The night began as any other in Elderleaf.
The moon hung low over the towering trees, their emerald leaves whispering in the soft summer wind. Lanterns swayed gently outside each cottage, their golden glow spilling across cobblestone paths. Children laughed as they chased fireflies through the village square, and elders sat beneath the sacred oak telling old stories about the Sunlight Knight, Alexander, who had sealed away the Dark Elf King a thousand years ago.
Alex sat on the wooden steps of his family's home, hugging his knees. He was seven now still small, still a child, but old enough to know when the air felt strange. His sister, Lyanna, only five, twirled barefoot in the grass, chasing a glowing moth. Keal, his older brother by ten years, practiced swings with a wooden training sword nearby, each strike sharp and focused.
Their mother, Mara, called from inside the house. "Come in soon, both of you. Tomorrow is long, and you'll need your rest."
Erynder, their father, sat outside with them, sharpening his real blade under the moonlight. The elf's silver hair caught the faint glow, and his emerald eyes so much like Alex's watched the forest edges with quiet suspicion. He had been tense for weeks, though he spoke little of it.
Alex glanced at him nervously. "Father… is something wrong?"
Erynder gave a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "It is probably nothing. Go on, Alex. Play with your sister a little longer. But remember listen carefully to your mother if she calls you."
Alex nodded, though unease tugged at his chest.
The night stretched on. The village bell rang once a low, heavy sound signaling curfew. Families gathered their children, doors shut, lanterns dimmed. Elderleaf grew quiet, save for the rustle of trees and the distant calls of night birds.
And then
Boom.
The ground shook.
Alex shot upright, eyes wide. From beyond the forest, a sound like thunder roared, followed by a flash of orange against the horizon. Then came the screams.
Lanterns shattered as soldiers burst into Elderleaf, their armor clanking, torches blazing. Human raiders. Dozens of them.
"Protect the children!" an elder shouted. His voice was drowned out as flames caught the thatched roofs of houses, smoke choking the air.
"Keal! Alex! Inside, now!" Mara screamed, rushing out of the house. She grabbed Lyanna and shoved her toward Alex. Keal ran to their side, wooden sword clutched tight.
Alex froze, staring as fire swallowed the home across the path. A neighbor he had spoken to just that morning collapsed under a raider's blade. His breath hitched. This wasn't a story. This was death.
Erynder leapt to his feet, sword drawn. His voice thundered across the square. "Elderleaf! To arms! Defend the village!"
Elven men and women, some with bows, others with old blades, rushed from their homes to join him. The clash of steel rang as the first wave of raiders charged.
Mara pushed Alex and Lyanna behind her, her hands trembling as she held a kitchen knife. "Stay close! Don't let go of each other!"
Keal stepped forward, face pale but defiant. "I'll protect you!"
Erynder turned sharply. "Keal, no. Take your mother and siblings to the woods. Now!"
But Keal didn't move. His knuckles whitened on the wooden sword.
The humans spread like wildfire, torching homes as they fought. Flames leapt higher, smoke blotting out the stars. Alex coughed, tears stinging his eyes as he clung to Lyanna's hand.
Suddenly arrows whistled. Two raiders fell near their doorstep, shafts piercing their throats. For a heartbeat, Alex felt hope. Elderleaf's archers had taken positions in the treetop platforms.
But the humans came prepared. Flaming bolts streaked upward, igniting the wooden towers. Archers screamed as they tumbled down, their bodies hitting the earth with sickening thuds.
"Father!" Alex cried, voice shrill.
Erynder met his eyes only once. Then he turned and charged into battle, blade flashing silver as he cut down a raider. His movements were swift, elegant like the sword dances he had taught Keal but now drenched in deadly purpose.
Mara shoved Alex and Lyanna toward the back door. "Hurry! Go to the river path"
A raider burst through the side of the house, axe raised. Mara spun, thrusting her knife desperately. The blade cut his arm, but his backhand slammed her into the wall. Alex screamed.
"Mama!"
Keal hurled himself at the raider, wooden sword cracking against the man's helmet. The blow barely staggered him, but it was enough. Erynder's sword sliced across the raider's chest an instant later, dropping him.
Erynder glanced at Mara her lip was bleeding, her breath ragged. His jaw tightened. "Mara. Take them."
"I" She coughed, clutching her side where the raider's gauntlet had struck. Blood seeped through her dress.
Alex saw it, his stomach twisting. His mother was hurt.
Another explosion shook the ground. The eastern gate had fallen. Raiders poured in, their war cries drowning out Elderleaf's defenses. The night sky glowed red, ash raining down like snow.
Erynder pulled Mara to her feet, his voice fierce. "Go! I will hold them here!"
"No!" Alex cried, clutching Lyanna tighter. "Papa, don't leave us!"
Erynder knelt, grabbing Alex's shoulder. His emerald eyes burned with urgency. "Listen to me, Alex. Protect your sister. Protect your mother. Run when she tells you to. Do not stop."
Alex's throat burned, tears spilling down his cheeks. "But"
"No buts." Erynder's gaze softened for just a heartbeat. "You are my son. Remember what I taught you. Be strong."
Then he rose, sword gleaming in the inferno, and disappeared into the chaos of battle.
Mara pulled her children close, her body trembling but her voice steady. "We're going. Now."
They fled down the narrow path behind their home, smoke thick in their lungs. The screams of neighbors followed them, along with the clash of steel. The village they had known the laughter, the songs, the sacred oak all of it drowned beneath fire and blood.
Alex glanced back once. Through the flames, he saw his father standing tall against three armored men, blade flashing. And though fear gripped him, a part of Alex swore he would never forget that image Erynder fighting like the hero of old stories, refusing to yield.
Mara stumbled once, blood staining her dress, but she forced herself onward. Alex felt Lyanna's tiny hand trembling in his own, her sobs breaking in his ears. Keal followed behind, teeth clenched, eyes wide with the terror of a boy trying to act like a man.
As they reached the forest edge, the roar of Elderleaf burning filled the night. The sky glowed crimson, casting their shadows long.
Alex stopped, chest heaving. His home his world was gone.
Mara knelt, clutching her side, her breath sharp with pain. She looked at her children, forcing a smile through bloodied lips. "We'll be safe soon. Just a little farther."
But Alex saw the truth in her eyes. And though he didn't yet understand the weight of war, he understood one thing nothing would ever be the same again.
And far behind them, Elderleaf screamed as it burned.