The castle… completely destroyed. Smoke and dust filled the air, swirling like a storm of ash. Flames licked the shattered walls, and the night sky glowed red with fire.
Then… a laugh echoed through the ruins. Cold, cruel, and mocking.
Captain Toma and his soldiers laughed as they approached, their eyes glinting with cruelty. Their boots crunched over broken stone and rubble as they circled Aisha like predators.
Aisha didn't move. She couldn't. Her mind was frozen, her heart numb. She still didn't understand…
Her mother, Safiya, had died protecting her. And Prince Haruto… he had fallen too, right in front of her eyes, blocking a spear meant for her.
The laughter of the enemy rang in her ears, sharp as blades, but she remained still, clutching the shattered remnants of her world. Her tears fell unnoticed in the swirling smoke.
The wind carried the scent of fire and blood, and the echoes of destruction seemed to mock her very existence.
