The once-peaceful EmberWind Village was unrecognizable. 

Smoke billowed from shattered cottages, and the faint echo of fleeing villagers hung in the distance. The square, now a battlefield, was stained with chaos—a place where hope and horror clashed.

Evelori stood in the center, her grotesque form of fused animalistic features a nightmare brought to life. 

Her clawed limbs twitched, her twisted frame heaving with unnatural breath. 

The green toxins no longer poured from her body, and the black ichor had ceased its endless flow. A strange stillness overcame her as the many holes riddling her body began to shrink.

Nert exclaimed, his eyes widening as he backed closer to Jiighual and Qarek.

"Something's happening!" 

Evelori's monstrous frame contorted. 

Her spined limbs cracked and folded inward, her animalistic features melding back into smooth, pale flesh. 

The grotesque tendrils retreated as her body stretched and reshaped. 

In moments—

The creature was gone. 

Evelori stood there, humanoid once more, her body eerily pristine, yet her eyes gleamed with an unholy rage.

Jiighual took a steadying breath and tightened his grip on his broken pavise shield. 

He growled, the weight of years clinging to his words.

"No time for hesitation," 

He charged forward, shield held before him, its splintered edges trembling under his grip. 

Evelori's head tilted unnaturally to the side, her lips curling into a chilling grin. 

Her arms snapped outward, elongating grotesquely as she met his advance.

The first slap echoed like a thunderclap, her hand colliding with the shield. 

Jiighual grunted, holding firm as another blow landed, then another. 

"Argh!"

Crack. The sound was unmistakable. 

The shield began to splinter further under her relentless assault.

"Stop it!" Jiighual shouted, his voice desperate, as he pushed against the strikes. 

The shield—a symbol of his resolve, his strength—gave way. 

With one final, deafening blow, Evelori shattered the pavise into fragments.

Jiighual dropped to his knees, staring in disbelief at the broken pieces scattered around him. 

His breathing grew ragged, and his hands trembled as he reached for a fragment, cradling it like a cherished memory.

"I've had this since I was seven..." he muttered, his voice breaking. 

The years of battles—

The bond he had with this shield—

Flashed through his mind. 

"Why... why now?"

Evelori took a deliberate step forward, her body eerily silent in its movements. 

Her arms twisted once more, morphing into grotesque, spiky spears. She raised them high, aiming directly at Jiighual.

Nert screamed, rushing forward. 

"No!" 

With a burst of speed, he shoved Jiighual aside just as Evelori thrust downward. 

"Jiighual, move!"

The spear-like arms pierced the earth where Jiighual had knelt moments ago, narrowly missing Nert as he stumbled to the side.

The shock of the moment paralyzed Qarek. 

He stood a few feet away, watching the scene unfold, his fists clenched at his sides. His mind spiraled. 

What do I do? 

What can I do?! Qarek. 

What can you do?!

Evelori turned her gaze to him, her eyes narrowing. The predatory focus sent a shiver down his spine.

Evelori's eyes burned with malevolent glee as her spear-like arms wrenched free from the earth. 

Black ichor dripped from their jagged tips, sizzling against the ground. 

She turned her attention to Nert, who had barely regained his footing after shoving Jiighual to safety.

Nert's chest heaved as he stood between Evelori and Jiighual. 

His palms were empty, his body trembling, but his resolve held firm. 

He spat, raising his fists.

"You're not touching him."

Evelori tilted her head, the grin on her face widening unnaturally, as if mocking Nert's futile defiance. 

She lunged, her arms lashing out with the speed of a striking viper.

Nert ducked under the first strike, rolling to the side as the second narrowly grazed his shoulder.

"Argh, that hurts!" 

Pain flared, but he ignored it, focusing only on keeping Evelori away from Jiighual. 

"Get up!" he yelled over her shoulder. 

"Jiighual, move!"

Jiighual still knelt amidst the broken fragments of his shield, his fingers clutching a jagged piece. 

His mind raced, tangled in memories of battles fought, of the first time Zach had placed the shield in his hands. 

The weight of its absence was crushing.

"Nert's right!" Qarek's voice cut through the chaos, a mixture of panic and desperation. 

"You can't just sit there!"

But even as Qarek spoke, he remained frozen, his feet rooted to the ground. 

His thoughts spiraled, every rational plan dissolving under the overwhelming reality of Evelori's power. 

You're useless, Qarek, a voice whispered in his mind. 

Weaponless, helpless... what can you possibly do?

Evelori shifted her focus to Nert, her arms blurring as they struck in a rapid flurry. 

Nert dodged and weaved, but his movements slowed as exhaustion crept in. 

A glancing blow struck his side, sending him sprawling to the ground with a cry of pain.

"Arghhh!"

Jiighual roared, the sound tearing from his throat as he snapped back to reality. 

"No!"

He scrambled to his feet, gripping the shard of his shield like a dagger. 

His legs felt like lead, but he charged forward, throwing himself between Evelori and Nert.

The creature's spear-like arms clashed with Jiighual's makeshift weapon. 

Sparks flew as he deflected the first strike, the sheer force sending him staggering backward. 

He growled, swinging the shard wildly.

"You're not taking anyone else!" 

Evelori laughed—a chilling, guttural sound—as she swatted his attack aside with ease. 

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Her strength was monstrous, her movements impossibly precise. 

Jiighual gritted his teeth, refusing to falter, but each strike she landed chipped away at his defenses, at his resolve.

Qarek watched, his heart pounding as Jiighual fought desperately. 

The sight of his comrades being overwhelmed stirred something deep within him—an ache, a need to act. 

You have to do something. 

Anything.

He took a step forward, then another. His hands trembled as he picked up a jagged piece of debris from the ground. 

He shouted, his voice cracking. 

"Hey!

Evelori's gaze snapped to him, her predatory grin returning.

"You want a fight?!" Qarek bellowed, adrenaline surging through him. 

"Then fight me!"

Evelori's form seemed to shimmer, her spear-like arms retracting as she turned fully to face him. 

Her smile widened, a silent acknowledgment of his challenge.

"Qarek, no!" Nert shouted, still struggling to her feet. 

"You're not ready—"

"I don't care!" Qarek cut her off, gripping the debris tightly. 

"I'm not letting her win!"

Evelori lunged, her movements a blur. 

Qarek braced himself, but the force of her attack sent him tumbling backward, the debris flying from his hands. 

Pain exploded through his body as he hit the ground.

But as he looked up, he saw Jiighual and Nert moving, their expressions hardened. 

Even as Evelori towered over him—

Even as despair clawed at their edges—

They hadn't given up.

△▼△▼△▼△

The morning air grew heavy with despair, the sharp scent of blood mixing with the acrid tang of Evelori's grotesque presence. 

Nert, Jiighual, and Qarek stood in a loose formation, their bodies battered and trembling, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. 

Evelori loomed before them, her humanoid frame shimmering and twisting unnaturally as though she could dissolve and reform at will.

She had taken everything from them—stamina, safety, even hope—and yet they pressed on. 

Bruised—

Cut—

And bleeding—

The three refused to yield. 

Nert darted forward, his fist swinging wide in a desperate attempt to catch Evelori off-guard. She melted into a viscous liquid, reforming just behind him with a mocking laugh.

Jiighual lunged, using a jagged piece of his broken pavise shield as a weapon. 

The fragment slashed through the air with surprising speed, but Evelori's body warped and elongated, the shard slicing harmlessly through empty space. 

She reappeared moments later, flicking a liquid tendril that caught Jiighual across the chest and sent him staggering back, gasping for air.

"Persistent little gnats," Evelori sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. 

"How much longer can you keep this up?"

Qarek circled around, his muscles taut with exhaustion, his mind racing for a strategy. 

He swung a heavy wooden plank salvaged from the village ruins, but Evelori sidestepped the attack with ease, her movements almost playful. 

She lashed out with a limb, striking Qarek across the ribs. 

"Argh!"

The sound of cracking bone echoed in the suffocating silence.

The trio regrouped instinctively, their battered forms forming a line against Evelori's relentless onslaught. 

Blood dripped from Nert's forehead, mingling with the dirt beneath his feet. 

"We'll—"

Jiighual's breaths were shallow, his chest heaving with the strain of each inhale. 

"Make—"

Qarek clutched his side, pain radiating from every movement, but his grip on the plank didn't falter.

"It!"

Evelori's grin widened as she stepped back, allowing the circle to close around them. 

From the village emerged her "models"—twisted, doll-like creatures that she had crafted. 

Their faces were eerily blank, their wide eyes unblinking and lifeless. 

The unnatural stillness of their expressions sent shivers down the spines of the three warriors.

Evelori raised her arms, her laughter echoing like a death knell. 

"Now that my models are here, I can only assume that your dear friends—those pitiful fools holding them off in the dark forest—are already dead." 

Her grin turned feral. 

"Sad, isn't it? The old man who dared to anger me is gone. Pity I wasn't the one to kill him. But no matter. It's your turn now. HAHAHAHAHAHA! FEAR ME!"

Nert's jaw tightened, his fists trembling as Evelori's words sank in. 

Jiighual lowered his gaze, his body shaking not from exhaustion but from raw emotion. 

Qarek's grip on the plank slackened, the weight of Evelori's mockery cutting deeper than any wound.

Two decades. 

Two decades of shared battles, laughter, losses, and triumphs—and now, the friends they had fought alongside for so long were gone.

Nert muttered, his voice cracking. 

"Those... bastards..." 

He wiped the blood from his face, his eyes blazing with fury.

Jiighual clenched his fists, his broken shield shard falling to the ground. 

"We were supposed to stand together," he said hoarsely, his voice barely audible. 

"We were supposed to—" 

Nert froze in place, his body trembling as if his very soul had been struck. 

His fists, already bloodied and bruised, clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, fresh blood trickling down. 

He tried to speak, to deny what he'd just heard, but the words caught in his throat, choked by a swell of grief and rage. 

His lips moved silently, his breath hitching as his eyes darted to the ground, unfocused.

"No... no, they can't be..." 

His voice was barely above a whisper, fragile and broken, as though speaking the words would make them real. 

His shoulders sagged under the weight of Evelori's taunts, his fury warring with the overwhelming ache in his chest.

Jiighual stood motionless, his broad frame quaking as he processed the devastating news. 

His grip on the jagged shard of his broken pavise shield loosened, and the piece of metal slipped from his fingers, landing with a dull thud at his feet. 

He stared down at it, his chest heaving with labored breaths.

"Gargeal... Yzavynne... Leeani..." he muttered, his voice cracking. 

Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision. 

"No... Master... He was... He was stronger than us. He couldn't... he wouldn't..." 

His words fell into silence, the tears spilling freely down his cheeks. 

Memories of camaraderie, shared battles, and the old man's gruff laughter flooded his mind. 

Jiighual shook his head slowly, his fists tightening at his sides.

"Damn it..." he whispered, his voice thick with anguish. 

"We were supposed to protect each other. We promised..." 

His legs nearly gave out, but he forced himself to remain standing, even as grief twisted his face into a mask of pain.

Qarek's reaction was different—quieter, but no less harrowing. 

His hands, calloused from years of combat, hung limply at his sides, the makeshift plank in his grasp slipping lower with each passing second. 

He stared at Evelori, but he wasn't seeing her. 

His mind raced, fragments of memories flashing before him: their master teaching him how to sharpen his axe, their shared jokes over the campfire, the way his presence had always felt unshakable, even in the direst moments.

"They're... gone," Qarek whispered, his voice hollow. 

He closed his eyes tightly, his lips trembling. His forehead rested against the plank, his breath hitching as tears slid down his cheeks. 

"How could we let this happen? What did we fight for... if this is how it ends?"

The words seemed to hang in the air—

Suffocating the three of them with their finality. 

Evelori's taunting laughter was a distant noise now, drowned out by the overwhelming roar of grief and guilt in their minds.

Nert wiped at his face, smearing blood and tears across his cheek. 

He tried to stand taller, tried to push the emotions aside, but his body betrayed him, his legs threatening to buckle. 

He let out a ragged scream, punching the ground with all his strength.

"They didn't deserve this!" he roared, his voice filled with both fury and despair. 

"We fought together for twenty damn years! Twenty years of surviving, protecting, fighting—and this is how it ends?!" 

His voice broke, and he buried his face in his hands, his entire frame trembling with sobs.

Jiighual dropped to one knee, his fingers brushing the shattered remains of his shield. He stared at the jagged edges, his vision swimming with tears. 

"We were supposed find peace in this village..." he said, his voice barely audible. 

"We were supposed to make it back together... all of us. They didn't deserve to die like this." 

He bowed his head, tears dripping onto the dirt.

Qarek finally lifted his gaze, his expression a mixture of sorrow and determination. 

His voice was quiet but steady, filled with a hollow weight. 

"They were more than comrades," he said. 

"They were our family. And now... now we're all that's left."

The words hit like a hammer—

The finality of their situation sinking in.

Nert and Jiighual turned to look at him, their tear-streaked faces filled with anguish. 

Qarek clenched his jaw, his eyes hardening despite the tears still streaming down.

"We can't let it end like this," he said, his voice growing stronger. 

"Not while we still stand. Not while we still have a chance to make this mean something."

His words choked off as tears streamed down his face.

Qarek stared at the ground, his mind a whirlpool of grief and rage. 

But as the creatures tightened their circle, something within him shifted. 

He straightened, his trembling hands finding their way to his forehead.

A faint glow began to emanate from his skin. Lines of light traced along his brow, forming a symmetrical pattern that converged into a single, unblinking eye at the center.

"Jiighual. Nert," Qarek said, his voice low but steady. 

"Activate your tattoos."

Jiighual looked up, his eyes wide with shock. 

"Qarek, what—"

"Do it!" Qarek barked, his voice breaking. 

"If this is the end... if this is where we die..." 

He paused, his shoulders shaking as the tears finally came. 

"Then let's die as warriors. Let's die as brothers."

Nert and Jiighual exchanged a glance, their expressions a mix of fear, sorrow, and determination. 

Slowly, they raised their hands to their own foreheads. 

Light flared as their tattoos came to life—each unique, yet equally vibrant. 

Jiighual's was jagged and fierce, resembling a roaring flame, while Nert's formed an intricate, swirling pattern that radiated strength and resolve.

Qarek took a shaky step forward, his glowing tattoo illuminating his tear-streaked face. 

"For two decades, we fought. Not for glory, not for recognition, but because we believed in something greater. We were called rebels, traitors, savages—but we knew the truth. We were saviors." 

His voice wavered, but he pressed on. 

"And if the world will only remember us as rebels, then let them. Let them remember this place, this moment, where we stood against the darkness."

He turned to Nert and Jiighual, his voice softening. 

"Brothers... this is where it ends. Together."

A heavy silence fell over the battlefield. Evelori watched, her grin faltering as the trio's tattoos burned brighter, their light cutting through the oppressive gloom.

Qarek tightened his grip on the plank, his resolve hardening. 

"Let's show her what it means to stand as one."

The three stepped forward, their bodies battered but their spirits unbroken. 

The final battle had begun.

Blood stained the once serene streets, and the metallic scent of fear and desperation lingered. 

Nert, Qarek, and Jiighual stood shoulder to shoulder, their breaths labored, their bodies battered and bruised, surrounded by the grotesque horde of Evelori's "models." 

The doll-like creatures advanced with unnatural movements—heads tilting unnervingly, their wide, unblinking eyes fixed on their prey.

Evelori stood nearby, her elongated form casting a distorted shadow over the battlefield. Her twisted smile grew wider as her voice dripped with mockery.

"It's morning, and yet here you are, still struggling, still falling before my power," she sneered, her laughter grating and cruel. 

"Imagine if it were night, when my strength knows no bounds! You wouldn't stand a chance! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The three warriors fought valiantly, bolstered by the heightened senses their tattoos granted them. 

Every sound, every movement, every whisper of wind felt amplified, sharpening their reflexes. 

Jiighual grabbed one of the creatures by its head and twisted its neck with a sickening crack, throwing its limp body into another. 

Nert ducked under a lunge, his enhanced hearing allowing him to anticipate the attack, and delivered a brutal kick that shattered a creature's ribcage. 

Qarek swung a broken plank, the improvised weapon smashing into the head of an advancing foe.

But no matter how many they struck down—

More swarmed forward—

Their sheer numbers overwhelming.

Nert growled as he crushed another creature underfoot, but his movements were growing sluggish. 

Blood streamed from bites and cuts littering his arms and legs. 

Jiighual stumbled, his breathing heavy, his once imposing frame sagging under the weight of exhaustion. 

Qarek, his forehead tattoo still glowing faintly, gritted his teeth as another creature lunged at him, biting deep into his shoulder. 

He roared in pain but shoved it away, swinging his weapon to keep the others at bay.

Evelori cackled, her voice rising above the chaos. 

"You're tired, aren't you? Worn down, overwhelmed, and oh so fragile. Look at you, bleeding and broken. Isn't it beautiful? The mighty warriors reduced to mere playthings for my creations!" 

Her words were venomous, cutting into their already fragile resolve.

Nert stumbled backward as the creatures pressed closer, their relentless assault driving him toward a crumbling wall. 

He turned to strike one down, but another grabbed his arm, its jagged teeth sinking deep into his flesh. 

He cried out, trying to shake it off, but more swarmed him. 

"ARGHHHHH! Get off!"

One grabbed his other arm, then his legs, pinning him to the ground.

He roared, thrashing against their grip, but it was no use. 

"Get off me!

Their strength was overwhelming, and their sharp teeth began tearing into his exposed skin. 

Blood pooled around him as he screamed in agony.

Qarek bellowed, trying to push through the throng of creatures to reach his comrade. 

"NERT!" 

But the creatures blocked his path, their blank, lifeless faces staring at him as they lunged. 

He swung his plank desperately, but there were too many.

Jiighual fared no better. 

A group of creatures tackled him to the ground, their weight pinning him as their teeth tore into his arms and legs. 

He roared in pain, trying to throw them off, but his strength was failing. 

"Damn it! Get off me!" 

Evelori's laughter grew louder, her voice brimming with sadistic glee. 

"Yes! Yes! This is what I wanted to see! Your fear, your pain, your hopelessness! Do you see now? There is no victory for you here. This is the end!"

The three warriors were battered, bloody, and broken, their hope hanging by a thread. 

Evelori's taunts rang in their ears, each word a dagger to their resolve.

And then, suddenly, a voice cut through the chaos like a blade.

"ENOUGH!"

The voice was sharp, commanding, filled with a resolute strength that silenced even Evelori's laughter. 

All eyes turned toward the source of the voice. 

Standing at the edge of the battlefield was Zach, the captain of the Renaissance Band. 

His presence was magnetic, his stance unyielding, and in his hand, he held a sword unlike any they had seen before—a blade shimmering with an ethereal light, its edges crackling with energy.

Beside him stood Ruby, her determination unshaken, and Lyra, the blacksmith and hunter, her bow drawn and an arrow—enchanted—ready to fire.

Zach's eyes burned with fury as he stepped forward, his voice like thunder. 

"You are Evelori, aren't you?" he said, his tone low but seething with barely contained rage. 

"This is where your reign of terror ends."

Evelori's smirk faltered as she eyed the blade in his hand. 

She hissed.

"The little man of the band,  dared to speak to me with such arrogance?" 

"I am Zach," he said, his voice unwavering. 

"Captain of the Renaissance Band. And I have had enough of watching you toy with my family."

Ruby's eyes widened as she took in the sight of Qarek, Jiighual, and Nert. 

Her breath hitched, and tears welled in her eyes. 

"Zach..." she whispered, her voice trembling. 

"Look at them... They're..."

Zach's grip on the sword tightened as he looked at his comrades. 

Nert was pinned to the ground, his body covered in blood and bite marks. 

Jiighual was barely conscious, his massive frame trembling as he tried to push himself up. 

Qarek, still fighting, was covered in wounds, his movements growing slower by the second.

"Get to them," Zach ordered Lyra and Ruby. 

"Now."

Lyra nodded, her bow lowering slightly as she moved toward the three fallen warriors. 

Ruby hesitated, her eyes fixed on Qarek, Jiighual, and Nert, her heart breaking at the sight of them.

Meanwhile, Qarek, summoning every ounce of strength he had left, grabbed Jiighual and Nert by their collars. 

He shouted, his voice hoarse. 

"Let's move! Captain's here!" 

With a final surge of willpower, he dragged them toward Zach, their bodies nearly collapsing as they reached the captain's side.

Zach stepped forward, placing himself between Evelori and his comrades. 

He raised his sword, its light illuminating the battlefield. 

"Listen well, Evelori," he said, his voice strong and steady. 

"These men—these warriors—have given everything to stand against you. They have fought through pain, through despair, through impossible odds. And they are not alone."

His voice grew louder, filled with righteous fury. 

"We are the Renaissance Band. We have been called rebels, outlaws, traitors—but we are more than that. We are protectors. We are family. And today, we fight for everyone you have terrorized, for everyone you have taken from us, for the people of this village, and for ourselves!"

He pointed the sword at Evelori, its light flaring brighter. 

"Your time ends here, Evelori. Not because of this sword, or these enchantments, but because of the unyielding strength of those who refuse to bow to monsters like you. You will fall, not to weapons, but to the will of those who dare to hope, even in the face of despair."

The air grew heavy with the weight of his words, and for a moment, even Evelori seemed shaken. 

The creatures paused, their soulless eyes flickering with hesitation.

Zach took another step forward, the ground beneath him seeming to tremble with his resolve. 

"Evelori, you thrive on fear—on breaking the will of those who stand before you. But hear me now: we are not here to cower, and we are not here to beg. We are here to show you what true defiance looks like. These people—"

His eyes swept over the battered forms of Qarek, Jiighual, and Nert.

"Are not just warriors. They are hope forged in pain, resolve born from fire. And together, we are something you'll never understand: unbroken."

He raised the glowing blade, its light blazing against the morning sun. 

"You've stolen, tormented, and destroyed enough. But you will take nothing more—not from them, not from me, and not from anyone else. Your reign ends here, not because of this sword or this battle, but because we have chosen to stand. Against you. Against everything you represent."

His words carried a chilling finality, laced with emotion but hardened with conviction. 

"You've ruled through terror, Evelori. Let me show you what courage can do..."

"... This ends now."

═════ ◆ TO BE CONTINUED ◆ ═════