A single tear of water dropped from the sky, dark clouds forming, blocking the morning sun.
As lightning flashed on the weary and bloodied face of Alva, thunder cried the betrayal of the Blood Rose Clan... drenching both her and Lidien with heaven's cry.
The river beside the Dark Wolf Palace, their only path to the Rift and safety, had swollen into a raging, impassable torrent, definitively blocking their escape.
Alva, now fighting the relentless tide of soldiers with her claws, did not escape. For every one she felled, two more took their place, their boots churning the bloody mud around Lidien's still form.
Lidien lay on his back, unconscious... drenched with the blood of would-be assassins, now being washed away by the sudden rain.
Yet, Mad Dog stood atop the roof... with Xyon, biting his lips... as he watched the Prince and Alva being cornered by the rats hunting a tiger.
"He's not your Master, Xyon. Lady Rose is..."
Xyon gripped his hands, his mind racing...
