The horrors plunged into Eldergrove with awful velocity. Thatched rooftops shattered beneath their talons, cattle stampeded in terror, and the villagers had scarce time to look.
Kael's father charged ahead, sword in hand, cutting off a huge beast bounding towards a cluster of villagers. The impact was thunderous; the beast's claws ripped Darrion's armor. Kael stood frozen with terror as the monster overwhelmed his father, ripping through his defenses. For all his expertise, Darrion was brutally felled, his screams ringing in Kael's head as he crumpled lifeless at his feet.
Kael yelled, charging forward, but another beast charged, isolating him from the rest. His mother, Marella, battled with wards of magic and shielding spells, but she was overpowered. The Corrupted Ones destroyed her defenses one at a time, her screams ringing out as she was killed in front of Kael.
Outside, Kael's childhood friends battled courageously.
Taren swung a crude spear, trying to defend against a monster, and the beast crushed him under its claw, blood flowing into the river. Milo attempted to disable a mechanical trap to rescue villagers, but the monster's tail slammed him into a tree, bones snapping.
Soren charged boldly, killing two of them, but a third attacked from behind and ripped him apart. Lia dodged the beasts with her quickness, but a giant claw pierced her as she tried to rescue a child. Renn remained back to protect Kael, fighting off the attacking monsters, but he too was brutally killed by a group of three of them, his body left battered on the battlefield.
Kael and Elira stood alone, their hearts broken, the cries of their loved ones ringing in their ears.
Kael and Elira fled the burning village, avoiding collapsing buildings and escaping monsters. Their home was destroyed, the love and warmth of family replaced with ash and blood. Kael's thoughts were a jumbled mess, guilt and sorrow overwhelming him.
"Elira… we… we must survive," Kael spoke, his voice shaking. "We must… determine why this occurred."
Elira nodded, her own tears falling freely. "We will survive… together. We will honor them… and all the others lost tonight."
They ran into the forest, and darkness enveloped them. The once-quiet Eldergrove was now a burial ground, a reminder that the world outside contained horrors beyond imagination.
By dawn, the siblings found themselves on the edge of the forest, exhausted, bruised, and heartbroken. Kael's sword was smeared with ash and blood—not just of monsters, but of family and friends.
"Elira," he whispered, "we're alone now… but we'll be stronger. We'll protect each other… and find the truth about these monsters."
Elira placed a hand on his arm. "I trust you, Kael. Let's go… together."
With that, they began their journey toward a new life, leaving behind the village of their childhood—a village that would forever exist only in memory.