Living as a human for a century is enough.

As she walked home, the old woman reminded herself that it was the perfect time for her to rest peacefully for eternity. The human world will go on even without her in it. It sounded sad. But she learned to see the beauty of any ending or beginning.

Her home is at the foot of the mountain. It was a small cottage made from dark wood. She dropped the package she brought in the kitchen and tore the bread until it became too small. She intends to feed it to the birds who visits her through the window. It was the reason why she always went to the bakery. But it would be the last day she would enjoy their company.

I hope he is not late.

Before she left her house earlier, she summoned the god of sleep to visit her. But the information she heard from the boy earlier bothered her.

Did Cimon disappear as well?

Hopefully not.

He was her only chance to stop herself from thinking about the human world. Luckily, they had an agreement. If not for the favor she offered, he would not go to where she was.

Sleeping is the only closest form of death. She chose that as her last resort when she decided she no longer needed to meddle with human affairs. After she prepared her bed, she then puts herself under the cotton blanket with a hole in the corner. It felt nice. It was also a peaceful day despite—

She heard an explosion.

It was from nearby. She refused to think or even accept that she heard it. She closed her eyes and tried to summon Cimon again. She was hoping the god of sleep would rush to her side. And interruptions will disappear. But there was another explosion.

She sighed. Soldiers from another kingdom had discovered their land. The concerns of the villagers are indeed valid. She should have planned to sleep in a cave.

She sighed again.

A problem only becomes a problem if it is not perceived as a challenge. So whenever a challenge arise, she was inclined to take it. Curiosity is one of her weaknesses. It was something she tried to work on for a hundred years. But it seems futile now.

The old woman still hears the noise when she slides her body sideways and gets out of bed.

She held onto her stick, wore her cloak, walked out again, and went straight to the village.

She heard people running, terrified.

Slowly, she pulled the bandage from her eyes, unwrapped it from her face, and dropped it on the ground. When she opened her eyes, she saw the ruins made by the mechanical soldiers and machines.

Some houses were on fire, a dress shop and the bakery were no longer recognizable, and some of her neighbors lay dead on the road near the wet market.

The barber shop remained intact. The barber who spoke with her earlier carried his son as he ran to the other side. It was understandable. They only have two choices. Either they run, or they die.

It was odd how humans kept fleeing from death when they knew all along it was inevitable. To prolong their life and deal with death for another day is what humans usually hope for.

Is there a perfect day to die?

Maybe there was.

But to know when to die is a mystery only the god of death would know.

She continued walking towards the largest vessel floating near the wet market. It was a metal airship that seemed to be the source of power for the mechanical soldiers. Seeing it float above them made their village seem so small and fragile.

No doubt the tragedy came from the Kingdom of Cyberia.

The Kingdom of Cyberia intended to conquer the Kingdom of Knaves and now aims to destroy the lands nearby. The attack is their way of showing their greed and power.

When she could not stand the noise much longer, she decided that this madness had to stop. But to stop it meant accepting that she had failed.

She sighed for the third time.

The old woman looks at her palm, which is wrinkled but soft.

The cloak that covered her body made it look old and weak, yet she felt the same. Humans and demihumans could grow old. But not her. It was the truth she had to acknowledge.

The metal airship looks enormous as it floats near her. It senses something is amiss. Its shadow covered half of their land. One would think that a massive machine would make a lot of noise as it floats, but the airships are as silent as clouds. It had a lot of openings for its mechanical soldiers to pass through. There were no glass windows. The doors close instantly once the soldiers are outside to attack whatever they set their eyes on.

And they all looked in her direction.

The mechanical soldiers fired their weapons at her.

Bullets fill the land she is standing on. It created thick smoke and dust. But when the mechanical soldiers looked at that same spot, she was no longer there. Nobody noticed that she was already in the air. She jumped hard and fast towards the big machine. Her cloak dissolves in the air as she throws it away.

When she enters the machine, she intends to destroy it. The interior was cold, made from pure metal. Some areas have wires which serve like veins. She walked towards a spacious room. At the center, warmth and light are coming from its engine.

She tossed her wooden stick.

When it landed in her hand, its appearance turned into a sword that was still sharp despite not being used for a long time.