The silence after the death of the Cervus Alpha lasted… two heartbeats.
Then instinct took over.
Tchink—Tchink—Tchink—
Three dozen elven bows were drawn at the same time.
Dozens of glowing arrowheads aimed directly at the heart of Lusian's group.
Dayana hissed, baring her fangs.Elizabeth raised a shield of dark mana by pure reflex.Thunder struck the ground, crackling with electricity, ready to pulverize anything that came close.
And Lusian…
…simply raised his sword.
The shadow emanating from the blade made several elves step back involuntarily.
Grisela stepped forward without lowering her bow.
"We will not take another step," she warned, her voice firm even though her fingers trembled with exhaustion."Human… drop the sword."
Lusian arched an eyebrow.
"No."
"Drop. The. Sword." she repeated, with that mixture of fear and pride only a wounded elf can carry.
The branches above their heads tensed, responding to the rising mana.
The forest itself seemed ready to see blood spilled.
Elizabeth murmured,
"Lusian… they're going to surround us."
Dayana laughed softly.
"They won't surround us for long… I can break necks pretty quickly."
"You're going to be quiet," Lusian growled without turning.
The tension climbed another notch.
One elf shouted, unable to contain his hatred:
"Humans brought demons into the forest!""They're corrupted!""They'll betray us just like in the War of Eternal Blood!"
The arrows shifted, now pointing at Elizabeth.
She swallowed, and for the first time in a long while, lowered her gaze.
She didn't want to show how terrifying her magic could be if she were provoked.
The air grew so dense it felt as though the forest itself were holding its breath.
One more movement…one more word…
…and there would be a massacre.
It was Emily who stepped forward.
Literally.
She placed herself between the arrows and her group, palms open.
Her light radiated softly, like a sorrowful moon.
"LOWER YOUR WEAPONS!" her voice rang out with unexpected authority.
The forest seemed to listen.
The elves hesitated.
Emily's light was not aggressive.
It was the kind of light that heals, that embraces, that stops bleeding.
"We are not your enemy," she continued, breathing fast, her heart in her throat."The demon Bragoz is corrupting the forest. He attacked us as well. We're trying to reach the Mother Tree to stop him!"
Grisela narrowed her eyes.
"And I should believe a single word from a human?"she asked with venom."Or from a… creature like her?"
She pointed at Dayana.
The vampire smiled defiantly, staring at the elves as if calculating how many she could devour before dying.
Emily did not move.
"Whether we like it or not… we share a common enemy."
"We do not trust humans," another elf spat.
"Lusian didn't trust you either," Emily replied, her voice trembling but firm."And yet… he saved you."
Everyone looked at Lusian.
He only frowned.
"You were the ones standing in the way," he muttered."I just didn't want to see her crying."
Emily blushed.
The elves didn't fully understand… but they did understand that this man was no ordinary human.
The tension still hung in the air.
One small mistake and the battle would erupt.
Then Lusian spoke, with that calm that cut deeper than his sword:
"Don't misunderstand.If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead."
Several arrows trembled.
Grisela clenched her teeth.
"And if we wanted to kill you," she replied,"you'd already be full of holes."
Lusian smiled faintly—an unsettling expression.
"Probably…but you didn't try while the beast was crushing you.So you're still thinking."
A murmur spread among the elves.
Pain.Wounded pride.
But also respect.
Grisela lowered her bow… a single inch.
"Why do you want to reach the Mother Tree?"
Emily inhaled.Elizabeth straightened her posture.Dayana crossed her arms.Thunder tossed his electric mane.
And Lusian answered:
"Because Bragoz is corrupting it.Because if we don't stop him…this forest will die.
And you with it."
Silence.
A heavy one.
The kind that changes destinies.
Grisela lowered her bow completely.
Her warriors hesitated—but followed her lead.
"I don't trust you," she said with blunt honesty."But… I trust what I just saw.And if Bragoz is truly the one controlling these creatures…"
Her voice faltered for a moment.
"…then we need all the strength we can gather."
Emily released the breath she had been holding.
The arrows lowered.
Lusian lowered his sword.Dayana stopped flexing her fingers like claws.Elizabeth released the dark spell.
The civil war that had almost been born there…
…dissolved by a single thread of light.
Emily exhaled, her voice trembling.
"Then… we go together."
Grisela extended her hand.
Not in friendship.
In a pact of survival.
"For the Mother Tree…and against the demon who threatens both our peoples."
Lusian looked at her—
and for the first time, not with arrogance.
"For the Mother Tree."
Their hands met.
It was not an alliance.It was not peace.
It was a necessary truce…
…and the first step toward an even greater conflict.