Arcadius and Vernara walked through the village ruins, listening to the deafening silence where there once was so much life. They reached a crossroads and stopped, each looking down a different path. Arcadius looked terrified, as if something was waiting for him at the end of his road, a fear he tried to hide, but Vernara saw it in his eyes.
"So," Vernara said calmly, "this is where we split up."
"Y-yeah," Arcadius replied with a small nod.
"Is something bothering you?" she asked.
Arcadius was silent, staring down a surprisingly clean road, though it was still filled with rubble and discarded carriages. "A failed evacuation," he finally whispered, his tone somber.
"Arcadius?" Vernara asked, concerned.
"Don't worry," he said, turning to her. "How about I go with you? I want to see where you live."
"My home? What about yours? Don't you have things to do?"
"It can wait," he said. "It's waited 15 years, so two more hours won't hurt."
Vernara gave a small nod. "My home isn't far. We'll be there in a couple of minutes."
"Alright then, lead the way," Arcadius said.
"This is the first time you'll see my home, but I'm warning you, it's not as nice as it used to be," she said with a chuckle.
"Don't worry, mine isn't any better," he replied.
Unseen, on the roof of a nearby building, a man in full plate armor held a two-handed long hammer. He watched their movements and began to follow them as they walked.
Meanwhile, Avon and Sara held hands tightly as they walked through the front gate of their house. Just outside the entrance were the remains of two people on spikes, hacked to pieces. Avon tried to avoid looking, but Sara's eyes were drawn to the gruesome sight. She glanced at Avon and saw a mix of anger and sadness on his face.
"Who are they?" she asked softly.
Avon's voice trembled. "They... they are our family."
Sara was shocked. "Our family?"
"Yes, Sara. Our family. Our mother and our big sister."
Sara's eyes widened in disbelief. "Mother?"
Avon looked back at the bodies, his voice breaking. "If only I was stronger... if only I was the man I am now... Why did it have to be this way? I know you wouldn't have wanted me to fight anyway." He let go of Sara's hand and slowly walked toward one of the skeletons. He held its head—the remains of its golden hair still visible—and pressed it to his forehead, tears welling in his eyes.
Sara watched in stunned amazement. She looked at the other skeleton and felt a deep connection to it. She walked over and touched the skull, where a spear had pierced through it. An electric shock surged through her body, and the world began to fade. The village, the bodies, Avon—they all disappeared, replaced by a swirling void of fog.
"Anyone here? Avon?" she screamed, but there was no response. Then she heard a voice calling her name, "Sara... Sara..."
"That voice! I know that voice!" she said, looking around. "Who are you?"
"Have you forgotten me already?" the voice said with a soft laugh. "Such a shame. My own flesh and blood forgot me. Let me reintroduce myself."
A figure began to take shape in the mist. "Before I reveal myself, let me tell you a little story," the voice said calmly.
"Just get on with it!" Sara said, her voice filled with a familiar rage.
"I'll make it fast, I promise, sweetie," the voice said gently. The word "sweetie" filled Sara with a warmth she hadn't felt in years, calming her anger. She knew this voice.
Suddenly, the landscape began to shift. Rocks rose from the ground, forming buildings and a new world within the fog. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful land, peaceful and full of prosperity," the voice said. "In this land lived a small, beautiful family with a little girl who had her brother by her side all the time."
The land finished forming, and Sara was instantly transported in front of her old home.
"Home? Impossible," she whispered.
"In this crazy world, sweetie, nothing is impossible," the voice said. "In this little house lived a small, loving family."
Sara saw her younger self and Avon playing in the yard. Her mother and big sister were there. Sara fell to her knees, crying, unable to believe her eyes.
"A lovely pair of twins, alongside their strong big sister and their mother, who would sacrifice everything for them," the voice continued. "But one day... we don't need to mention what happened next, do we?"
The peaceful world began to darken. A massive sound, like shattering glass, came from the sky. Sara looked up in horror as a gaping hole opened, and dark, winged creatures poured out, screaming and firing projectiles. One of them, holding a long, devilish blade, stood in front of Sara, its red eyes glowing.
But in an instant, everything shattered and disappeared.
"That is all in the past now," the voice said. "We shall focus on what's going to happen in the future."
"How do you know this? Show yourself!" Sara demanded.
"As you wish, sweetie." A beautiful young woman appeared from the mist.
"No matter where you are, no matter how much time passes, I will always be there for you and Avon," the woman said, smiling. "Sweetie pie, did you miss me?"
"M-Mother?" Sara cried, her tears finally breaking free. She ran and hugged the woman tightly.
"Hush, sweetie, hush now," her mother said, stroking her hair. "Everything is going to be okay. Hush now, you'll make me sad, too."
"How? How are you here?" Sara sobbed.
"Like I said, in this crazy world, anything is possible," her mother replied, wiping Sara's tears. "All you see and feel is real."
"But you died," Sara said, confused.
"There are things even I don't understand," her mother said. "My soul and body are long gone; only my thoughts remain. Hear me out, Sara."
"Yes?"
"It's about Avon," her mother said, her voice stuttering with concern. "He is on the edge of the breaking point, and trust me, you don't want to see what happens after that. I hope you never do."
"How can I prevent it?" Sara asked.
"Stay by his side all the time, everywhere, and he will always have something to think about," her mother said, patting her head. "I am not here to spoil it for you, my dear. I can't help you any further. The dead tell no stories."
The mother's hands began to fade like dust.
"I don't want you to go," Sara cried, hugging her tightly.
"You have to, sweetie. For every story, there is an end. Our story ended, but yours and your brother's have just begun. You still have a long life to live."
"But... brother?!" Sara said, her eyes widening as she remembered Avon.
"Your brother needs you more than ever now. You are his only family left. Don't lose him. Watch over him from all sides. Be his blade when no one stands with him. Be his shield when everyone stands against him. Walk the same path he walks, and you both will make it. I trust you will."
As her mother's last tear dropped into her hand, Sara felt a great pain, and her hand began to glow white.
"Never forget," her mother's voice faded away as she turned to dust.
Sara woke up in the real world, holding her mother's skull. She looked at it one last time and gently placed it on the ground. She saw Avon, who was also just returning from his own vision, tears streaming down his face.
"Goodbye, dear sister," he whispered.
Sara went to him and wiped his tears. "How was she?"
"Beautiful as ever," he replied. "What about her?"
"Beautiful as ever," Sara said, and they smiled. They touched foreheads.
"Did she tell you anything?" Sara asked.
"She said plenty. I'd love to share them with you later. How about her?"
"She also said plenty," Sara said, and they chuckled.
They went inside the house. Avon knelt and touched a bloodstain on the floor.
"This blood isn't theirs," Sara said.
"No, it isn't," Avon replied. "It's ours. My sister and mother's."
"Exactly," Sara said, her eyes now filled with resolve. "One day, we will bring them justice and bring those damn creatures to extinction."
A voice from the doorway startled them. "Then how about I train you?"
A big man in full plate armor, wielding a two-handed long hammer, stood in the doorway. Avon and Sara drew their blades and stood on guard.
"You have a lot of potential," the man said. "Work hard, and you might be a great ruler one day. I am Alvion, leader of the Old Guardians and holder of the Iavorsa Key. We are the last legion of the old Order Empire."
"Order Empire?" Avon whispered, his eyes wide.
"My name is Avon, and this is my sister Sara. We are from the Von Astratus family."
"I know who you are, Sir Avon. I know all about Lady Sara, Lady Vernara, and Sir Arcadius as well," Alvion said. "The Old Guardians have a network across the Nine Old Nations—in other words, the entire world. But sadly, not many of us are left. I want to talk more, but here isn't a great place. The night is near."
"Then where do you suggest we go?" Avon asked.
"To the Old Guardians' fortress. Don't worry about the other two; we've already sent men to get them," Alvion said. "Now, if you please, this way."
"There's not much of a choice," Sara whispered to Avon. "They seem like expert fighters, and besides, they're human. We can trust them."
"I was thinking the same," Avon said to Alvion. "Alright then, we're coming with you."
"Just Alvion," the man said. "No need to be formal, Lord Avon."
In another part of the village, Vernara and Arcadius reached her home. The area was surprisingly intact, with no blood and clean roads.
"This area is clean," Arcadius said. "Not a single drop of blood."
"The families here were known as scouters and had a job evacuating people," Vernara said.
"To where? There's no way they escaped without a fight," Arcadius said.
"There's only one way to escape in this situation," Vernara said, pointing to the ground. "They escaped through the underground tunnels. They saved many people that night but couldn't save the ones from the western and northern sides."
Vernara entered her home, which was a mess but showed no signs of a struggle. Arcadius looked around and sat on a chair, which immediately broke under him. He winced in pain.
"Everything okay?" Vernara called from her room.
"Yeah, never better!" he replied.
He entered her room and was surprised to find it clean. Vernara was looking through her old stuff, but nothing seemed to have value to her. Then she found a blanket with "sweet dreams" written on it. She hugged it tightly and began to cry softly. Arcadius smiled; he knew she had finally found something of value. He walked out and closed the door gently.
"My family had me and my little sister, who was one year old," she said. "My mother and father were at the eastern borders."
"My story's more complicated," Arcadius said. "I'll tell you when we reach my house."
They left Vernara's home and walked down a path toward the village center. A building blocked their way, and they saw the remains of knights who were supposed to be protecting the walls.
"The enemy didn't come from the walls," Arcadius explained. "They came from that hole in the sky. These knights were ordered to fight to hold them back while the civilians escaped. From the looks of it, no one escaped from this path."
They tried a few different paths, but all were blocked. The one path that was open was littered with the bodies of knights and impaled civilians. They finally reached Arcadius's home. His personal guards were impaled at the gates, and a trail of blood led inside.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Vernara asked.
"Yes," he said. "I haven't told you my story yet."
Inside, they found Arcadius's two brothers' skeletons holding silver blades.
"These are my older brothers, Askön and Markova," Arcadius said, sitting by the fireplace. "They hid me in a secret hole under the couch and told me not to leave until sunrise. They fought hard to protect me and my little sister."
Vernara sat on the couch and saw the hole. "What about your mother?"
"She's probably dead. My little sister..." Arcadius ran to his sister's room and saw a huge gap in the wall leading outside. Her favorite toy was stuck in the bricks. He picked it up sadly.
"You couldn't have done anything," Vernara said, hugging him from behind.
"I, Arcadius Sin Vercadia, hereby promise that I will slaughter them all!" he swore, his voice filled with fury. "No mercy upon any of them! All of you..."
"Then allow me to show you the way of vengeance," a voice said.
Arcadius and Vernara spun around. A knight in full plate armor stood outside the room.
"This is not possible!" Arcadius said.
"I am Souldan, captain of the 4th Cavalry Division of the Old Guardians," the knight said. "We are barely alive now, but we are in need of anyone who can lead humanity out of this dark age."
"What do you want, Captain?" Arcadius asked.
"I invite you to our fortress," Souldan said. "Lord Avon and Lady Sara are already with us."
"Avon and Sara?!" Arcadius and Vernara said in unison.
"We have no other option," Arcadius said.
"Why?" Vernara asked.
"Look around you," he said. "There are no other humans in this region. They're the first to appear in 15 years. They have no reason to lie, and Avon and Sara are with them."
They followed Souldan out to the village entrance, where they met Avon and Sara. Their destination: the Old Guardians' city.