Odesse saw herself standing in a forest under the moonlight. The sound of passing birds filled the air, accompanied by weird creaks and fleeting shadows. Odesse looked around nervously, then walked deeper into the forest until she reached a clearing, a place devoid of trees, as if it were the center of the forest. The moon shone directly above it, casting the rest of the woods into shadow.
In the clearing, she saw a tall man with black, shiny hair and broad shoulders, standing with his back turned to her. His naked back was marred with deep, fresh slashes, like someone had dug a sword into his skin. Odesse's eyes widened in shock as she stood frozen behind him. Finally, she managed to speak, her voice trembling, "Um, hello?"
At the sound of her voice, the man's shoulders fell as if he were relieved. He sighed and turned to face her. Odesse instinctively covered her face with her hands, shaking in fear. Then she felt a warm embrace; the man's hand wrapped around her comfortingly. Her eyes opened wide in surprise, and she looked up to see tears streaming down his face. It was Valex.
"Master Valex?" she gasped.
"I should have listened to you, Odesse. I should have believed you," he replied softly before he slowly fell to the ground, as light as a feather, pulling Odesse down with him. Panic surged within her. "Master Valex! Master Valex, please, no! What happened? Please wake up!" she cried.
Suddenly, a strong wind swept through, and multiple shadowy figures began to swirl around her and Valex. Odesse looked around in confusion. "What's going on?" she shouted. The shadows continued to whisper darkly and crept closer to them, filling her with dread. Tears streamed down her face as she shouted, "Leave him! Leave him alone! Go away!"
From the shadows came a chilling voice: "We came for you, Odesse."
Her eyes widened in terror as she felt herself being forcibly pulled in their direction. "Master Valex, NO!" she screamed. In an instant, a white spirit entered her, and her eyes opened wide, turning pitch black. Her hair glowed white, her skin became as shiny as silver, and her body radiated an otherworldly light. Claws extended from her fingers, and with them, she slashed at the shadows trying to approach her.
The shadows whispered in fear, as if her body was no longer under her control. She hovered in the air beneath Valex, her body lifeless and her eyes closed, head tilted back. The whispers from the shadows faded, and then she gently descended to the ground, falling beside Valex. Both lay still and lifeless.
Suddenly, Odesse jolted awake, gasping for breath, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. Just as she touched her face, a sharp pain shot through her. She glanced at her arm and saw deep claw wounds, fresh and gushing blood. "What? What is this? How did this happen? It was just a dream!" she exclaimed in disbelief. The blood had soaked into her bedsheets and clothes. Panicking, she stood up, blood dripping onto the floor, and rushed to the bathroom.
Once inside, she stripped off her clothes and stepped into a cold bath. "Ouf, this is very cold," she muttered. "What kind of dream was that?" She examined her bleeding arm and her fingers before saying, "I need to clean this up and wash the bedsheets before anyone sees it." Then her memory snapped back: "Master Valex!"
Minutes later, Odesse came downstairs with her arm wrapped in a white cloth, where she encountered Miss Faye. "Odesse, good morning," Miss Faye said.
Odesse hesitated, anxiously hiding her arm. "Good morning, Miss Faye," she replied.
Miss Faye noticed the way Odesse concealed her arm. "What's wrong, Odesse? Why are you hiding your arm?" she asked. Odesse froze, unable to respond. Finally, Miss Faye gently pulled Odesse's arm forward to inspect the blood-stained cloth.
"How did this happen, Odesse?" she asked, wide-eyed.
With a stutter, Odesse answered, "Um, Miss Faye, I was trying to get out of bed when I fell and scratched my hand on the sharp edge of my bed."
Miss Faye studied her for a moment, and Odesse, sweating profusely, held her breath. "Why were you hiding it then? You could have come to me to treat it," Miss Faye pointed out.
Odesse sighed, "I didn't want to bother you."
"You aren't a bother, Odesse. It is my duty to serve you," Miss Faye replied, smiling.
Odessa asks, "What do you mean by that?" Miss Faye smiles and says, "Okay, come on," as she drags her hand, "let's go treat it."
"Where is Master Valex?" Odesse asked.
"He went out. Let's fix your wound first," Miss Faye said, gently taking her hand. Odesse smiled and nodded as they walked together.
At the village borders, Kael was questioning the guards. He had reached the fourth border, and after looking around, he dismounted his horse along with the six men who accompanied him. He approached the guards and said, "It seems the chaos did not reach this part of the borders." The guards stood at attention and saluted Kael, then lowered their hands. There were seven guards present, but one, who appeared able-bodied, tall, and muscular, stepped forward with a name tag that read 'Koda.'
"High Commander Kael," Koda said, "we heard what happened at the main and second borders." Kael, with his hands behind his back, glanced around at the villagers sitting outside their homes, children playing, and people going about their daily lives. He smiled and said, turning back to the guards, "You all were spared—completely. This and the third border. The main and second borders are in complete ruins and chaos, especially the main one. My question is—" he looked at Koda—"do you perhaps know why the third border and this area were spared, including the palace, which isn't far from the main border?"
Koda replied, "Commander Kael, I have no idea."
Kael said, "Exactly. No one has any idea. I've gone to the other three borders, and no one has answers." He then shouted at the top of his voice, "So you're telling me that whatever... or whoever—came here left this border untouched, passed through the third border without harming it, and then decided to destroy the second and main borders?" People passing by stopped to look at him, and the guards trembled in fear. Koda lowered his head. Kael put his hands over his face and stepped back to mount his horse. He turned to the six other guards and instructed, "Four of you stay here, because whatever bypassed here today will surely return to finish what it started. I want you to stay and catch—or at least identify... it. You know how to call for me when you learn something. Be prepared to die for these humans. Do you understand?"
They stood in a unified stance and shouted, "Yes, sir!"
Kael looked at Koda and said, "I am leaving these men with you. They are my trusted and able men. You all must not fail me, especially King Valex." He signaled for the other two guards to follow him, and they mounted their horses and left. Kael thought to himself, "What exactly is going on in this pack? All of this began since that human girl appeared before Master Valex. Could this all be her plan? Is she the one orchestrating this chaos? Master Valex has sacrificed a lot for this pack, building it into one of the largest with four successful borders and earning the praise of the High Chief. I will not let his hard work go to waste, even if I have to die. Whatever this is—shadows, manipulation, sorcery, an attack—I will kill you and present your head before the king."