When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the ground.
A dome of wind surrounded me—like a protective storm.
In front of me stood a woman, screaming, her hands covering her face.
Her palms were glowing slightly, tinged with green. She seemed to be crying.

I lay there for a moment, trying to piece together my memories.

“I know that woman…” I thought.

Then it all came rushing back.

“Viera…?”

But she didn’t hear me.

I touched my neck—there was blood. But the wound had closed.

– Asra… that little whore.--

I slowly sat up. Viera was still in a fury, utterly beside herself.
I tried to calm her down.

I gently cupped her face in my hands. Her eyes finally met mine.

“I’m okay, see? You can calm down now. It’s all gonna be okay. Don’t worry.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She looked… far away.
Like something inside her had snapped.
Her eyes sparkled with wild emotion, almost disconnected from reality.

I kept speaking to her in a soft, soothing voice. I even smiled.

Little by little, the wind faded.
We were back—face to face with our enemies.

I stood up.

“Asra… you traitor!”

At first, she looked shocked to see me alive.
Then, rage took over again.

“Traitor? You’re wasting your pathetic life in this godforsaken place!
You’re the most talented among us, and this is how you waste your time?”

“You didn’t have to follow me.”

“I thought you’d change.”

“I never changed. Not since I was a kid, for gods’ sake.”

“And yet you never fought. You kept hiding your power.
And suddenly—you show everyone you’re the best. I… admired you.”

“And I didn’t admire you.”

I instinctively placed Viera behind me, shielding her.

Asra’s eyes burned with hate.
She lunged at me, dagger in hand—the same one she’d used to slit my throat.

I drew my sword and parried.
Asra was fast—always had been—but she’d never once beaten me.

Still, she was cunning, treacherous. I didn’t underestimate her.
She launched into a flurry of attacks, relentless, aiming to wear me down with speed.

I barely dodged a swipe to the face, then slammed the pommel of my sword into her ribs.
She gasped, staggering back.
 I took the opportunity to strike back: a magnificent gash ran along her slender throat.

Blood poured freely. It was over.

Despite everything we’d shared… I felt nothing.
There was no space in my heart for lies—or for regret.

– Ugh… I really hate fighting.--
But I couldn’t leave her alone.

I turned to look at Viera, anxiety tightening in my chest.

The assassins charged.

I stepped forward to block them from her.
I struck fast, clean, efficient.
None of them survived.

“Oh, Valensia… I’m so sorry…” Viera murmured.
“I know you hate fighting… I didn’t want you to—”

“Shhh. It’s okay now.”

I asked her about the situation at the North Gate.
We hadn’t had time to talk.

She gave me a quick summary—and I understood immediately how bad it was.

“I need you to go, Viera.”

“What?”

“I’ll buy you some time. Go. I’ll send any survivors your way.
Take the emergency exit—I showed you where it is.”

“No!”

“That’s an order, Viera!”

“That’s… definitely not how you talk to a lady!!”

I was speechless.

She took my hand—and started running, dragging me toward the battlefield.

Since when could she run that fast…?

'Beautiful', I thought.

Arriving at the entrance, it was a massacre.

The enemy army was at the gates. Three-quarters of my soldiers were dead or dying. On the ramparts lay Astur, my faithful friend.

An immense rage overwhelmed me.

I ordered the survivors to flee. I remained alone, in front of the gate, ready to give way, to fight what might be my last stand.

The gate creaked. Cheers rose from the enemy ranks. I was ready to charge when...

An intangible power paralyzed me.

– What’s the...? –

I couldn’t move. And then, I saw her, then appeared before me, like a light in this place of darkness.

"Viera…"

Her body was shining.

"Viera, no!"

She raised her hand in the direction of the enemy crowd and said:

"Move."

A dull blast tore through the air. All the soldiers were thrown thirty meters away.

I still couldn’t move.

Viera rose slowly, majestically, carried by an invisible breath. Her feet left the ground soundlessly, her body rising into the air, light as a feather, imposing as a prophecy. Her cloak floated around her, her hair, haloed in light, danced in a wind that only she seemed to feel.

Little by little, she transformed. Her hair, once gray and coarse, became thinner, tinged with a pale green. Her figure was slimming—though she had never been corpulent—giving her a more youthful appearance.

I saw her profile. It was her.

The legendary magician.

A tear rolled down my cheek.

– She’s beautiful.--

Then she began her dance.

Every movement was precise, fluid, imbued with an unreal grace. She spun around, arms outstretched, fingers circling the air, tracing invisible lines. With each of her gestures, streaks of light appeared in her wake—emerald filaments that pulsed gently. Magic responded to her call like an orchestra to its conductor.

The villagers and soldiers stared at the spectacle.

Particles of green light began to swirl around her, timidly at first, then with increasing intensity. They gathered, shimmering, alive, forming a halo around the levitating sorceress. Then, obeying a final impulse from her arms, they flew toward the bloodied bodies of our clan.

One by one, they regained consciousness. It was a relief, but...

Viera didn't stop. Still levitating, she left the camp. Her body glowed with a green aura. Small red and white lights revolved around her.

The dance was over. What she was about to do was no longer a blessing.

And I... I still couldn't move.

"Viera, stop it, Viera... Vi..."

"JANVIER, STOP IT!" I screamed.

But she kept moving forward.

I had failed.

My goal was to protect her, to offer her something other than war. And she was charging into danger, alone.

Then began... the dance of death.

As she spun through the air, performing a deadly dance, fireballs shot out in her direction. They crashed against an impenetrable barrier, triggering a blast so powerful it swept away everything around her. Tornado-like gusts of wind formed around her, rising from the ground. They danced in time with Janvier's movements, lifting earth and projectiles in a wild whirl.

As the red glow intensified, her power grew. The sky slowly darkened, and thick black clouds converged on the enemy army. Lightning began to streak across the sky. Panicked, the enemy soldiers launched another volley of fireballs, but they were stopped in their tracks... then deflected back with incredible violence. A barrier of flames suddenly ignited in front of us.

In the final steps of her dance, Janvier released the formed tornadoes and lightning, hurling them en masse against the attackers. It was as if we were witnessing the end of the world.

The minutes stretched in crushing silence. Then the storm subsided. I felt my body finally free itself. My gaze immediately fell on Janvier, still suspended in the air, high in the sky, shining like a star.

The radiance enveloping her gradually faded, like a dying star... and her body sank into the air, without a word.

I ran as fast as I could to catch up with her.

In my arms, she seemed asleep. She was still breathing but seemed to be in a deep sleep. She must have been exhausted.

I was holding a young and beautiful witch in my arms.

Tears welled up.

I had failed to protect her. I, who wanted to keep her away from the war forever... And all around me, I heard the howls of pain on the battlefield. – She will blame herself so much for that...--

From the clan, shock gave way to euphoria. A general cry of joy rose up. Astur spoke, his voice vibrating with emotion:

"Look! Our elder sacrificed herself for us! She saved us from death. In her name, let us deliver the final blow to our enemies!"

The soldiers let out a roar in unison and charged back onto the battlefield, finishing off the enemy on the ground.

In the distance, I could see my sister, standing back with the remnants of her troops. I gathered my troops around me and charged Astur with watching over Janvier.

"Keep a close eye on her. Don't let anything happen to her."
"Understood," he replied gravely.

I stepped forward alone, armed, to provoke my sister. She stepped forward in turn, her features tense.

"So, that’s why you were here… the traitor was with you all along."
"Traitor?" She meant Janvier. My hatred skyrocketed.

"I’m gonna be generous here," she said. "Give me over the witch and join my ranks. I'll leave your pathetic clan alive."

– Who the hell does she think she is?--

"The wretch here is you. 90% of your army is wiped out, and so will the rest. I'll be merciful too. You like a challenge, don't you? Fight me. If you win, you can do what you want. But if you lose... you won't be here to see it."

Her pride was stung.

"You think you're the best because you were valedictorian? You're not alone. Bellona's blood runs through my veins too!"

Then she added, with a bitter smile:

"Oh… that’s why you want to keep the witch just for you? Do you want to follow in her footsteps?"

I didn't answer. No point in feeding her arrogance.

"What? Afraid, big sis’?"
"Certainly not. I'll teach you respect."

The fight began.

She was fast, powerful. A worthy heir to Bellona. She used the entire environment to her advantage, combining sneak attacks and tactical traps. Swords clashed. I received a cut on my left arm, then my right, then my leg. But nothing serious. I held on.

Her movements were losing fluidity. She was exhausting herself.

I saw the opening.

I concentrated all my strength and speed into a single blow. The sword pierced her chest, piercing her heart with deadly precision. She staggered, her eyes instantly going blank, a sure sign that life was leaving her.

To extract the deeply embedded blade, I placed my foot on her motionless torso and, with a sharp jerk, drew the sword, drawing a silent gasp from her now lifeless body.

The enemy soldiers remained frozen.

"I don’t care about your army or your life. Go home, now. And never come back! You scumbag!"

I didn't need to repeat myself. They left the battlefield without even taking their dead... or their leader.

I rejoined my clan, to cheers.

I turned to Astur.

"Don’t worry," he reassured me. "She’s all good. She might have used too much energy. If it’s been a long time since she last used any… it’s just her body’s reaction."

– Yes, a long time… an eternity fleeing… all alone. –

I leaned down and took Janvier in my arms.

"I’ll take her to my quarters."

I then ordered a check on enemy bodies—eliminating any survivors if necessary. Priority was given to the wounded on our side. One unit was assigned to repair the north gate. We couldn't let our guard down. Others worked to organize meals. Everyone got moving.

I placed Janvier in a bed. I took care to change her, putting clean clothes on her. Her face was peaceful. Her body still glowed slightly.

I had before me the greatest magician of all time. My heart was beating so fast. I was captivated.

"Forgive me," I breathed, before placing a kiss on her forehead.