(Seira’s Pov) 

The urgency in Arun’s voice was unmistakable. My mind raced with fear of the worst, and the look in his eyes was fierce and frightening, like he was angry at someone, or maybe even angry on someone else’s behalf. 

As we ran through the dark, foggy forest, we slowly began to approach the hill overlooking our village. Even I could start to feel something wrong, a heavy, uncomfortable feeling, like my heart would leap out of my chest or my stomach would explode. Just as my heart was about to burst from my chest, Arun gently set me down. We gazed down at the village, and that’s when my heart completely dropped. 

There was smoke in the air, and I could hear tiny screams that echoed all the way up to us on the hill. The air felt thick, heavy, almost suffocating. 

The village is burning. 

My eyes widened in horror as I looked down at the village. The flames were everywhere, fiery and destructive, devouring every home in their path. 

“W-What’s going on?” I asked, my voice trembling, confusion mixing with the words. I couldn’t understand why this was happening, or why now. That’s all my mind kept repeating over and over again. Arun didn’t look at me. He paused for a few seconds before he answered. “I don’t know. Come on, we need to hurry. Stay close.” 

We kept walking fast down the hill towards the town. Arun held my hand tightly, like he was afraid I might run away, pulling me close. The closer we got to the village, the harder it became to breathe, like something was choking me. 

Finally, we reached the bottom, and that’s when I felt the horror completely overwhelm me. My heart sank, and my legs began to feel weak, like they might give out at any moment. “Why is this happening?” I said softly, speaking aloud this time, my voice filled with confusion and fear. Arun looked at me and gripped my hand even tighter. “I don’t know. But let’s go.” 

My foot still hurt from tripping earlier, and it didn’t help the sinking feeling in my stomach, the fear that I might not be able to keep up much longer. I could see townspeople running for their lives, screaming in terror, begging for the madness to stop. Some people I even knew were lying in the streets, blood everywhere, the ground dirty and wet. 

“Please! Stop this!” I heard one villager scream as he stumbled, trying to escape, while a bad man with a large club stood over him. The man struck him again and again. I couldn’t bear to watch. I turned my face away instinctively. “Run! They’re everywhere!” another villager shouted. But before he could even flee, they beat him to the ground, stabbing him repeatedly. I wanted to look away, but it was too late. I had already seen the man drive his knife into the villager. My mind kept repeating, “Mama. Papa. Help me. I’m scared.” over and over, like a prayer. 

We kept running through the village, and for a moment, I saw something that broke my heart in ways I couldn’t explain. “We have to go now. We have no choice,” Kailu’s papa murmured, almost a whisper, but loud enough for me to hear. His voice was trembling, filled with guilt. Kailu's mommy looked desperate, searching for something in the distance, looking for something none of us could see. Kailu’s parents didn’t even glance back. Their eyes were darting between the flames and the bandits, and their feet moved, as if pulled by some invisible force. 

“They’re leaving Kailu?” I said quietly, barely able to believe what I was seeing. “They’re abandoning him?” Arun saw it too, and his face looked so angry, not just at the bandits but maybe at himself too. “I know. I’m sorry, Seira. But we need to find your parents right now.” 

We ran quickly, getting closer and closer to my house. I could see it in the distance, getting bigger as we moved. But when we reached the streets near my home, someone suddenly appeared behind us, running fast. “Arun, there you are! We need you!” he gasped, out of breath like he had run all the way across the city just to find him. It was another soldier from the village guards, probably around Arun’s age but much smaller, much weaker. He took a second to catch his breath before speaking again. “The rest of the Village Guard Brigade has fled. It’s just us and your wife left.” 

Arun stared at the young soldier. “What do you mean they fled?! What about the elders?” Arun's voice was full of fury. “They fled too. There’s no one left, just us, a few of the village doctors, and some of the residents.” the solider replied. 

Arun looked stunned, yet he seemed to know this would happen one day. “Those bastards,” he muttered through clenched teeth. “Show me to the injured. Where’s Saphielle?” I watched them talk, but my heart was beating faster and faster, like it knew I needed to find Mama and Papa. 

Without thinking, my feet started moving on their own, and I slipped away without Arun or the guard noticing me. 

The streets near my house were strangely quiet, even though everything else was full of chaos. The air felt heavy and thick, like the smoke and silence were too much, making it hard to breathe. 

Finally, I reached the house. The door was wide open, hanging from its hinges and banging against the wall. My eyes felt dry from crying, and they started to itch. I slowly walked toward the door and gently pushed it open. My fear grew stronger, and the wood creaked like it was scared too.