As they made their way to Joshua's house, the streets of Alderfell seemed to unravel into chaos. Arguments rang out from corners, quick and heated. People darted past, clutching bundles and suitcases, their hurried movements jarring against the eerie familiarity of the village. Families huddled together, trying to push forward through the crowd with children in tow. In the midst of it all, there were flashes of disorder—looted belongings, shattered windows, and graffiti scrawled hastily on walls.

The three pressed on, Maris leading them with a firm grip on their arms. Her hold left no room for protest, her focus cutting through the chaos like a blade. Neither Osen nor Kale could retreat into their own thoughts; the pressure of her grip kept them tethered to the present.

"Maris, we can walk on our own," Kale said, his voice calm but tinged with strain. He lightly tugged at her arm, but she ignored him completely, her focus unbroken. Kale sighed, letting it go without further argument.

He glanced toward Osen, his expression subdued, his usual energy dimmed by the weight of the situation.

"How are you holding up?" Kale asked, his voice louder to carry over the noise around them.

Osen turned his head toward him, but his gaze was unfocused. Words caught in his throat as his chest tightened, his breaths coming fast and shallow. Each inhale felt sharp and raw, as though his lungs might burst. His thoughts raced, disjointed and wild.

Who was Joshua, truly? What had Sir Fugen meant by "the horde"? A horde of what—soldiers? Creatures? Was this the beginning of a war?

The uncertainty felt suffocating, a weight pressing down on him. Just this morning, his world had been predictable, its boundaries safe and familiar. He had known what his day would bring: work until exhaustion, following Joshua's quiet guidance, and dreaming of adventures that were never meant to leave the pages of his books. That dull safety had been enough for him—a shield against risks, pain, and grief.

But now, that shield was gone. The arrival of the soldiers, the ominous talk of an approaching enemy, and the inevitable evacuation—it was all spiraling out of control. For the first time in years, Osen was being forced to leave Alderfell, and the thought was unbearable.

Tears threatened to spill, but they stayed stubbornly in place. He turned to Kale, his expression filled with helplessness. And for the first time, Osen saw his friend falter. The confidence Kale carried so naturally was gone, replaced by a flicker of unease.

Kale averted his gaze, his jaw tightening as guilt gnawed at him. How could he possibly comfort Osen when he barely understood the depth of his pain? All he could do was stay by his side, even if his support would likely go unnoticed.

They moved through the streets in silence after that, Maris still pulling them forward with unwavering determination. It wasn't long before Joshua's house came into view, a familiar sight in the midst of unfamiliar chaos.

The moment they reached the gravel path, they quickened their pace, bursting through the front door without hesitation.

Inside, Kale slumped onto a sofa in the living room, his head falling into his hands. His thoughts felt heavy, his skull pounding with the pressure of the day. He didn't move for a while, instead watching Maris as she attended to Osen.

Maris coaxed Osen onto a cot, her voice calm and steady as she urged him to lie down. She fetched a warm cloth, placing it gently on his forehead. Osen's trembling gradually eased, though his distant, haunted expression remained.

Maris sighed softly, a fleeting moment of relief crossing her face before she turned toward Kale. Her loose hair, disheveled from the hurried journey, swayed slightly as she moved. Her gaze was sharp, focused—a look Kale had seen many times before.

The tension between them was palpable, a reminder of the countless disagreements they had shared. In ordinary moments, they clashed over everything—methods, priorities, even the smallest details. But in situations like this, all of that fell away. In crises, they understood each other without needing to speak.

And for now, that understanding was enough.

Kale gave a short nod, her thoughts as open as a book.

"Let me rest for a moment. I’ll grab everything we need from home right after," he said. Maris gave a brief, satisfied huff and found a seat by the window. Stretching out on the chair, she stared outside.

She didn’t fully understand the situation herself but knew one thing for certain: the village was no longer safe. That was the only information she needed.

And so, in that quiet state, hours passed. Kale left at one point, as promised, to bring back the essentials from their home. This left Maris alone with an utterly lost-in-thought Osen. The silence wrapped around them like a shroud, widening the distance between them. Normally, Maris would have tried to coax Osen into speaking, but today, she couldn’t bring herself to engage with him. She saw him as someone unable to take care of himself, someone entirely lacking in self-confidence. People like that often made her want to keep her distance. But with Osen, she understood there was justification for his demeanor—a background that explained it.

Who knows what he’s been through, she often thought to herself.

And since he was practically her younger brother’s best friend, she instinctively cared for him as though he were part of the family. Whether Osen appreciated her actions or not was irrelevant to her. She didn’t see it as important to know if he was grateful. All she knew was that he clearly needed help, and she was willing to offer it, taking on the role of a de facto older sister.

A low groan broke the silence. Maris turned toward the source of the noise. Osen had sat up, his hand clutching his head, his brow furrowed deeply as though someone had just punched him. His gaze wandered the room before landing on Maris, who met his stare neutrally.

“How are you feeling?” she asked. Her voice was calm, neutral, but steady. Osen shook his head slightly, as though trying to compose himself.

The situation still weighed heavily on him. He despised the uncertainty that loomed over him but did his best not to burden those around him any further. After all, he owed Kale’s family so much. He had spent most of his childhood under their roof. While Joshua had provided him with shelter, it was Kale’s family who had often taken care of his essential needs. It was something he felt ashamed of but also deeply grateful for.

"All good. Sorry you had to take care of me," Osen finally replied. Maris shrugged, her expression calm and composed.

"Don’t worry about it. You give me a thousand times less of a headache than Kale does."

Although her comment was clearly a polite gesture, it managed to relax Osen nonetheless. Seeing his expression ease, Maris offered him a small smile before turning her gaze back to the window.

"Things are going to get complicated," she began. "Who would’ve thought a threat like this would ever come to the village? I thought we’d just live boring lives here forever."

She had hoped her words would help ease the remaining tension in him, but instead, Osen stared at the carpet in the living room, a worried look etched onto his face.

"Let’s hope things go back to normal," he murmured, more to himself than to Maris. After a moment of silence, Maris noticed Kale approaching from the side, carrying a heavy load. She started to stand, intending to open the door for him, but then noticed Sir Joshua and her mother emerging from behind a nearby wall, following closely behind him.

Her body tensed as she stood up and rushed to the door to meet them. She quickly called out, "I’ll be right back," before disappearing outside.

Osen also stood, making his way slowly to the window. He saw them all gathered on the gravel path. Maris appeared to be asking rapid-fire questions, but Joshua merely gestured with his hands for them all to head inside. That wasn’t what caught Osen’s attention, though. His gaze fell on Kale and his mother. There was a certain hardness in their expressions, a sternness he had never seen in Kale before.

Once inside, everyone gathered in the living room. After a brief round of greetings, they immediately turned to the matter at hand. Maris spoke quickly, and though she tried to mask it, there was a noticeable nervousness in her tone.

"So, what’s the problem? Who or what is responsible for this horde? Why are we evacuating, and where are we going?" she asked.

Joshua glanced briefly at Osen, a flicker of concern in his eyes. Osen’s gaze remained firmly locked on him, his focus unwavering.

After gathering his thoughts, Joshua took a deep breath and began to speak.

"You’re all old enough to hear this now. I trust that you’ll handle this information wisely and won’t give in to panic."

A certain authority radiated from him—an air he usually reserved for moments outside the intimacy of this small circle.

The stares directed at him only seemed to intensify in response.

"A massive horde of beasts has gathered in the northern forest," Joshua began, pausing briefly to let the information sink in before continuing. "Various creatures are active within this horde, ranging from Category One to Five. They are far more aggressive than usual, causing massive damage both to each other and to their surroundings. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be a major issue, as the army would contain the chaos within the designated area. However, there are reports that this horde is actively moving. This hasn’t happened in over 30 years. And even the historical records of past ‘storm hordes,’ as we call them, never mentioned gatherings of this scale."

A tremor of concern shook his voice slightly, but he pressed on.

"To ensure the safety of the villagers, we are evacuating the village. The local guard will need to act as the escort since all soldiers dispatched from the army have been deployed to the outer edges of the horde."

Kale’s gaze dropped to the floor. As a member of the guard, he would be required to stand ready for defense. This would be his first true deployment, and his nervousness was both visible and understandable. Still, an aura of determination surrounded him.

Osen, who had been listening intently, bit down on his lower lip.

He was afraid. It was only natural for fear to take hold in a situation like this. But there was something deeper gnawing at him, something he had been feeling far more frequently than he cared to admit. His heart raced, and his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

Anger—uncontrolled and overwhelming—rose within him like a tide, crashing over his fear. This anger wasn’t directed at himself or those around him. It was aimed squarely at the monsters. The monsters who dared to intrude upon the fragile peace of his existence.