Unedited cause I'm cool like that. In fact every chapters are. Who am I even kidding pfft

Enjoy xx

Noorizan had barely escaped the army of hooded creature when he heard a loud explosion near where he was. He took another speed to his legs and ran to the place, heart thumping impossibly fast under his ribs.

'Please don't let it be her. Please don't let it be her.' He chanted in his thoughts until he saw the condition of the surrounding. It looked like it had been hit by a tsunami; tree trunks and branches scattered around, bigger trees that he knew existed for hundred of years lay on the once lush forest floor but now in a horrible state. He walked to the vast area cautiously looking around for anything suspicious, then he saw a figure on the ground from a distance.

His eyes bulged and he sprinted forward.
His deepest nightmare was proven to be real when he saw the lifeless body of a girl he loved lying on the dirt, fumes raising from her body and vapored into the air.

"Aieyn." He whispered. "No, no."

He picked her hand and it held just a tinge of heat before it completely disappeared with the smoke. Her body was scalded; minor burns were covering her exposed limbs but her palms, oh her palms were covered with third degree burn.

He stared at her palms in shock that he didn't even realise the hot trails on his cheeks. He didn't hear the soft sniffling that came from two girls who was in an utter shock.

Miezza was watching over Jyra who turned into a killing machine after Danish's body dissipated. She had killed only three creatures while Jyra massacred ten of them, making sure to tear the heads off before going on to another one. She was just going to stop her friend from being so self-contained when they heard the loud sound. She turned to look at Jyra who shared the same expression as her, before they took off.

They were met by the most shocking scene ever. Aieyn lying on the floor and Noorizan looking as pale as ghost next to her. They shed tears when they realised what happened. A leader died.

Farra came not long after, Hisham on tow. Clearly they had heard the sound too and rushed to the horrific scene. She probably had an idea about who did it but she didn't talk for some moment, as she mourned for the loss of a good friend. Tears streamed down her face and she let them to.

She crouched to Aieyn's side and she touched her cold bruised cheeks. "I'm going to kill that bastard." She took a breath, and a lone tear trickled down. "I promise."

***

The other groups who didn't heard the explosion kept fighting. They were completely oblivious of the whole Aieyn's scene.

Zulfikar was busy defending himself and Sheronica as she ran around taking care of the wounded ones. She felt bad for relying on Zul to cover for her but she didn't have any choice. They would be far more hurt if she wasn't there, and she was not going to be a selfish girl who stayed in the room until the war ended.

But her thoughts seemed to be against her.

She remembered the sight of Lissa being staked in the chest by her own father, how her lifeless limb fell like rag doll on the forest ground. She would never forget the look of sorrow on Dylan and Alex's face, it will forever haunting her if she ever get out of the war alive.

The first life that she wasn't able to save. The first life that was taken because of her.

Her nagging thoughts got the best of her and she didn't even hear the whooshing sound behind her until it was too late.

She groaned when she pushed herself off the ground, feeling the thudding sensation on the side of her head where she hit the ground so bad.

She remembered it vividly, she saw Lily being in pain as she was fighting alone now, and Sheronica was going over to help but something pulled her into the forest where she landed with a loud thud, hitting her head hard and she fell completely out of focus for a while.

She looked around and was shocked when a guy appeared not far from where she was. His sinister looking eyes were watching her every move and the corners of his mouth curled down in disgust.

She took in his appearance. "Rusdi, what happened to you?"

"Don't talk to me, bitch." He snarled and Sheronica gasped.

"You made me do it, you made me kill her." He added, taking an advancing step toward her.

"Who do you mean?" She asked.

"Don't ask like you don't know!" He yelled making her jump slightly.

She seemed to be processing what he was saying for a bit. Tears began to pool in her eyes.

"Aieyn's dead?" She asked, her voice small.

His eyes narrowed into slits as he took a few long strides toward her. He wrapped his finger around her neck and held her in the air.

"How dare you to speak of her name." He spat and snickered triumphantly at Sheronica poor attempts in peeling his fingers off.

"If you hadn't run away she wouldn't have died, you worthless bitch." He snarled and tightened his grasp. She was choking for air and her face was turning purple when she was released and fell on the forest floor.

She gasped desperately for air as the guy in front of her chuckled. "As much as I wanted you to die, I don't want to taint my hands with your filthy blood."

Her eyes watered as she scooted away from him, trying to get away.

"Which is why, I bring some friends." He added just as she hit something on her back.
Her breathing hitched as she slowly looked up.

***

Zulfikar was busy fighting off a dozen of hooded creature. His left hand was wounded. He thought he might have fractured a bone or two. But nothing Sheronica couldn't heal.

His eyes widened in realisation and he finished the last creature that was advancing toward him before looking for the girl. She was just behind him, where was she? He ran to the other side and stumbled upon a bloody Lily who looked like she had a fight of her life.

"Are you okay?" He asked the girl. She pulled a weak smile and nodded.

"Did you see Sheron?" She shook her head no.

"Where did you left her?"

"She was with me just a few minutes ago!" He pulled on his hair with his good hand. Izzudin was totally going to kill him for letting her out of his view.

Just then Farra arrived with a tear stricken face. Hisham, Miezza, Jyra, and Noorizan was with her. Both Lily and Danish were eyeing the group weirdly. They looked like they had just lost someone...

"Sheron's gone." Zul mumbled.

"What do you mean she's gone?!" A voice shouted from behind him.

All heads turned to the source of voice and saw Izzudin standing there, dirt was all over his face. He noticed that everyone was there, so he divided himself to more clones and they took off, continue fighting in the members place.

"Spit out." He growled and Zul gulped.

"She was there, and when I looked back she's gone."

Before Izzudin could reply anything to that, they heard a ear-splitting scream.