He approached me, stretching his ripped, muscular arm. I closed my eyes in fear. A breeze passed me, and then I heard a slash.
I opened my eyes to see Brother Denba standing in front of me, his sword dripping with blood.
I watched as he slayed the enemies one by one, rage and fire burning in his eyes. He was out of breath—blood covered the walls, bodies lay on the floor, and the naked princesses shivered, their skin marked with scars and injuries.
I pulled myself together and comforted the girls, tears welling in their eyes.
"Why didn't you run when I told you to?! Why were you just standing there? Did you want to get yourself killed or something?! Where is your little sister, Korj?"
"I... I don't know... they went out... and... and..." I muffled, tears streaming down my cheeks.
He looked away from the other princesses, his face filled with rage. His garments were stained with blood.
"Mara," he called—one of the princesses who was never touched because of her physical appearance—"Gather the girls. There's a secret tunnel in the kitchen we can use to escape."
"Don't worry, Korj. Nothing will happen to us. We'll make it out of here, I promise. Heaven knows where all the guards disappeared to," Denba said, trying to reassure me. I hugged him and rested my head on his well-built, hard chest.
"Brother Denba, some of them can't walk. What do we do now, Denba?" Mara cried.
"We'll hide them. We'll come back later for them. For now, I have to get you all out of here," Denba said. We did as he instructed, hiding them in a spacious closet inside the room.
The girls huddled close to Denba. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I gripped the fabric of his tunic, seeking comfort in his presence. He patted my head gently. Denba was so brave—just what you'd expect from someone who was about to become a commander knight in a matter of days, if this chaos hadn't happened.
Our hearts raced as we dashed through the castle corridors, our footsteps echoing amidst the chaos. Enemy soldiers were closing in. But then, a glimmer of hope appeared when we ran into a royal guard who fought alongside Brother Denba, cutting down the enemies. Our eyes locked, and without a word, he motioned for us to follow.
Some of the girls were shivering. I used my arms to support one of the princesses who was limping. She called my name weakly.
"Korrrjjj..."
I was surprised she knew my name. I thought I was invisible in the castle—people rarely paid attention to me.
Time seemed to stretch as we waited, the tension thick in the air. Finally, the guard nodded, signaling it was safe to move. We resumed our hurried escape, the guard and Denba's determination pushing us forward as they silently executed every enemy we encountered.
We reached the area outside the second chamber and hid in a dim corner. Denba placed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. My heart thudded so loudly I thought everyone could hear it, but Denba's calm demeanor helped steady my nerves. I watched as he listened carefully for any sign of danger, his grip firm on his sword. He nodded to the guard, and together they patrolled the area.
After a few minutes, they returned—the area was safe.
"The king's chamber is full of enemy soldiers. We can't be seen by them. No wonder this chamber didn't have many guards!" the guard said.
Before I could even blink, an arrow flew from the trees outside the window and struck a princess beside me in the back of her head. My heart pounded wildly. Another arrow followed, then another.
I looked closer and saw one of the enemies aiming from a tall tree."Go! Go! Go!" the guard whispered.
We scurried toward the kitchen. I couldn't run fast because the girl I was supporting was limping and exhausted. An arrow hit her in the back. She fell and screamed in pain.
The enemies guarding the king's chamber heard her and spotted us. I looked at her—she was in agony—but the soldiers were coming straight toward us. She met my gaze and yelled, "Go! Go!! I won't make it anyway. I'll end it before they do."
She pulled a small knife from beneath her dress, pointed it toward her chest, and pushed it in slowly, still grunting in pain."I'm sorry," I whispered, slowly walking away from her.After a while, she became silent, blood trickling from the corner of her lips.
The other girls and I ran ahead until we reached the castle gate. Denba and the guard prepared to face the approaching enemies.
Dust kicked up from the ground as the enemy's heavy footsteps grew louder."Get ready," Denba growled, his grip on his sword unwavering. The guard nodded, swallowing hard as his fingers tightened around his hilt."I'm ready. For Crystansia... and for Ferta."
"Who's Ferta?" Denba asked, confused.
"My wife. Those bastards slit her throat—and I wasn't there to save her. I swear I'll end the lives of a thousand of them," the guard said, sorrow in his eyes and voice.
The enemy soldiers, clad in dark armor, charged forward with raised weapons, their battle cries echoing through the night. The clash of metal against metal filled the air, drowning out every other sound as both sides collided in a storm of violence.
It was an epic battle. I looked at Denba—he gave me a sign, telling me to escape—but I couldn't leave him. I conjured a crude, sharp sword from my energy and stabbed anyone who came close, trembling with fear.
Denba moved like a force of nature. Every swing of his flaming sword struck true, graceful yet deadly—a dance of destruction honed through years of training.
Beside him, the guard fought with fierce determination, his sword clashing against the enemies'. Each impact sent shockwaves up his arms, but adrenaline drove him to keep pace with Denba's unmatched skill.
When the battle ended, the guard had lost his left hand. Bodies of enemies lay scattered across the floor, some dead, others barely clinging to life. I searched desperately for Denba and found him lying atop a pile of fresh corpses, bleeding heavily from deep wounds.
I tore a strip of lace from my dress and tied it around his wounds, trying to stop the bleeding, but it wasn't enough. My tears wouldn't stop. I helped him up."We have to keep moving," I said.
Then—an arrow from the trees struck him in the back. He threw himself over me, shielding me with his body. More arrows followed—six in total—piercing his back.
I grabbed a bow from a nearby corpse and fired at the shooter. My aim was true—the arrow hit him squarely, and he fell from the tree, his skull bursting open upon impact.
I held Denba's face, crying the same way he had comforted me earlier. He smiled weakly. The guard touched my shoulder."We have to go," he said softly.
I kissed Denba's forehead and laid him down gently, saluting him in the way great knights of our kingdom were honored.
I took the bow and arrow with me as the guard and I headed toward the gate. The girls had escaped long ago. I turned back to look at Denba one last time—the man who had protected me, who treated me like his real blood brother, who trained me to wield a sword and shoot an arrow. His eyes met mine one final time, a mixture of pain and love in his gaze.
He whispered his last word to me—"Survive."
Tears streamed down my cheeks, my nose and face red from crying. I whispered, "I love you."
He closed his eyes. I felt like a part of me was gone. The guard bowed his head. The wind blew softly, and the moon hung high in the sky. I ran back to Denba, holding his body and crying my heart out. I knew I had to escape and find Mother and Bomi—but with this weight in my heart, could I truly move on from Denba's glorious death so easily?