The tension was still high, the air felt thick, and fear lingered in Elora's chest like a heavy weight she stayed behind Wavereen, heart pounding, her eyes locked on the cheetah crouched ahead of them, its golden eyes glimmered through the foliage, focused and wild.
Her breath caught when she noticed Wavereen stepping forward,
"What are you doing? It will hurt you!!", Elora shouted in panic,
But Wavereen raised her hand slightly, her voice calm and steady,
"I'm handling the situation," she said firmly,
She approached the growling cheetah slowly, every step careful and deliberate, the animal's ears twitched, its body tensed as if deciding whether to flee or attack,
Wavereen knelt a short distance away and spoke softly,
"Calm… be calm… it's okay",
To Elora's surprise, the cheetah didn't pounce, instead, it let out a low whine, revealing a deep gash on one of its hind legs, it was limping, its anger born not of hunger, but pain,
Wavereen extended her hand, a soft bluish green light glowing from her palm, the light flowed toward the wound, wrapping around it like warm mist, within moments, the injury began to close, the cheetah's trembling easing as its breathing slowed,
Elora watched in awe, she had never seen such gentle yet powerful magic,
The cheetah lowered its head slightly, allowing Wavereen to stroke its fur, then it turned its gaze toward Elora calmer now, curious even before bounding off into the forest, swift and silent,
Elora finally let out the breath she'd been holding,
"That was impressive," she said with wide eyes, "If it weren't for you, I would've been its lunch",
Wavereen chuckled softly,
"Do not worry. It's not as harmful as humans see it, it's only misunderstood…like we Depers",
She sighed, looking ahead into the forest,
"We'll talk more once we find a good place to rest",
Elora nodded, her admiration for Wavereen growing, for the first time since the tragedy, a spark of safety and wonder began to stir inside her.
After a long while of walking, they finally came across a small mini cave,
Wavereen turned to Elora and said, "We can rest here for today, we've gone far enough, at least",
Elora's stomach suddenly rumbled loudly, she was starving; she hadn't eaten anything yet, "Since it's a forest, I'll go find something for us to eat", she said,
"Alright," Wavereen replied, "I'll arrange the cave and clear out anything that takes up space",
While Wavereen stayed behind to prepare their shelter, Elora wandered a short distance away, searching for food, she searched and searched until she found a shrub covered in plump, ripe-looking berries, she didn't know what kind they were, but to her, berries were berries, hunger took over, and she started devouring them eagerly.
After a few minutes, she decided to pick some to bring back for Wavereen. As she walked, she noticed her cheeks were starting to itch, but she ignored it, thinking it was nothing serious.
Wavereen was sitting near the cave entrance when Elora returned with the berries, she accepted them and examined the strange-looking fruit carefully, "Where have I seen this before?" she muttered to herself, then suddenly, her eyes widened as it clicked,
"Where did you find these!?" she exclaimed, "They're Swellerberries! Anyone who eats them faces swoll—"
Before she could finish, she gasped, Elora's face had broken out in red rashes and was swelling fast, she dropped the berries and fell to the ground, clutching her throat, "I... I... can't... breathe!" Elora struggled to talk, panic filling her eyes,
Wavereen quickly rushed to her side, knelt down, and placed her glowing hands over Elora's face and neck, blue light surrounded them as she used her powers to heal the swelling, after a few tense minutes, Elora's breathing returned to normal, she coughed, gasped for air, and finally calmed down,
"Thank...you!", she breathed heavily, still shaken.
Wavereen gave her a firm look, "You need to be careful, not everything that looks good is actually good, some are deceiving, Elora",
"I understand," Elora said apologetically, "I'm really sorry for stressing you out again",
"It's fine", Wavereen sighed, "You know what, I'll find what we'll eat, you stay here and arrange the cave for us",
Elora nodded with a small, grateful smile, "Alright",
Wavereen disappeared into the woods and soon returned carrying a large leaf bundle tied together, inside were fresh, safe fruits she had found, by the time she came back, Elora had finished preparing the cave space for them.
They both sat down together and shared the fruits. It wasn't much, but it was sweet, refreshing, and safe to eat, after everything that had happened, it felt comforting to have even this small moment of peace.
Back at the District Sect, rumors about the Seventh Sect's erasure spread like wildfire, fear gripped the remaining six Village Sects, who became more alert than ever, each one silently vowed never to find themselves on the wrong side of the Top Tiers lest they, too, face complete annihilation.
This was exactly the mark Lord Azael intended to leave: a brutal reminder that he was not to be challenged, and that his rule was absolute.
One of the Top Tiers, Sir Aldo Darkis, was taking one of his rare evening strolls when he spotted Lukian with his mother Lady Arora in the courtyard, she was proudly straightening his collar while he stood tall, grinning arrogantly,
Aldo quickly hid behind a nearby column, curiosity pulling him to eavesdrop,
"My son, look how handsome you are and well-built," Lukian's mother said proudly, "You will definitely be a great ruler, just like your father",
"Of course, Mother," Lukian replied with a proud smirk, "I won't fail you or Father, my reign will be remembered for generations to come, I promise",
His mother continued showering him with praise, but instead of admiration, Aldo felt a sudden wave of anger rise within him, his face twisted in silent agony, unable to watch anymore, he quietly turned and walked away, heading straight back to his dorm,
Once inside, he paced up and down the room, his thoughts dark and turbulent, suddenly, a tapping sound drew his attention to the window, a small black crow was perched there, a letter clutched in its beak, Aldo recognized it immediately,
He opened the window, took the letter, and the crow flew off into the night, as his eyes scanned the words, his jaw clenched tighter with every line:
'Oh brother, you still have nothing you've accomplished, all this time, and yet you let a human rise above you, you are a failure to our kind, until you prove yourself worthy do not consider yourself one of us',
With a snarl, Aldo crumpled the letter and hurled it across the room, his chest heaved with fury.
After a moment, he moved to the corner of the dorm where a hidden lever was embedded in the wall, he pulled it, and a secret staircase opened beneath the floorboards, leading down into a dimly lit underground chamber.
Down there, a single wooden, coffin-like bed lay in the center, upon it rested a body, faceless, unconscious, and unnervingly still,
Aldo stood over it, eyes narrowing,
"I thought...", he began bitterly, "that years ago, when I met you, taking your identity would push me to the top, but I was wrong, "He scoffed,
"You were only a Top Tier, not a ruler, you lied to me, I was just a Drein... and you made me take your place to carry all your burdens....Hmph!!!'
His expression darkened with rage,
"I HATE IT!!!" he suddenly screamed, "I hate your identity! I hate being beneath others while my kind conquer kingdoms, while they become kings and queens and I'm stuck here talking to a paralyzed body!!",
He inhaled sharply, forcing himself to calm down, slowly, a cruel smile crept across his face, "No, no... relax, I won't give up, I'll make sure I rise, but my plan needs to be flawless, in fact...I'll wait until Azael passes his reign to his so-called son and then..." He chuckled wickedly, "No need to say it, I'll prove myself once and for all",
His gaze lingered on the lifeless figure with a dangerous glint before he finally turned to leave.
The real Aldo Darkis remained motionless on the coffin-like bed, his identity stolen long ago, the imposter had successfully lived in his place for years without anyone suspecting a thing.
And now, his long-laid plans were slowly beginning to take shape, ready to unfold in the near future.
In another part of the District Sect, Lukian was walking down the hallway with his usual confident stride when Velvette spotted him from afar, her heart skipped a beat,
Quickly, she ran her fingers through her hair, fixing it neatly, then straightened her posture, with a practiced, stylish walk, she positioned herself right in front of him, pretending it was a casual coincidence.
Lukian saw her and immediately let out a quiet sigh, shaking his head slightly, "What do you want this time?" he asked, his tone already tinged with irritation,
Velvette blushed deeply, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "I just wanted to say you look amazing as always," she said shyly,
"Well, obviously", Lukian replied proudly, folding his arms "Is there anything else that I already know?",
Velvette froze under his intense gaze. Her confidence melted away as she began to stammer, "Um... uh... I... uhmm...",
She couldn't come up with anything else, her cheeks turned bright pink as Lukian suddenly stepped closer to her, his intimidating eyes locking onto hers,
"Listen," he said firmly, "I told you before, unless it's something important, stop coming to me, it's getting annoying, see you around",
With a dismissive shrug, Lukian walked past her without looking back.
Normally, any girl would have been crushed by his cold words, but not Velvette, her heart was racing, and a dreamy smile spread across her face.
He had come closer to her, he had spoken directly to her, she even managed to catch a whiff of his scent, which made her knees weak,
In her mind, it was a sign.
Velvette truly believed that she and Lukian were destined to be together, she held onto her hopes tightly, convinced that one day, with time and patience, he would finally notice her the way she dreamed.
***
It was finally nighttime.
The forest came alive with its usual night sounds soft croaks, gentle rustling, and the distant call of unseen creatures, moonlight poured gently through the trees, bathing everything in a silver glow, tiny pixieflies began to flutter around, their colorful lights twinkling like scattered stars drifting through the air.
Inside the small cave, Wavereen was already asleep on the leafy bedding they had made earlier, Elora, however, couldn't sleep, she sat with her knees drawn up and her arms wrapped tightly around them, resting her chin on top, her tired eyes followed the graceful dance of the pixieflies as they floated through the forest.
Memories began to flood her mind.
She remembered how she and her sickly brother would sometimes sneak outside their small home just to watch the pixieflies together, they would laugh quietly, trying not to wake their father and every time, their father would scold them gently and tell them to come back inside because it was too late to be out.
Those were warm, precious moments.
But now… they were gone.
Her throat tightened, and her eyes welled up with tears as the weight of everything crashed down on her again, her home, her father, her brother, everything and everyone she loved… lost in a single cruel moment.
She sobbed quietly, trying not to wake Wavereen, but the sound eventually reached her ears, Wavereen stirred, then opened her eyes and turned to see Elora crying, she immediately sat up and moved closer,
"Are you okay?" Wavereen asked softly,
Elora shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks, "No, I'm not okay. I miss them… my father and brother. But they're… gone", she managed to say between sobs,
Wavereen's expression softened, she sat beside her and spoke gently, "I know how you feel, I've lost many of my kind too those who were dear to me, the worst was when my twin sister, Reefeina, was captured, the truth is…I don't even know if she's alive or not, every day I pray to see her again, but it always feels hopeless", Her voice wavered with pain,"The only good thing we have left, dear, are the memories of them and we should treasure those always",
Elora lowered her head, her tears falling harder, "I could… only watch them burn in the house," she whispered, "I… I couldn't do anything about it, Nothing! And the words my father said…that's the most painful part",
Wavereen tilted her head gently, "What did he say?",
Elora's voice broke as she answered, "He… he said that I… should live for both of them, but how can I?!" she cried, her heart aching as if the wound had been ripped open again,
"Then that is what you should do", Wavereen told her firmly but kindly,
"Your father wouldn't want to see you like this, grant his final wish and survive, don't let what happened break you down, we'll find a place together somewhere safe where we can build new happiness, that's what your father and brother would want for you, to see you smiling again, then they'll finally be at peace",
She handed Elora a small piece of cloth, Elora wiped her tears slowly, her breathing still shaky but calmer, Wavereen's words sank deep into her heart, she realized that she was right her father and brother would want her to live, to keep going, to find joy again.
For the first time in a long while, a small spark of resolve lit up inside her.
She nodded faintly, whispering to herself, "I'll live for them…I promise",
Wavereen smiled gently, relieved that Elora had finally calmed down, "Let's get some rest, we have a long journey ahead tomorrow," she said,
Elora agreed softly, laying down beside her on the leafy bed, as she closed her eyes, she gazed one last time at the glowing pixieflies dancing outside the cave,
She wished silently, 'Please… let life be kinder to me from now on',
Because truly, no one knew what the future held for her…