Vitals smiled faintly, blood darkening the corner of his mouth. "I remember my father's ridiculous cry."

  Lamis managed a small smile and the dogs gathered close, warm bodies against the cold.

  "My father shouted—'King Caesar!'—as if the king himself stood before us," Vitals said, voice rough with memory.

  He told it as if replaying a dream: his father bowed, and Vitals, a child, followed without understanding. Then King Caesar had stepped forward and hurled the stranger away, leaving him broken and fleeing.

  "That was the first—and last—time I saw the forest burn with crimson fire," Vitals said. The words hung between them like smoke.

  Lamis's face tightened. "So he burned the whole forest to protect you?"

  Vitals shook his head. "No. I thought the same. But my father pointed to a tree." He paused, eyes on the sky. "I saw it—flames dancing above it without touching the trunk."

  Lamis stared, astonished. "That... "

  "Isn't it strange?" Vitals smiled weakly. "That is Aurik."

  His smile faded. "I'm afraid I'm bringing you there too late."

  Lamis's expression changed—alarm, then a fragile hope. "What do you mean?"

  Vitals spoke quietly as snow fell, his breath ragged and blood staining his lips. "The Black Order attacks everything. They strike villages, kingdoms—anyone who threatens their plans."

  Tears welled in Lamis's eyes. "Stop. I brought trouble to you. I wish I'd never met you."

  Vitals laughed, a raw, surprised sound. "Why? Traveling with you was a joy. I'd been on the road so long alone—this company was a gift."

  Outside, the sky convulsed. The green comet flared, then shifted—its light draining to a menacing gray. Wind tore at the cart; the dogs barked, uneasy.

  Lamis peered beneath the cart and froze. Blood seeped from the hatch of the lower compartment. Her eyes widened in shock.

  Vitals opened his eyes and looked up at the sky. "No. You are the new generation. You must not fall so easily. We sacrificed much—for you."

  Lamis screamed, sword raised, dogs snarling and bristling around the cart.

  ————

  Vitals stumbled out of the ruined cottage, staggering as if the cold and the wound had doubled his weight. He froze. The dog that had been locked in the lower compartment lay torn to pieces. A villager crawled out from beneath the hatch—blood and foam at his mouth, chewing the dog's flesh with a bestial hunger.

  Lamis drew her sword and lunged. The infected man stopped her with a single, gloved hand.

  Vitals: "He's grown strong! Stay back!"

  The creature hurled Lamis aside with unnatural force and charged.

  Vitals glanced up at the comet, his face changing as if the sky itself had spoken. He gripped his sword and stepped forward, dogs barking behind him.

  Vitals met the infected with a flurry of short, brutal strikes—swordwork that aimed to control distance and break balance. The infected answered with raw power: a heavy punch that cracked into Vitals' chest and sent blood spattering across the snow. Vitals staggered back; Lamis screamed and rushed forward.

  Vitals, to a dog: "Get away from him!"

  Two dogs leapt at the creature and were shredded on the spot; their bodies fell, blood darkening the white. The sight hit Lamis like a blow.

  She engaged the infected, parrying wild, savage swings with disciplined footwork. Her blade absorbed and redirected force—step, pivot, counter—each motion measured to disable rather than kill. The remaining dogs circled, barking, teeth bared.

  The infected seized one dog and hurled it like a cudgel. It struck a rock and went still, a red stain spreading into the snow.

  The Turning Strike

  Lamis climbed the cottage's low roof in a single, desperate motion. Tears tracked down her face. From above she drove her sword down with everything she had. The blade sank into the creature's skull. It convulsed, then went limp.

  Vitals shouted, voice raw: "Finish it!"

  Lamis leapt clear. Vitals slammed the cart wheel down onto the fallen body, crushing it beneath iron and wood. For a heartbeat the thing lay still—then, with a hideous, animal fury, it writhed and clawed from under the axle, dragging itself toward Vitals' leg and sinking teeth into his foot.

  Vitals: "Damn it!"

  Lamis moved like a blade herself—she severed the creature's arm with a clean, furious cut and grabbed Vitals as he bled. He was losing color fast.

  Vitals struck a flint and set a torch to a bundle of strange herbs. He hurled the burning mass at the cart. Flame took the wood; the cart became an inferno. The creature burned in the blaze, howling as the fire consumed it.

  They stood together—Lamis, Vitals, and the single surviving dog—watching the cart collapse into flame while the storm returned, snow whipping hard and fast.

  Vitals reeled. Lamis supported him and dragged him into the cottage. Inside, he slumped into a chair, face ashen, coughing blood that stained his lips and fingers.

  Lamis: "No—there must be something I can do. Maybe—"

  Vitals raised a trembling hand and smiled, faint and stubborn. "It's all right."

  The Last Promise

  Tears streamed down Lamis's face. "You told me we would go... didn't you?"

  Vitals smiled faintly, clutching a child's doll and faded drawings. His voice was weak, but steady.

  "You are in Aurik already... you are already in my home."

  Lamis looked around, confused. "Wait... this village? This house?"

  Vitals nodded, his breath shallow. "I am gravely ill. I meant to rest here. But when I saw you, I decided to take you to the city. It seems... I cannot keep that promise."

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  Lamis's tears fell harder. Memories of her father, her mother, and now this moment pressed down on her chest. She wiped her eyes, but the grief kept flowing.

  From outside, a strange light pierced the clouds. Vitals turned his head toward the window. A crimson star burned through the storm, its glow carrying warmth.

  He opened his eyes wider a faint smile on his face , holding his children's toys and his wife's comb. "Do not grieve. I am glad Aurik still fights. You will go there. You will find people who protect you... people who make you laugh. But promise me one thing."

  Lamis bent low, clutching his hand, sobbing.

  Vitals: "Take care of this dog. He is the last one of my family... His name is Brado."

  She lifted the dog into her arms. Brado looked at Vitals, ears low, eyes wet.

  Vitals smiled faintly. "Lamis... if you find darkness there... take some balls, begin a show. Make people laugh while the fighters battle at the front. That is how we kill the enemy—by living, by laughing. They hate to see us happy, to see us alive."

  His grip tightened once more on the doll, the drawings, and his wife's comb. Then, slowly, his strength failed. The objects slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.

  The crimson star glowed above, casting its warmth into the ruined house, as Lamis knelt beside him with Brado, tears falling like snow.

  The Storm and the Encounter

  The storm thickened until day resembled night. Black clouds smothered the sky, and the wind battered the cottage with a relentless howl. Inside, silence fell heavy. Vitals exhaled his last breath, toys slipping from his weakening hands.

  Lamis's tears fell without blinking. Her hand trembled as she looked at Brado, the dog watching her with mournful eyes. She clenched her fist, gaze sweeping the small home.

  Lamis: "So... this was your home, Uncle Vitals. Noura... your children lived here."

  She wiped her tears, gathered the belongings he had left her, and walked slowly to the door. One last look, a faint smile, and she stepped out. The cart still burned, horses tied in panic. She freed one, mounted with Brado in her arms, and rode hard toward Aurik as snow fell in endless sheets.

  The Battlefield in the Snow

  Four hours later, she halted. The road was littered with corpses—bodies scattered in the snow, not wounded but hollow, emptied of life.

  Ahead, a warrior stood bleeding, clad in heavy, alien armor, wielding a massive sword. He fought a figure unlike any she had ever seen.

  The stranger's voice echoed unnaturally, reverberating with spectral resonance. Ghostly echoes repeated his words. His eyes glowed like violet crystals, and his blade radiated a dark, violet aura. His presence was suffocating, terrifying.

  Lamis stepped back, clutching Brado close, watching in silence.

  The armored knight bled but stood firm, sword raised against the nightmare.

  Stranger: "So... you came from another world? Fleeing Elpha, only to fall into my hands? Is this your fate? To return to those who destroyed your world? To lead your people into ruin across this desert?"

  The knight roared, voice breaking with defiance. "For the Kingdom of VAA!"

  He charged, sword swinging in a desperate arc.

  The stranger laughed, a sound that chilled the air. Their blades clashed—violet aura against steel. The knight's weapon shattered. He fell to the snow, broken.

  The stranger lowered his blade. A strange aura surged from the knight's body, freezing him in place. His breath ceased, his form dissolved into nothing.

  The stranger walked calmly across the snowbound desert. His voice carried everywhere, echoing like a curse:

  "That day I sacrificed my life... to summon you. And here's watching you wander,lost in the desert. What irony."

  The voice faded, leaving only the storm's howl and the silence of the dead.

  The Horrific Path to Aurik

  From behind the dunes, Lamis whispered to herself, trembling: "Damn... it's like that monster with the scythe—but different. Another weapon?"

  She pressed forward, spurring her horse.

  Suddenly, the stranger appeared before her, violet eyes burning. His presence froze the air. Lamis gasped, fell from her horse, and Brado tumbled to the snow.

  The dog barked furiously at the figure. Lamis rose, shaking, her body rigid with fear.

  The stranger did not blink he was looking somewhere else, did not move.

  Two figures were standing behind Lamis wearing a red ropes starting to retreat annoyed..

  The stranger raised his sword and pointed.

  Lamis followed the gesture, heart pounding.

  Stranger: "That way... you will find Aurik."

  He lifted his gaze to the sky. The comet blazed with a violet halo, burning with gray fire. A low, chilling laugh escaped him.

  Stranger: "You have a charming dog."

  Then he walked into the storm, vanishing into the blizzard's veil.

  Lamis stood trembling. "What was that? Who is he?"

  She gathered her belongings, eyes darting left and right, expecting danger at every step. Brado stopped barking, pressed against her chest. The horse waited at a distance, stamping nervously.

  She ran, clutching the dog, mounted quickly, and rode hard. The corpses scattered across the snow haunted her vision—empty bodies, lifeless shells. She swallowed hard and pressed on.

  The Towers of Aurik

  Two hours passed. At last, firelight pierced the storm. Towers glowed in the distance, flames burning atop their crowns.

  Lamis's lips parted in disbelief. Her voice trembled in the falling snow. "Impossible... I did it. I truly did it."

  She rode closer. The colossal sand-colored walls rose before her, immense and scarred, yet alive with fire. The gates loomed, guarded, their torches blazing against the night.

  The warmth of Aurik's towers reached her through the storm. She remembered Vitals's words and smiled faintly, clutching Brado tighter.

  The Gates of Aurik

  The colossal sand walls loomed, crowned with towers burning like braziers in the storm. Lamis slowed her horse, heart pounding, remembering Vitals's words. A faint smile touched her lips as she saw the gates—massive, ancient, yet alive with warmth.

  Villagers passed in and out, guards greeting them with calm discipline. The city radiated a strange peace.

  Suddenly a voice called out: "Lady! Lady, rider of the horse!"

  Startled, Lamis turned.

  A gate guard approached, studying her torn clothes, pale face, and the dog in her arms. "Are you well? The winter has struck you hard. Look at your garments, your face. Are you ill? And you carry a dog?"

  She forced a nervous smile, trembling.

  The guard frowned. "Hmm... I suspect you don't have a Flak card, do you?"

  Lamis: "Flak?"

  Guard: "Yes. A registration card. It holds your identity and records."

  Her voice faltered. "I... I..."

  The guard sighed. "Where are you from?"

  Lamis: "Leona. The Kingdom of Leona."

  At once, the guards' expressions shifted. They exchanged uneasy glances. One stepped forward, voice firm.

  "Very well, miss. If you have the required coin, go to the registration office. You'll need thirty-five."

  Lamis looked down at her empty hands. "Thirty-five? I don't even have one."

  She turned her horse aside, giving way to others. Her voice broke into a whisper. "So be it... I deserve this. Everywhere I go, I bring trouble. I left my family, left the man who helped me, and in the end caused his death..."

  A sharp cry from the guard stopped her.

  He sighed. "You may enter."

  Her eyes widened. "What...?"

  Guard: "Royal orders. You have time to work, to earn the coin, and to register. Can you do that? I think you can. You ride well, and you carry a sword."

  Lamis: "Yes! I can. I promise!"

  The guard smiled faintly. "Then enter. Ask the inner guards for directions. May safety walk with you."

   ·

  Inside the Gates

  Lamis walked forward, wiping tears from her eyes. The guards watched her pass. One muttered: "I told you—let her through without all this."

  The first guard snapped back, voice sharp: "Silence. I'm doing my duty."

  The gates closed behind her. The warmth of Aurik's firelit towers spread across her skin. For the first time since Leona, she felt she had stepped into a place where survival might mean more than just fighting—it might mean living.

  ---