eyebrows and almond skin still managed to retain his heroic aura, but the playful snicker barely held to not make noise didn't make him any favors.

Aaliyah glared at him with a restrained faint smile.

"Do not talk as if you aren't happy your great friend Nicalua can be free after all these years."

Nicalua, on his part, had a big grin plastered on his face, muttering to himself.

"Hehe, I can't believe I can be so blessed to have Aaliyah on my side once I get out of here."

In fact, this wasn't the first time they had the opportunity to sneak out of the devilish man's grasp, but something always came up to get between the two and their objective.

Nicalua almost gave up on Aaliyah and would have followed Zeeshid's advice to get away many times, after all he was under constant fear the littlest thing he did would lead to terrible consequences, but now it was all going to be worth it.

The festive atmosphere was great, but Zeeshid felt he Had to remind the two of something. A serious expression overcame every hint of playfulness in a second.

"The city has changed, the Ilkhaniar hasn't spread over this region for long, father doesn't even dare go out much these last couple of years."

The curious young woman immediately blabbered back.

"Do you really believe their empire comes from deep into the Old East? They must be amazing. I wonder how can their short horses be so strong to bring them this far."

"I don't know about it, but our stay won't be problematic, I learned their language for a few years. Let's just say being forced to learn one with the threat of death once has been enough."

Even though Nicalua didn't know about the Ilkhaniar in particular, he had knowledge of great empires that shocked him every time he thought about them.

After discussing the last details and getting the last of their silly jokes out of them, Nicalua and Aaliyah made to go out of the tent while Zeeshid waved them a melancholic goodbye.

They didn't know when they would meet again, if they would meet at all, but the both of them could feel a fire of passion rising from their hearts.

After numerous misunderstandings, intense adventures and passionate moments of sharing, this was the moment that would define their lives from then on.

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As they got further and further away from the lights of the camp, eyes set ahead looking at their unknown and boundless future, they faintly heard a distant scream.

Aaliyah was the first to turn behind, looking back the way they came.

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Nicalua just followed her motion.

The faint lights of the camp had grown beyond normal, even considering the harsher climate of this particular night.

Today they learned why the Ilkahniar could keep such a firm hold on its territories even while their armies constantly moved to conquer more territories.

The highly organized and disciplined Ord platoons on short steeds of the empire were attacking the camp the two had left a few hours ago.

Aaliyah immediately panicked.

"We have to get back there."

Nicalua nearly snapped, he didn't endure all this for nothing.

"What are you saying?! We can't do anything even if we wanted to!"

An almost crazed expression appeared on Aaliyah.

"It doesn't matter, we can at least try taking father and brother away with us."

This was the tipping point for Nicalua as his shouts became hoarse and desperate.

"What are you even talking about?! Had He treated you right I would have understood, but you were just his doll, always forced to follow his whims."

He said this but, if he had to be completely honest, at this point if he had to sacrifice even Zeeshid he would do it anyway, he just couldn't return to that life.

He was over it.

Aaliyah though didn't show signs of having heard him as she redirected her horse back anyway.

Nicalua gritted his teeth.

For a second, he watched Aaliyah, his eyes bloodshot.

He seemed to taste iron.

In the end though, a warmth came from deep in his heart and his affection overcame whatever indecision might have crept from deep under; he rushed to join her figure.

As they approached the burning base, they found a small crowd gathered in the otherwise still hectic camp.

It was the same clearing where Nicalua had found himself kneeled amongst many other teenager all those years ago.

The difference though, was that this time that despicable bandit leader was the one kneeling, looking bloody like a beaten dog.

I'm front of him was the command of the Ord.

Suddenly, a group of the invaders brought over Zeeshid and made him kneel next to his father, but he maintained a snide expression of pride on his face.

The leading figure demanded from the distance in a broken version of the local language.

"So he's your son, right?"

"Yes, he's my precious son. Oh, so precious."

The man had a bloody grin that once again confirmed his unstable state of mind, and his response affirmed he still wasn't grasping the situation he was in; or maybe, he simply didn't care.

The valiant figure of Zeeshid didn't yeld until the end, but that didn't chance the fact that his head had been looped, producing a gush of blood.

At this, Aaliyah gave out a stifled yelp from the shadows, and she wouldn't even have been noticed with all the noise around, but that damned man had to intervene.

"Ah, that girl right there! She's my daughter! Please bring her here. The boy next to her too. I'm pretty sure they have something going on between them. In difficult times family needs to stick together."

Ok, maybe he was understanding his situation, he just wanted to bring everyone else down with him now that he knew he was destined for damnation.

After a brief struggle, the two youths were both brought to kneel next to the man, just like Zeeshid right before.

Nicalua was desperate.

All his sacrifices, all in vain.

He was going to end up dead here and now, right next to the man he hated the most and the woman he loved the most in this whole world.

"NOOO! I Will do anything, please spare me!"

A primal instinct screamed from the deep of the dark recesses of his personality he didn't know he possessed until right this moment, he didn't even have time to process what he said before he was facing the leader right in front of his face.

The stern man commanded respect with just a glance, but there was something deeper in those dark eyes, maybe a mental power of sorts.

"Do you love this girl?"

He didn't speak in the local language, but in his native one. Maybe a kind of test of his own.

But Nicalua wasn't concerned about it. What his mind wanted was searching for an answer.

Sure, he was extremely affectionate towards Aaliyah, but did he love her?

After all their adventures together the answer should have been obvious to him for a long time, but he hadn't elabored on his feelings that much. Mainly because the situation didn't allow it, but also because he was scared of rejection.

That's right, he hadn't yet confronted Aaliyah directly.

But as all these thoughts swirled in his mind, unknowingly he already came to an answer and blurted it out.

"Yes!"

The leader didn't smile. Unlike someone Nicalua knew would, enjoying the emotional torture on his prisoner.

Instead, he got straight to the point.

"Then kill her."

Nicalua's pupils immediately contracted.

"Give him a sword."

It was all clear.

The Ilkahniar Ord was here to eliminate the bandit problem, and bandits were selfish, considering pleasures and riches higher than their own life.

Even if Nicalua wasn't a true bandit or not didn't matter. After this, his spirit as a raider would be shattered.

He picked up the curved sword from the ground and got up.

Yes, it would hurt, but more than anything at the moment, he was angry with Aaliyah, it was her fault this was all happening and after all this he still didn't know if he would be free.

He had to be angry at her.

Even if he knew tomorrow all his rage would vanish once he slept on it, he also knew that if he didn't do it, this tomorrow wouldn't come at all.

He didn't register her expression, he just did it. It was an act as simple as raising his arm and then lowering it with force, but it was so heavy and difficult.

At this moment, Nicalua felt empty.

"Eh, I always knew you were a wretch. I shouldn't have spared you when..."

He wasn't allowed even a moment to feel bad about his own emptiness that that dog started to blabber, so he just silenced it.

The little bit of satisfaction he got was just enough to not let him spiral into worse thoughts.

A voice came from behind him.

"Great, from now on you are to join us. I didn't order to kill Azarat too, but he was already dead."

Nicalua didn't care.

He was still empty.

At this moment, his stagnant thoughts started spiralling faster and faster, the world becoming clearer to him, and he felt control over every aspect of his mind.

He remembered this feeling.

It was like taking the rorosa, but many times more powerful and without side effects.

It was an advancement to the first cycle of Mental Cultivation.

Ah, how long had he desired this.

A chuckle couldn't help but escape his lips.

How ironic, he had so many moments of intense emotion and countless strange experiences, but in the end, he got it when he was feeling the emptiest he had ever been.