It came just as the last light faded from the sky.

  Ren had just finished inspecting the training shed out back, Vultherin curled at his feet, when a hawk familiar landed on the balcony rail with a metallic screech—its talons carrying a tightly wound scroll sealed with violet wax.

  Iver stepped out behind Ren, already reading the faint magical pulse of the seal.

  Iver: "That's a Guild Urgent Dispatch."

  The rest of Stray Dawn began gathering as Ren unrolled the parchment. The handwriting was swift, terse.

  "Confirmed Essentia surge outside western ridge. Civilians missing. Possible involvement of rogue bonded. Immediate containment required. Reinforcements delayed.

  Assigned: Stray Dawn.

  Priority: Crimson.

  Guild Dispatch Officer Kelin"

  Rica took a breath beside Ren, her hand already reaching for her chart.

  Rica: "Crimson Priority. That's one step below 'Warden-Level Cataclysm'..."

  Josh grinned, already strapping on his gauntlet.

  Josh: "So it's a bad day to nap."

  Elly looked at Seri, who was already asleep upstairs.

  Elly: "I'll keep her safe. Just come back."

  The group moved quickly, armor half-on, bonds summoned, blades half-sharpened mid-run. They left just before midnight—into the wilds beyond Asterra, toward a place already humming with unseen danger.

  ...

  The morning started slow. Peaceful.

  Rica had taken over the common table, sorting through the group's past mission logs, mapping out trends in attacks and Guild patterns. Kristie and Cedy lounged nearby, tossing small paper creatures at each other, while Rej coached Marian through a sparring routine in the backyard.

  Jonax, ever silent, sat cross-legged in a shaded corner of the porch, polishing blades with her usual meticulous focus. Inside, Elly and Lily moved through quiet chores—washing linens, folding gear, checking supplies.

  It was the rare breath of peace in this world.

  But peace doesn't last long in Varnak.

  Just past midday, the lookout Marian rigged up—an enchanted shard perched on a carved totem—flashed red.

  Marian caught it mid-spar. Her eyes narrowed.

  Marian: "Rica, we've got movement. Six... maybe seven. Not Guild. Not bonded."

  Rica stood up instantly, knocking over her ink.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Rica: "Bandits. Everyone inside. Now. This isn't a drill."

  Rej: "Finally. Some action."

  Cedy vaulted off the couch, and Kristie cracked her knuckles, a manic grin forming.

  Kristie: "Let's make them regret walking."

  Elly looked shaken, her hand trembling as she clutched the dagger Ren once gave her. Lily took her hand firmly.

  Lily: "Breathe. Stay close. We've trained for this."

  The bandits approached with smugness—expecting a house full of defenseless girls.

  They were wrong.

  Rica had already set defensive points in place. The front door had a reinforced bar. The side garden was lined with pit traps and oil snares. Upstairs windows became sniper nests. They knew how to hold ground.

  As the bandits breached the perimeter, Marian burst out from behind the shed, tackling two with brutal efficiency. Kristie slammed another into the stone path, laughing as Cedy pinned his arm down with a length of chain.

  Jonax, high in the window, fired arrows one after the other—silent, quick, efficient.

  Rej hurled flash powder and scrap shards into their midst, creating noise, sparks, and panic.

  Rej: "Go ahead! Run, cowards!"

  Lily shielded Elly and Seri as they ducked between crates, but when one desperate bandit lunged toward them, Elly stepped forward. Her dagger wavered—then struck true.

  The man fell back, groaning, and didn't rise again.

  When the dust settled, only two bandits lay groaning. The rest had fled into the woods, limping and confused.

  Silence returned. The wind brushed against the cracked fences. The girls stood—sweaty, scraped, blood-splattered—but victorious.

  Jonax exhaled, lowering her bow.

  Jonax: "They underestimated us."

  Cedy leaned against the doorframe, panting.

  Cedy: "We underestimated us."

  Rica stepped out, scanning the damage, then looked at the others—at their stances, their calm, their strength.

  Rica: "No one broke rank. No one panicked."

  Kristie grinned, shoulder bruised.

  Kristie: "We're not scared little students anymore."

  Lily gently wrapped her arm around Elly's shoulders, helping her sit.

  Lily: "You were amazing."

  Elly nodded slowly, eyes wide with the shock of it all, but a quiet determination flickered behind them.

  Elly: "I just... didn't want to lose anyone again."

  They didn't know what their friends were facing out there beyond the ridge—but here, they had held the line.

  The house stood.

  Stray Dawn stood.

  Not just survivors now.

  Defenders. Family.

  ...

  Evening settled like a bruised hush over the Stray Dawn house. Crickets chirped softly beyond the broken fences, and the scent of smoke from a distant fire lingered in the breeze.

  The front gate creaked open.

  Boots, heavy with dirt and fatigue, stepped through. Ren led the group—mud-streaked, blood-dried, victorious but worn thin. Iver followed, silent and calculating as always, his glaive slung low. Josh dragged his steps, humming a tired tune until he saw the front porch.

  And stopped cold.

  The girls stood waiting, not in celebration—but like sentinels after a long siege. Torn sleeves, bruised arms, drying blood that didn't belong to monsters.

  Rica stood at the center, arms at her sides.

  Rica: "We were attacked."

  The silence that followed was suffocating.

  Josh: "What?!" His voice cracked. "Bandits again?!"

  Marian: "They didn't have bonds. Just blades. But they moved like they'd done it before."

  Kristie stood with her arms crossed, trying to look unfazed—but her shoulders were too tense, her jaw too tight.

  Kristie: "We handled it."

  Cedy: "Barely." She motioned to the cracked boards near the door. "If we slipped even once, one of us wouldn't be standing here."

  Josh's fists clenched. He took a step forward, then stopped, looking at each of them like he was seeing them for the first time.

  Josh: "We were gone for hours. This... this wasn't supposed to happen while we were gone."

  Ren stepped forward, reading the lines beneath their words—the trembling hands they kept still, the adrenaline still burning behind their eyes. You scanned the group slowly, then spoke, voice even but carrying weight.

  Ren: "This proves it."

  They all looked at Ren.

  Ren: "It's not enough that only the boys have bonds. This world won't show mercy just because you don't fight."

  Rica blinked.

  Rica: "You're saying we...?"

  Ren: "You need to bond too. Not just to fight. To survive. To stand without waiting for someone to return and save you. A bond isn't a luxury here—it's your presence. Your line in the sand."

  A pause. The words struck deep.

  Rica looked at her hands—scraped, calloused, still faintly trembling.

  Rica: "...Do you think they'll accept us?"

  Iver stepped forward, nodding.

  Iver: "They will. If you're ready. Resolve is all that mattered for me."

  Josh, breathing out, softer now.

  Josh: "And once you bond... you'll see. It's not just about strength. It's knowing that no matter what hits you—something's standing behind you too."

  No one spoke for a long moment.

  Elly stood by the wall, her wrist bandaged, eyes darker than usual.

  Elly: "I don't want to feel like that again. Cornered. Powerless."

  Lily looked at her, then at Ren.

  Lily: "...Then teach us. We're done waiting."

  Rej huffed, crossing her arms.

  Rej: "Tch. About damn time we got our own pets."

  Kristie smirked at that, but the fire behind her eyes was real now—focused.

  Cedy: "We almost died today. That's the last time I leave it up to luck."

  Jonax: "Can't believe I just heard Josh say something smart for once."

  Josh: "Hey, even I can understand sarcasm!"

  Finally, Rica lifted her chin, wiping the dried blood from her cheek with the back of her hand.

  Rica: "Tomorrow. We start searching."

  The air changed—less like fear, more like flint struck against steel. They weren't children cowering behind walls anymore.

  They were Stray Dawn.

  And from then on, they'd all have monsters at their side.