The year 1780 of Rainmere, on the 19th.

  That poor uncle’s eyes still burned into my visio—

  Hunching over the tower’s railing, I gagged, a bitter taste filling my mouth.

  I'm sorry, uncle, I'm so sorry you don’t dese—

  A soft hand planted itself on my head. I looked up, and my dazed vision met her dark red eyes behind her blank white mask.

  Her gentle gaze pulled me back to my senses.

  “Y22, focus,” she said, giving me a canteen filled with water.

  As I drank, things started to click as I observed the camp,

  My eyes darting around. It felt empty, especially on the walls. Even with Lillia’s oversight, we should’ve…

  Gods—I missed something like that….

  “Sophia, they knew we were coming!”

  “Mm.” Sophia hummed in affirmation while grabbing a rifle off one of the dead soldiers.

  The soldier’s eyes were still open.

  I shouldn’t look at them.

  No, I need to focus.

  I reached down for my white mask and placed it back onto my face, preparing myself for the things we’ll have to do.

  I kneeled down and closed the man's eyes.

  Sophia walked over and started dragging him back outside from where we climbed in.

  "…"

  Moving my eyes from… them, I looked around the encampment, then outside the walls.

  Soldiers were closing in from behind us and were blocking off our escape routes.

  What's a safe solution…..

  Looking back inside, my eyes wandered through the encampment and stopped on a stable.

  “You make a plan yet, Y22?” Sophia asked while vigilantly keeping overwatch of the ladder hatch.

  “I don’t know—I think we need to—umm—fizzle out some lights—then maybe… the animal pens?"

  "That’s it! Sophia, we need to make it to the animal pens."

  "And uh—extinguish some lights on the way."

  “Understood.”

  Just before I could open the hatch, a hand gripped my shoulder.

  “Code names, Emilia.”

  “Oh right, I forgot. Sorry, Soph—I mean Y23.”

  A hand chopped the top of my head before opening the latch.

  Upon impact, I let out an involuntary “Hau,” her rifle pried into the gap before firing in a controlled burst.

  A few muffled screams followed by a sickening splat were cut off as she dropped the heavy latch door.

  “Not this way. We’ll just have to scale with ropes,” Sophia said, already tying hers to an anchor point.

  I silently nodded and followed her as we rappelled down outside.

  We dropped from a slight blind spot, undetected until a few bullets whizzed near us when our foot reached the ground.

  We ducked into an empty shed and waited a few seconds before sprinting forward, extinguishing braziers along the way.

  Only Sophia’s back held my vision; our leather armor was made to be "form fitting, and light."

  It makes us look silly, in my own opinion. Why have 10-year-olds wea—

  I bumped into the back of Sophia, who grabbed my shoulder and shushed me. We crouched down and observed.

  Two guards were stationed at the barn’s entrance. We waited for an opportunity between passing patrols.

  We were positioned to the right of them in a darker alley with barrels stacked around.

  Sophia made a hand sign and circled around the tent. Meanwhile, I reached down to my belt and took out a vial, uncorking it and splashing it on a rag.

  Oh—please don’t mess this up, Emilia.

  No dead uncle, no dead uncle.

  Sophia’s hand flashed, and we both bounded out in an instant.

  I grabbed one guard in a chokehold and forcefully pressed a cloth to his face, putting him to sleep.

  He slumped backward, nearly crushing me.

  As I struggled to drag the man, I glanced over at Sophia.

  She had already choked the other guard out and was dragging him around the corner into the barn.

  She emerged a moment later and helped me haul the second man inside.

  We dropped hay over their unconscious bodies.

  Sorry, uncles. At least you’ll sleep well tonight…

  After that, I got to work kicking open cages and cutting horses free.

  Sophia followed after seeing me open two.

  On the final stall, I paused and looked outside the stable’s window.

  “That’s weird. Shouldn’t Arthur have set off his explosives by now?”

  “Forget it,” Sophia cut in. “Did you figure out the escape?”

  “Yeah, I think the southeastern guard tower is empty—but it depends on Arthur—”

  She grabbed my arm and pulled me to the barn’s entrance.

  “I’ll handle it. Let’s go.”

  I pulled my arm away in a puff.

  “What do you mean?” I mimicked her, “‘I’ll handle it.’”

  "We can’t just kill everyone again!”

  “That depends on Arthur.” Sophia walked up and grabbed my hand. “If we don’t clear a path, they can’t leave, Y22.”

  I know…but I just don’t want them to die.

  I swallowed my words and just nodded, wiping my eyes and pulling out my revolver as we walked out of the barn’s entrance.

  I fired some shots into the air, causing all the horses to scatter. The bewildered patrolmen were caught off guard as some of them were trampled.

  Wait, NO—that wasn’t supposed to—

  Sophia tugged me harder, forcing me to leave the scene.

  Sorry, guys….

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  At least it went partially to plan….

  We walked through the camp without seeing many soldiers; they were probably rounding up the horses by now.

  But unfortunately, when we arrived, there were still guards stationed around the tower—4 at most.

  Sophia turned me around.

  "How about we—"

  "I’ll try to leave some alive."

  She said, pulling a dagger from her belt. The second I saw her creep upon the first guard I squeezed my eyes shut.

  "Liar," whispered from my trembling lips. I know I need to go in, but I can't bear to see it again.

  I walked forward into the tower.

  A man’s terrified voice was heard in the deep black world I walked in.

  "Wai—" Something heavy hit the ground.

  Followed by footsteps.

  I felt a hand guiding me through the room. I think I walked into something that was wet? Let’s not think about it.

  We eventually stopped and she guided my hand onto a ladder… I think.

  "Climb up first, I’ll be right behind you," I heard Sophia’s voice to my right drift away into the background.

  And the faint noise of someone saying something… I quickly climbed up to escape the scene.

  Eventually, I made it to the top of the tower.

  With more dead uncles weighed on my mind.

  I took out my binoculars and looked around the encampment. They got the horses rounded up surprisingly fast….

  And I spotted Nyphera for a moment, she….

  I feel sick.

  “How is the situation?”

  Her soft hand stroking my head brought me back.

  Oh sweet Mother Velmyra, give me strength.

  I stood and looked through the binoculars.

  And then I spotted them.

  Oh gods no.

  “Adrian’s dead.”

  “Figured. What about Arthur?”

  I hesitated. “Captured.”

  “Sophi—”

  “Y22.”

  Silence.

  “We don’t have to kill them,” I whispered.

  “You know the doctor won’t accept that.”

  Her answer fell like a guillotine.

  My face lowered as I slid down the outside railing.

  “He knew the protocol, just as well as we do.”

  “I know.”

  Suddenly fierce sword strikes rang out from the camp.

  Emilia sprang up, facing back outside the watchtower. Her back trembled.

  I stepped forward and gently took the binoculars from her.

  Nyphera stood among a group of soldiers, her arm hanging limply.

  Was the target that strong? Something was definitely further off than Emilia anticipated.

  “She needs assistance,” Emilia said. “Otherwise none of us are making it!”

  That’s a full core, knights who mastered aura. And a strong one if Nyphera is losing.

  “I know.”

  Slinging the rifle onto my back, I opened the hatch and began descending—stopping when I saw Emilia following.

  “Stay here and wait for me.”

  She’s too soft for this.

  “But what if—”

  Tears welled in her eyes.

  “Don’t I always handle things?” I asked, pulling off my mask with a small smile.

  "Trust me, no more bloodshed this time."

  Another white lie.

  “Wait here, Emilia. I’ll be back.”

  I descended fully.

  Peeking out, I saw guards already posted outside the tower.

  That changes things. Emilia didn’t account for that.

  Lilliana could probably help her escape.

  The others, including myself—

  I tore out a rune and activated it. The space around me distorted, and my core nearly bottomed out.

  I stepped through the front entrance—and stopped.

  My eyes widened.

  My emotions boiled over.

  I saw him among the soldiers.

  Wearing their uniform as if he belonged.

  He stared at me for a moment, but then his head snapped to the commander’s tent.

  That fucking Ra—

  A surge of energy burst beside him—a woman with a staff.

  I was exposed.

  A rifle cracked.

  Fire tore through my throat.

  I can’t breathe. It’s like I’m drowning—

  The ground rushed up.

  “Cough.”

  Blood splattered in front of me as my gaze drifted back toward the tower.

  No, you dummy, don’t—

  Come.

  Ou…

  …

  …

  …

  .

  “No!”

  A child’s piercing scream froze the soldiers stationed outside.

  A figure wearing a white mask came sprinting out and collapsed over the dead assassin.

  My hand gripped the barrel of a rifle before another shot could fly.

  My other hand was raised, signaling a ceasefire.

  Something wasn’t right….

  Her purple hair spilled out.

  “Sophia.”

  Her hands wrapped around the fallen girl’s neck.

  The soldier, I think he was one of our newer members.

  “What did I—”

  His gun fell on the floor before he fell to his knees.

  “Sophia!”

  She ripped off the girl’s mask, revealing another girl identical to her.

  Peaceful.

  Not a single man dared to walk forward. We were meant to protect our children, yet those heartless—

  “Sophia!” her shrill scream brought me back to reality.

  Her eyes locked onto her sister’s lifeless gaze. Blood and tears mixed together.

  I broke formation and stepped forward, stopping only a step away from the two.

  Gazing down, they looked no older than 10 years old—tears streamed down her eyes as she stared into the other girl’s lifeless red pupils. Her shoulder-length hair somewhat blocked me from seeing her eyes—her world seemed to have narrowed, not paying any of us any mind.

  Focused purely on her lifeless body.

  Grabbing her while she's dazed is the best option.

  Leaning over, I took ahold of both of her arms and gently pulled her away from the lifeless corpse.

  “NO! NO! STOP!”

  Hysterical, she struggled in my hold. She was surprisingly strong but couldn’t escape my iron grip.

  "NOOO—"

  Her cracked shriek grew the further I dragged her.

  She only cares about the body—they looked like twins so they must be related… she hasn’t reached for her weapon or attacked us either… she's a victim.

  A victim who lost a close family member, from how it looks.

  I pulled the child into an embrace, and eventually we sunk down onto the floor. Her flailing slowly died down until only sobs echoed against my armor.

  A small child.

  Not even remotely close to a threat…..

  Footsteps sounded behind me.

  “Alraic,” a woman approached from behind. Her dark blue mage robes fluttered in the wind. Her violet hair was tied beneath a pointed cap. And her expression looked… sour.

  “She’s around Nyphera’s age,” “Yet that child killed so many…” I looked down at her lifeless eyes.

  "I can't leave this child alone…."

  Her expression eased but a slight frown was left on her visage, dropping some shackles at my feet.

  "Don’t forget why we captured her." She pulled out a long black smoking pipe from a pocket in her robe. Using magic, she lit the bowl with a flame coming from her fingertips. "I’ll be nearby." She left, retreating in a line of herbal-scented smoke.

  I simply stared dazed for a moment before I looked back over to our "informant." He doesn’t even seem remotely interested in what he caused.

  I sighed before moving my attention back to the child.

  I took the cuffs Mealis had left and gently shackled the child. My voice shouted out, "What are you all just standing around for?" My arm pointed at a female knight. "You bring this one to my tent and watch over her."

  "Yes, Sir Alraic." Her heavy footsteps rushed over, taking the child from my embrace.

  My eyes lingered a moment on who I assume is Sophia.

  Veximillion… what are they thinking, using children like this….

  “Get a man on that body,”

  A knight in full silver plate and a blue tabard flinched before stepping forward and saluted sharply. “Right away, sir.”

  “Wait,” Alraic added. “Don’t cremate the body. We're bringing it back for a proper burial.”

  The knight brought his fist to his breastplate in formal acknowledgment. “Understood, sir.” He saluted once more before carefully lifting the child’s body.

  I turned and glared daggers at Lucien while I walked over.

  “Lucien." My voice was low, bordering something close to hostility.

  The plan was to capture the child unit and fully wipe out the adult one.

  An imperial order directly delegated from the king.

  Everything went flawlessly until that second squad suddenly pulled away.

  And to top it all off—

  "Your information was wrong."

  Lucien’s gaze remained fixed on the command tent.

  "Lucien." My metal gauntlets dug into his shoulders.

  The pain must’ve got his attention.

  He slowly turned and looked at me calmly.

  "Speak, Lucien."

  He slapped my arm away.

  Toying with lives like this… He won't walk awa—

  “It wasn’t wrong.” His voice cut in like a knife.

  He pulled out a creased note from inside of his coat.

  “They switched our deployment at the last second.”

  He shoved the letter into my chest and began walking toward the command tent.

  “I’m not sure where the doctor sent the others.”

  He turned slightly, as if speaking to the air.

  “But a new variable caught his attention.”

  I grabbed the note, my brows furrowing.

  Then turned back to issue commands to my men.