Three weeks had passed since the news of the WarLord shattered the city's peace. Most of the common people of Northwood City had already fled to safer lands, abandoning their homes. Now, the noblemen were doing the same, and for their slaves, the panic meant tedious work. They were forced to haul carts overflowing with luxury items and heavy luggage, their exhaustion growing each day.
When the day's work was over, the family sat inside the barn, a piece of stale bread in each of their hands. A sharp, creaking sound from the broken door made them all turn. A tall figure stood there, his shadow falling long and dark across the dirt floor. The man, their Master, walked inside, his gaze lingering on the faces of Alena and Yara. The children were startled by his presence so late at night, but Alden and Alena knew exactly what it meant.
The Master was leaving the city with his family soon. He had decided to have one last moment of pleasure. "You," he said, his voice flat as he pointed at Alena. "My chambers. Now."
A deep, powerless rage churned in Alden's gut—not at the Master, but at himself. He was so weak, so utterly broken, that he couldn't say a word as another man came to lay hands on his wife. He could only clench his fists until his knuckles were white. Norvin, not understanding what was happening, was pulled back by Yara, whose silent tears began to trace paths through the grime on her face. Such brutality was their fate, a reality they could only endure, breaking a little more inside each time.
A few days later, an unnatural quiet had fallen over Northwood City. The noblemen and their families were gone, leaving behind empty houses. The few commoners who remained were barricaded in their homes, knowing what was coming. The slaves, left without orders, could only sit in the eerie silence, completely unaware of the war raging at the borders of the Roric Kingdom, left to die by their masters.
Then came the roar. A distant explosion shook the very foundations of the earth, and a pillar of fire and dirt clawed at the sky. Startled, everyone rushed to their windows to see how many enemies had breached the city walls. Norvin's family did the same and were struck by a sight of pure terror. Figures clad in gleaming gold armour, their capes bearing the symbol of an Everburning Torch, were descending from the sky. They were knights of the Kvothe Kingdom, leaping hundreds of feet at a time, landing like meteors to smash buildings and set the city ablaze. More explosions rocked the streets. Alden's survival instincts took over. He grabbed his frail father and screamed, "Run! Everyone, run to the forest!"
A devastating war had come to their home. Enemy Knights and Ciphers laid waste to everything in sight. As they fled toward the trees, three golden knights landed directly in their path. One of them, without a word, unsheathed his sword and slashed at the air. A wave of force tore up the ground in front of them, sending the whole family tumbling.
"Father!" Norvin shouted as they fell.
Before anyone could get up, another slash followed, this one aimed directly at Norvin, meant to cut him in half. In that instant, his short life flashed before his eyes—a montage of pain and torture, with not a single memory of happiness. He closed his eyes and accepted his fate. "To die is a blessing in this world."
He felt a warm spray on his face, a touch so gentle he thought it must be heaven. He opened his eyes, expecting paradise, but saw his grandfather. The frail old man was standing over him, his body barely holding together, a wound so deep he was nearly cleaved in two. He had shielded his grandson from the blow. Blood dripped from the old man's chin onto Norvin's face.
"Live, Norvin," his grandfather choked out, his voice a wet rattle. "Live. For me… for your father… for us! Save your sister and run—" His body fell apart, slumping to the ground in two pieces. Alden could only scream his father's name as the rest of them remained frozen in horror.
The knights seemed momentarily surprised by the sacrifice, but it didn't stop them. One began an enchantment, "Fuego Liathróid" ,and a massive ball of fire hurtled toward them. Alden and Alena were still paralyzed by shock. Suddenly, a thick wall of solid earth erupted to block the flames, "Suelo Balla!". It was a Cipher wearing a purple coated cape with a broken crown symbol, who quickly stood in front of them as if directly challenging the enemies.
Even though Norvin was uneducated, he knew the Broken Crown of the Roric Kingdom. A tiny flicker of hope ignited in his chest. "Mother! Father! We're saved!" Yara cried out.
"Run! Get to the forest!" the mage ordered, turning to engage two of the golden knights.
Yara grabbed Norvin's hand, and they scrambled toward the trees. But the third knight ignored the Cipher and sprinted after the fleeing family.
With a flash of steel, the knight ran Alden through from behind, the blade erupting from his chest, directly from his heart.
Norvin and Yara couldn't believe their eyes. Alden did the impossible. With his final strength, he lunged forward, forcing the blade deeper into his own body to grab onto the knight's armour. He became a dead weight, to buy his children seconds.
"Live!" he screamed at them, his voice wet with blood. "Live happily for us! Protect each other!"
Enraged by the delay, the knight ripped his sword free from Alden's body. Alena let out a scream that was cut short by a sickening arc of silver as the knight's second swing took her head from her shoulders
"NO! Father!! Mother!! Mother!!!" Norvin shrieked, a sound of pure agony, seeing his mother's head in the air slowly going farther away while her body begins to fall while still continuing running. He tried to stop, but Yara pulled him with all her might, her face a mask of grim determination. "We have to go, Norvin! We have to!"
They plunged deeper into the forest, the sounds of the knight's pursuit close behind. They soon came to a cliff, a deep gorge where a waterfall crashed onto the rocks ninety feet below. There was nowhere else to go. The knight burst through the trees behind them, his golden armour stained with their parents' blood.
Yara turned to Norvin, her eyes full of a terrible resolve. "I'm sorry, little brother."
Before he could react, she shoved him with all her strength off the edge of the cliff. He tumbled through the air, the roar of the waterfall filling his ears. "NOOO!" he screamed, his small hands reaching back for her.
The icy water hit him like a stone wall, stealing his breath and his consciousness. But in the final second before the blackness took him, he got one last glimpse of the world above: his sister, pinned to the ground by the golden knight, a sword raised high, ready to strike her down.