The smell of ozone from Aryan's blue flames lingered in the air, mixing with the heavy scent of burning cedar. He didn't stay to watch the Commander flee. In war, a moment of hesitation was a death sentence.
Aryan sheathed the Core-Breaker. To any passerby, it once again looked like a rusted, useless piece of metal. This was its disguise—a "Seal" placed by the ancient smiths to hide its true power from those unworthy of wielding it.
'I need to get to the Southern Gate,' Aryan thought, his boots clicking rhythmically against the cobblestones. 'The forest of Elara is my only chance to disappear.'
As he moved through the shadows of the "Merchant's District," a faint sound caught his ear. It wasn't the clashing of steel or the roar of fire. It was... sobbing.
He stopped near an overturned spice carriage. Hidden beneath a pile of silk rugs was a young girl, no older than ten, clutching a wooden doll. Her eyes were wide with terror, reflecting the orange glow of the dying city.
"Go away!" she whimpered, pulling a small kitchen knife. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably.
Aryan knelt, keeping a safe distance. He lowered his hood, revealing his tired but calm face. "I am Aryan, a Captain of the Royal Guard. I am not here to hurt you, little one."
The girl looked at his tattered cape—the sigil of the Sun was still visible. She lowered the knife, her breath hitching. "They... they took everyone. The men in black armor. They didn't kill my mother... they put her in a cage of green light and took her toward the Shadow Spire."
Aryan's blood ran cold. The Shadow Spire was the Necromancer King's fortress. If they weren't killing the survivors, it meant they were using them for something far worse: Soul Harvesting.
"What is your name?" Aryan asked gently.
"Mira," she whispered.
"Listen to me, Mira. I am the Last Warrior of this city. If I stay here, I die. If you stay here, you become a ghost. We move now, or we don't move at all."
Suddenly, the ground vibrated. A low, guttural howl echoed from the rooftops. Aryan looked up and saw them—Shadow Hounds. These were beasts made of smoke and teeth, summoned by the Necromancer's generals to track down survivors.
"They found us," Aryan hissed. He didn't draw his sword yet. The Blue Aura would act like a beacon for every enemy in the city. He had to be smart.
He grabbed Mira's hand and pulled her into a narrow alleyway. "Hold your breath," he commanded.
As they pressed themselves against the cold stone, a Shadow Hound leaped onto the spice carriage they had just left. It sniffed the air, its red eyes glowing like hot coals. It was inches away. Aryan's hand gripped the hilt of the Core-Breaker. He could feel the blade pulsing, hungry for the beast's dark energy.
But then, something strange happened.
The pendant around Mira's neck began to glow with a soft, silver light. The Shadow Hound flinched as if it had been burned and backed away, howling in pain before sprinting in the opposite direction.
Aryan stared at the girl. That wasn't just a pendant. It was a Lunar Fragment—an artifact thought to be lost for centuries.
"Mira," Aryan said, his voice grave. "Where did you get that necklace?"
"My father said it was a family secret," she replied, trembling. "He said never to show it to the King.
Aryan realized then that his mission had changed. He wasn't just a survivor anymore; he was a guardian. If the Necromancer King found this girl, the world wouldn't just be conquered—it would be extinguished.
"Keep it hidden," Aryan warned, tucking the necklace back under her shirt. "We aren't just leaving the city, Mira. We are going to find the Resistance. And then... we are going to take back everything they stole."