As if on cue, several EmberWind villagers appeared from the shadows below, rolling out hay bales they had hauled from the outskirts. 

The bales hit the ground with a thud, creating a makeshift landing zone directly beneath the hole in the tower wall. 

The timing was perfect — Qarek, Yzavynne, Leeani, Seraphina, Lyra, and the rescued villagers plunged through the opening, their bodies flailing in mid-air. 

The rush of the fall felt endless, the wind tearing at their clothes and faces, but they braced themselves, holding onto each other as they landed onto the soft, cushioning hay.

The impact jarred every bone in their bodies, but it wasn't deadly. 

Slowly, they helped each other to their feet, gasping for breath as the relief sank in. 

The villagers, some of them men, women, and even children, were covered in grime, blood, and the sinister black substance that had oozed through the tower. 

EmberWind's rescuers, their fellow villagers, quickly threw off their own shirts, wiping away the vile, sticky black liquid from their bodies. 

The shared action became a small moment of humanity as they covered the shivering—

Half-naked survivors—

Wrapping them up in what little clothing they had.

Qarek scrambled up, still clutching Gargeal's greatsword, his face a mix of anger and gratitude. 

"Master, the village—!"

Gargeal, his voice low and calm but edged with a grim undertone, interrupted. 

"I know, Qarek. I've already secured the village. At least two hundred of those creatures, gone. Slain."

Leeani, her eyes wide with disbelief, stammered. 

"How did you even know? How did you know we were here? And the hay bales...?"

Gargeal gave a brief, humorless chuckle, wiping blood from his brow. 

"Experience. I planned to investigate the interior by climbing the tower. If something went awry in the process of looking for you five, jumping down was the quickest escape, but I'd need a safe landing. So, I had the hay bales prepared. A bit of precaution when dealing with unknown magic — never venture into the belly of the beast unless you know a way out."

He turned to face them fully, his gaze stern but filled with pride. 

"I may not be as sharp as our captain, Zach, but when he's not around, I'm in command. And if there's one thing age gives you, it's experience." 

He reached out, taking back his greatsword from Qarek. 

The younger warrior handed it over without hesitation, his face lighting up with a rare, almost childlike admiration.

Yzavynne breathed, her voice filled with awe. 

"Master."

Leeani nodded in agreement, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. 

She whispered.

"Thank you."

Before Gargeal could respond, a voice called out from behind the villagers, strong and clear, cutting through the murmur of the crowd. 

"Everyone! My people! Run, now!" 

It was Haerak, his authoritative tone carrying hope and urgency alike. At his side, little Aina clutched her father's hand, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and determination.

The rescued villagers, still dazed and exhausted from their ordeal, gasped as they recognized the figure of their chief. 

For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. 

The realization hit them like a wave — they were outside, truly outside the tower's oppressive grasp for the first time in years. 

Tears welled up in their eyes as they saw Haerak—

A symbol of the life they had longed to return to—

Cries of joy and sobs of relief mingled in the air.

Gargeal looked at Haerak, giving a brief nod. 

"I called for backup. Couldn't do this alone."

Seraphina, who had been standing a few steps away, suddenly felt a weight slam into her chest. She looked down to see Aina hugging her tightly. 

Aina's voice was a small, shaky whisper filled with tears.

"Auntie! You're okay!" 

Seraphina let out a choked laugh, her hands trembling as she held Aina close. 

"I am... I'm glad I am," 

She managed, pressing her cheek against Aina's hair, the smell of ash and smoke filling her nose. 

It was a scent she realized she would cherish because it meant they were alive.

Lyra stood by, watching the reunion with a soft, bittersweet smile. 

But the warmth of the moment was short-lived. 

Her eyes drifted upwards to the hole in the tower wall they had leaped from, and her expression twisted in horror. 

The opening, still leaking black substance, began to ooze with an even darker, more viscous fluid, spilling out like blood from a wound.

Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Guys?! RUN!"

The urgency snapped everyone back to reality. 

Gargeal swung his greatsword, motioning to the villagers. 

"Move! Get them out of here! Protect the wounded and the children first!"

The EmberWind rescuers, who had been wiping black goo off their fellow villagers, immediately sprang into action. 

Men and women hoisted the weakened survivors onto their backs, while the stronger villagers guided the children, shouting words of encouragement. 

The air filled with the sounds of rapid footsteps, urgent whispers, and the soft sobs of those who had thought they would never see the sky again.

Qarek, Leeani, Yzavynne, Seraphina, and Lyra stayed at the rear, forming a protective line. 

They exchanged brief, determined glances, their faces a mix of fear and steely resolve.

Haerak's voice boomed over the chaos, his presence a beacon of calm in the pandemonium. 

"Head towards the western grove! It's clear there — we'll regroup with the others from the Renaissance band and defend our village!"

As they began their mad dash across the moonlit field, Seraphina glanced back one last time at the crumbling tower. 

The black substance continued to gush out, spreading like an oil slick across the ground. 

She felt Aina's small hand slip into hers, grounding her, giving her strength.

Lyra murmured, running beside her. 

"Don't look back."

Her voice was steady, but tears glistened in her eyes. 

"Just keep going."

Seraphina nodded, gripping Aina's hand tighter. 

They ran together, their breaths mingling with the cries of the villagers, the pounding of footsteps blending into the night as the luminary tower behind them roared with the unholy laughter of Evelori.

△▼△▼△▼△

Evelori's gaze fixed on the retreating figures of the Renaissance Band and the villagers as they disappeared into the thick shadows of the western grove. 

Her bloodshot eyes twitched with fury. 

From the hole in the tower wall, she watched helplessly, her mouth curling into a snarl as she saw her prey slipping out of reach. 

The black substance that had spilled out of the opening suddenly stopped, reversing its flow and seeping back into the tower walls like a retreating tide. 

It left the ground below it clear, but stained and corrupted, the earth itself seeming to recoil from where it had touched.

Evelori's voice was a mix of rage and frustration, echoing through the hollow shell of the tower.

"Arghhhhh!! I messed up!" 

Her hands clawed at the stone, leaving deep scratches as she gritted her teeth. 

"What do I do?! I can't let them escape like that! Not after all this time—!"

She paused, her expression shifting from fury to a sinister, twisted smile. 

"Oh, wait!" 

Her eyes rolled back, showing only the whites, as if she was accessing some otherworldly vision.

A few moments of silence passed, her breath heavy and ragged, before her head jerked violently, snapping her out of her trance.

Her vision had been blocked. 

The network of her 'models' — those creatures disguised as villagers she had planted throughout EmberWind Village — failed to respond. 

Her mind hit a blank wall, her connection severed. 

Evelori's face contorted with rage, veins bulging on her neck.

"What?! No... no! My precious creations!" 

She spat, her voice breaking into a high-pitched wail of disbelief. 

"That old man with the greatsword, he did this, didn't he?! He destroyed them all! That fucking—!" 

She cut herself off with a scream, slamming her fists into the stone wall, cracking it.

Unable to hold back her rage any longer, Evelori launched herself out of the hole in the tower, her body arching through the air. 

She deliberately avoided the hay bales below, aiming for the hard ground instead. 

The impact sent a sickening crunch through the air as her body folded unnaturally, bones snapping under the force. 

But she didn't scream. 

"Oopsie, forgot to turn into a liquid state."

Her broken limbs twitched grotesquely as she pushed herself up, her spine cracking back into place. 

With a horrifying series of snaps and pops, her body regenerated, her limbs straightening out, her pale skin knitting back together.

Evelori stood up, fully reformed, her humanoid shape restored. 

Her face was twisted in a cruel, delighted smile, the madness gleaming in her eyes. 

"Oh, that old fool," she whispered, almost lovingly. 

"He thinks he's so clever, so righteous, killing my precious models. My beautiful creations, torn apart by that weathered, trembling hand."

She paced back and forth, her fingers tapping against her chin as her smile widened, exposing sharp, jagged teeth. 

"What should I do to him?" she mused, her voice dripping with venom. 

"How do I repay him for taking away my toys? Ah, I know... I'll strip the flesh from his bones, piece by piece. But not quickly, no — I'll make it slow. So slow that he begs for death. And when he does, I'll keep him alive just a little longer, just so I can savor the look in his eyes as he realizes it won't come."

Evelori's eyes gleamed with a twisted delight. 

"I'll start with his fingers. Yes, one by one. I'll pull them off slowly, twist them until the bones snap, then peel the skin away like the rind of a fruit. I'll watch the blood spill and pool at his feet, let him feel every inch of his own decay. And then... oh, then I'll move to his legs. I'll break them, shatter the bones, but I won't let him bleed out. No, no, I'll keep him conscious, awake, and aware. I'll make sure he watches every single moment as I carve into his flesh."

Her voice dropped to a low, whispering hiss, filled with malice. 

"And when he's nothing but a writhing, broken thing on the ground, when he's begging me to end his suffering... I'll lean in close, so close he can see the joy in my eyes as I tell him that this is only the beginning. I'll make sure he hears the screams of his comrades as I take them apart, one by one, right in front of him. And then, finally... finally, when I'm bored of his screams, I'll tear his heart out while it's still beating and hold it up for him to see before he fades away."

She let out a cruel, high-pitched laugh, the sound echoing through the empty field around the tower. 

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Her laughter trailed off into a whisper, her voice dripping with mockery. 

"You think you can save them, old man? You think your experience and your greatsword can protect them from me? Oh, no. You've only delayed the inevitable."

Evelori paused, taking a deep breath as if she could already taste the blood on her lips. 

"Run, then," she said softly, almost lovingly. 

"Run as far as you can, old man. Because when I catch you, when I finally have you in my grasp, you will wish you had died a thousand times before I'm through with you."

Her smile vanished as her eyes narrowed into slits, her body trembling with barely contained fury. 

She hissed, her voice filled with the promise of unspeakable horrors. 

"This isn't over. Not by a long shot."

She turned back to the tower, glancing up at the dark, jagged hole where her plans had begun to unravel. 

The black substance had fully receded, the walls absorbing it like a sponge.

Evelori's grin widened, but a shadow of annoyance flickered across her face. 

She clenched her jaw, recalling the searing pain from the enchanted weapons—Leeani's and Lyra's arrows, Qarek's knife—each strike from them had burned her essence, not just wounding her physical form but lashing out at whatever semblance of a soul she had left. 

It was a pain she hadn't felt in years—

A reminder that she wasn't invincible.

Her lips curled into a sneer as she muttered to herself.

"Those damn weapons... those enchanted little toys. They sting like hellfire, don't they? The purity in those arrows, the enchantments woven into that knife... they're like poison to me."

Evelori's eyes narrowed, her mind racing. 

"I need to get rid of them," she whispered, almost to herself, her tone darkening with every word. 

"I can't let them keep striking at me with those. But how do I counter their enchantments... how do I strip the magic away?"

She paused, her twisted smile returning, her eyes gleaming with a new, horrific idea. 

"Ah, yes. Blood... but not just any blood. The blood of the enchanters themselves." Her voice dripped with malevolent delight. 

"If I can get my hands on one of them, just one... I'll rip their throat open and drain them dry. I'll smear their own blood across the weapons, desecrate their enchantments with the very life they used to create them. Twist the magic, taint it. Turn it into something vile, something that'll corrode the purity they cling to."

Her smile widened, and she licked her lips as if she could already taste the blood. 

"I'll break their fingers one by one, make them watch as I dismantle everything they hold dear. I'll cut their arms open and drain the essence of their spells out of them. And once their enchantments are undone, once their weapons are nothing but dull metal and wood, I'll use those very arrows and that knife to carve out their hearts."

She let out a low, chilling laugh. 

"I'll make them pay for every wound they've inflicted on me. I'll carve their faces with their own arrows, slit their throats with their own knife. And when I'm done, I'll fashion a new blade from their bones—an unholy thing, made to slice through their hope and pierce their souls."

She took a deep, shuddering breath, a twisted grin spreading across her face once more. 

"That old man. You've made this personal, old man," she muttered, her fingers clenching into fists. 

"And now, I'll make sure that every single one of you suffers for it."

With that, she began to walk towards the direction of the western grove—

Her steps slow and deliberate—

Each one a promise of the wrath that was to come.

Evelori's cruel smile wavered for a moment as she glanced up at the sky. 

The faintest glimmer of dawn had begun to creep in, a sliver of silver light edging the horizon. 

She clicked her tongue in irritation, feeling an uncomfortable prickle at the back of her neck.

The sky would soon start brightening, and she could already sense her powers shifting—dimming like a candle flickering in the wind.

She muttered to herself, her expression twisting into a scowl. 

"Not much time left."

She wouldn't admit it, not even to herself, but the daylight was a problem—a reminder of her limits. 

It drained her—

Made her weaker—

More vulnerable—

Even to weapons that are not enchanted.

The strength she wielded at night, the dark power she thrived on, would seep away the moment the sun's first rays touched the earth. 

She needed to hurry.

But she masked her urgency with a sadistic chuckle. 

"No matter," Evelori hissed, her eyes gleaming with malice. 

"I'll catch up to them soon enough. And when I do, I'll turn their bones into shackles and make them crawl at my feet like the pathetic worms they are."

She licked her lips, a mad gleam in her eyes as she imagined what she would do once she was done with the survivors. 

"Kazaks... the one with the war hammer," she mused, almost lovingly. 

"I'll break his remaining arm, twist his iron will into submission. Andhur, that foolish scholar, always thinking he's one step ahead—oh, I'll make sure his brilliant mind is the first thing I destroy. I'll turn them both into my loyal pets, obedient and mindless. They'll bow to me, and I'll use their strength and their knowledge to hunt down the rest of their precious band."

Her gaze shifted, lost in her own twisted fantasy. 

"And Micah... sweet Micah. I'll perfect the model I made of her, better than the hollow puppet they destroyed. I'll make her real, with blood and flesh, a beautiful doll who sings my praises. And Killian..." 

She let out a shuddering, wicked laugh. 

"His skills as a tracker will serve me well. I'll leash him like a hound, have him hunt down his own friends until there's no one left but him to gnash his teeth in regret."

Evelori's grin widened as she stepped forward, the looming tower shrinking behind her. Her steps quickened, each stride brimming with purpose. 

"Yes... they'll all make perfect pets," she whispered to herself, almost lovingly. 

"And once I've dealt with those who ran away tonight, I'll make them watch as I tear their village apart, piece by piece."

The sky grew lighter, the first hints of blue beginning to paint the dark canvas of the night. 

Evelori felt the creeping touch of morning inch closer, and with a final glance at the horizon, she muttered. 

"I'll need to finish this quickly... but that's fine. I like it when they run." 

Her smile twisted cruelly. 

"It makes the hunt all the sweeter."

Evelori's eyes flickered with annoyance as she watched the faint light of dawn creeping across the sky. 

The creeping warmth of daylight was a threat, but she refused to acknowledge its full power. 

As she stood in the shadows, a twisted smile crept across her lips.

She snarled, her voice seething with venom. 

"Though, I can't move on! My precious creation... my toys... all destroyed." 

Her fingers curled into claws, her nails scratching at the air as if she could rip the world apart. 

"The fear... the feast I had prepared, it's gone. My village models, my perfect little puppets... those villagers were supposed to feed me, make me stronger... but now, they're free! Because of him!" 

Her eyes narrowed, a flare of anger flashing within her.

She clenched her fists, taking a deep breath as she fought to steady herself. But then, she grinned again, that sickening smile returning. 

"But... there's still hope," she whispered, her voice cold with malice. 

"I'll get my feast, just a different kind. It's no loss—no, no, no. The fear of the villagers will taste just as sweet. They're all back at the village now, cowering in the light of false safety."

Her eyes glinted with wicked anticipation as she spoke to herself, her mind already racing ahead. 

"I'll turn into something... grotesque. Something so hideous, so monstrous... the children will cry, their little hearts pounding in terror. I'll drink it in, I'll feast on their fear... every scream, every breath of panic will make me stronger than I've ever been. I'll rip them from their fragile peace and make them cower in the depths of their darkest nightmares."

She paused, a low, guttural chuckle escaping her lips as she spoke with cruel amusement. 

"Let them think they're safe. Let them run. It won't matter. Not when I'm through with them. And the children... oh, the children will be my prize. I'll make them scream like lambs before the slaughter. Their terror will fill me, make me unstoppable."

Evelori licked her lips, her twisted smile growing wider as the dawn's first light touched the edges of the darkened sky.

"Fear is the only thing that truly breathes life into the soul. It's not the scream that echoes, but the silence that follows—the part where they realize their lives are no longer their own, but mine to feast upon."

Her eyes gleamed with malice as she added, her voice almost a whisper.

"Fear isn't just a weapon—it's the seed of power, and I am the one who will make it grow."

═════ ◆ TO BE CONTINUED ◆ ═════