The night was supposed to be quiet. A festival night. Lanterns still swayed from wooden poles, spilling faint golden light over the town square.
Maria was on the market buying fruits for Nora and Miata. Amelia was on her side.
They both were finally heading out of the market that's when the laughter of hours before now lingered like a ghost. But the sound had been swallowed-replaced by screams.
"Amelia, what's happening?" Maria asked and Amelia focused on her visions, watching through houses and walls and saw it.
The demons had come.
Some visitors had come. Waiting for some to welcome them.
"Then let's go. We can't just let them wait for us", Maria said, already going towards them, drawing her sword.
On the distance, the demons poured out from the shadows like a tide, snarling, crawling beasts with twisted horns and clawed limbs that gleamed under moonlight, eyes glowing red with hunger.
The townfolk fled. Doors slammed shut. Shutters rattled. Mothers pulled children behind them into cellars. Yet the sound of breaking wood and clawing talons tore through the air. No one could truly hide.
Maria stood before the demons. "Do you know Amelia", Maria lamented, "That day was just like this. The demons attacked, and everything shattered from us". She paused, clenched her blade until her knucklesturned white. "But this time, i won't let them do that again. Not again... never again".
I know you won't and i promise to never let you falter. This time, i will kill or die beside you.
The demons shrieked. The ground shook with their charge.
The first wave hit like a storm.
Maria dashed forward, her blade slashing in a clean arc. The steel wasn't enchanted, but it sang through the night all the same, cleaving through a demon's throat. Hot black blood splattered against her cheek, burning like acid. She hissed, shaking it off, but didn't falter.
On the other side of the town, Miata and Nora were waiting of Maria inside their house.
"It's been too late. Why hadn't sister came yet" Miata said, watching out of the window towards the town, while Nora was cooking food. Zoe and Twila were playing on the garden outside. That's when both of them felt the shift on the air.
Something is coming Nora. Make a shield! Fast.
But it was too late, two demons appeared from nearby, breaking through the walls of the house, burning it with their black fire.
Miata grab all the poison, medicine and her sword and jumped out through the window while Nora followed her.
They both were safe but the house turned into ashes just in seconds.
Miata turned towards the demons, eyes burning with fury as she first strike towards one of them. The demon caught her sword with his claws but then she let out a knife drove it into it's eyes. The demon cried as she dig the knife deeper while Zoe attack straight to his throat, tearing him apart in half.
Nora murmured a spell and the branches and roots caught the another demon in place, and Twila looked direct at him and in second, he drove his clows in himself.
Then the two fell. Miata and Nora took breath with relief but then reality hit them.
'Maria is still in the town'.
On the other side of the town, Maria was still struggling with the demons. Blood stains from her mouth, exhausted. One of the demon stike just inch away from her throat and Maria thought this is the end but then suddenly the demon's claw stopped mid-strike-Nora's roots stopped him and Miata strike into his throat.
She spun on her heel, her sword intercepting another demon now, that lunged low, sparks exploded as claws clashed against steel. Miata pushed back with a grunt, twisting, and drove her blade into it's chest. She could feel her muscles strain, the Aether inside her body flaring hot as she forced strength into her strikes.
But there wasn't enough.
Already more demons piled in.
A claw slashed across miata's arm-blood sprayed. She staggered back, teeth clenched in pain, but stood again. Zoe leapt at the demon tearing into it's throat before it could land another strike.
"Miata!" Maria voice cracked, fear leaking through.
"I am fine!" Miata spat through gritted teeth, eyes bleazing even as her arm trembled.
Behind them, Nora spread her hands, her voice low and steady despite the chaos. Arrows of sharp poisonous roots erupted, thick as iron, cutting through the demons as raindrops, caging them, wrapping around their limbs, dragging them to the ground. Twila's Antlers glowed brighter, feeding her magic. But the roots strained-the demons tore at them, snarling, black ichot dripping where they ripped free.
"Nora winced, sweat dripping down her brows. "They are stronger then I thought!"
The townsfolk cowered from the sidelines, pressed against walls, eyes wide. Some muttered under their breath-
"Why are they fighting?"
"They are just cursed and powerless orphans..."
"They will die anyway..."
And yet, their fear was tangled with something else, something unspoken. Hope.
Because no one else was standing.
Maria's chest heaved as another demon lunged. It's claws ripped across her shoulder, tearing fabric and flesh. She gasped, nearly dropping her sword, but Amelia barreled into the demon before it could finish her.
Blood dripped down Maria's arm, her body screaming for rest. Her vision blurred and everything went dark. She opened her eyes, found herself standing inside orphanage, no one was there except her-sister Mia.
Maria's eyes was watery as she clung to Sister Mia and sobbed. Sister Mia hugged her tightly, letting her tears fell and then she pulled out, just a little to see Maria's face.
"You have grown-up Maria. And more stronger than i have ever thought" Sister Mia whispered, cupping her cheek with both hands.
"I... am sorry... I am sorry that i wasn't there for you. Sorry that I am... I am so weak" Maria sobbed, burring her face on Sister Mia's shoulder.
"You are not weak Maria. You are everything i have fought for. You are not weak. But... you will be if you still don't move on. You have your whole life to live. How long you have planed to live on the guilt that wasn't your to bear."
And with that, Sister Mia start vanishing with the dust, Maria hugged herself tightly where she embraced on Sister Mia. And with that everything went dark. Then she heard the chaos, the screaming of Miata calling her name.
The next time, she opened her eyes, she was again in the town. Miata and Nora still fighting with the demons, Amelia was still by her side. Then she looked down at her hands, the embrace the touch from sister Mia felt so real. Then she heard screams of people nearby.
She turned her head, and saw some of the demons attacked on the people, tearing them apart.
Her teeth clenched. I won't let it happen again. Even if it kills me.
She roared, swinging her blade with both hands. Aether flared from inside her, raw and desperate, and for instant her strike burned brighter, faster. The demons split into two, collasping into ash, at her feet.
Beside her, Miata stumbled, sweat plastering her hair to her face. She stabbed another demon, but her blade got stuck in it's ribs. The demon shriked, thrashing. She kicked it back, wrenching her sword free, but the motion ripped open the wound on her arm further.
Her knees buckled.
"Miata!" Maria's scream tore through the battlefield.
Maria's sword became an extension of her rage. She carved through the demons with wild desperate swings, every strike leaving her muscles screaming, her vision swam red but she did not stop.
Nora forced another wave of roots up, straining until her vision blurred. "Hurry-get up". She cried but even she was pale now, exhaustion dragging at her. Her legs shook, her magic burning too fast.
Still she stood. Still she fought. The battle raged longer than their bodies should have allowed. Cuts layered cuts. Their arm grew heavy. Amelia and Zoe, bleeding but unyielding, snarled beside them. Twila stumbled but lowered her antlers again and again, striking demons away.
She screamed as she poured the last of her strength into Twila. Twila's antlers blazed with green light, brighter than they ever been, and roots erupted like spears, impaling 5 demons at once. Blood splattered across the square as their shrieks died into silence as the last demon fell into the ground.
Only ragged breathing remained-Maria, Miata and Nora gasping, trembling, dripping blood into the dirt. Their blades hung low, too heavy to lift any more.
Maria's knees shook, she tried to take a step forward-but her legs gave way. She collapsed to the ground, her palm scraping stone. Miata fell beside her, chest heaving, her sword clattering from numb fingers. Nora leaned against Twila, almost sliding down on the ground.
They just lay there, bloodied, trembling, alive. Barely.
The townsfolk peered from the shadows. Their faces twisted, not in disgust, not entirely. Not in gratitude, not fully, something in between. A murmur rose, uncertain.
Fear and shame clashed in their voices.
"They only fought because they had nothing to lose".
"Orphans or not... they saved us..."
"They look more like beasts than saviours".
"Why did it have to be them?"
Their voices cut sharper than blades, torn between scorn and reluctant gratitude. Maria heard them and put her both hands to Miata's ear so that she can't hear anything.
Her chest tightening... She wanted to scream-we bled for you, we broke ourselves for you- but her body had no strength left.
Nora just watched her but didn't said anything. She could see the tears Nora was trying to hold back but couldn't.
Then for their surprise. A little girl ran to them and hugged Nora. Nora was shocked by the gesture of the little girl.
The townsfolk said her to stay back from them but she didn't. instead she
whispered," Sister Nora and Sister Miata healed me when i was sick. They played with me and today... they bled for her". Her mother came, shouting on her, " let's go Mary. You don't know how dangerous they could be. People like them are not worthy of gratitude-
But Mary shook her head, cutting her mother off "No! They are not like how you used to tell me. They are good" she sobbed.
"She is right". One of the elderly woman said, stepping forward towards them. "When i needed help, no one did but Maria was the only one who took care of me. She always carried my stuffs, she everyday asked 'how i am'. And even she always makes me laugh". The elderly woman mumbled, "Even my own children left me, but she didn't".
"They are orphans"
"Cursed blood"
Some of the townsfolk still protested.
"They are living here for almost 5 years and still we never let them be a part of this town. They just wanted acceptance from us but we always disgrace them. And now they even risked their life for us and still you are treating them with disgust and disrespect" A woman interrupted.
Then more stepped forward healing them.
But then the air shifted again and Amelia whispered.
Something is coming. More dangerous.