Sofía arrived in Dreville escorted by eight hundred knights and two hundred mages under the command of Major General Aleph Douglas. The thunder of armor made the foundations of the small fief tremble. A villager ran to Baron Aritz, his face pale, to inform him of the situation.
Aritz, holding his children's hands, could barely hide his trembling.
—If I die —he said, his voice broken—, try to reach the royal family.
—Father, what's happening? Why is there such a large army outside the city? —asked his eldest son, Iker.
Aritz averted his gaze, ashamed.
—The young man who was visiting us went out for a walk beyond the village, but he didn't return last night. I didn't think it was necessary to send an escort, he was well accompanied... now I regret it. Because of him, all the soldiers were mobilized.
Andrea broke into tears.
—I love you, dad... thank you for everything.
Iker hugged him tightly.
—I will always remember you as a great man.
Margarita, his wife, looked at him with restrained tears.
—You were a good husband. No matter what happens, I will always love you.
As he walked toward the place where Sofía awaited, the baron felt the sweat soaking his back. He could not understand how a simple omission had turned into a nightmare.
Duchess Sofía, mounted on her beast Thunder, approached with a hardened expression.
—Where is my son? —she roared, with a fury that froze the air.
Aritz bowed awkwardly.
—He said he would go for a walk to a nearby village, Your Excellency.
—Take me there now! —she ordered.
Fifteen minutes later, upon arriving at the village, the local knights knelt before her presence. She did not accept greetings; she demanded answers. When they informed her of what had happened, Sofía headed without hesitation toward the mountains where Lusian had last been seen.
From afar, they spotted a contingent approaching. Sofía mounted Thunder again and advanced alongside Larryet, followed by her personal guard.
Albert stepped forward to greet her, but as soon as he entered Thunder's range, a bolt of electricity threw him to the ground. Charles, Leónidas, and Jaiden froze. Sofía dismounted quickly and ran toward Lusian.
—What are you doing here, Lusian? —she asked sternly.
The young man swallowed, aware of the gravity of the situation and of Albert's still-smoking body at his side.
—I'm sorry, mother. I just wanted to...
Emily intervened bravely.
—It's my fault...
Lusian placed her behind him and spoke firmly:
—I went out for a walk, but an accident happened. If it weren't for Albert and the others, it would have been a disaster. I will take responsibility for the deaths of the knights, so I will accept...
Before he could finish, Sofía embraced him tightly.
—I'm glad you're safe, son. You have no idea how much I feared losing you.
Surprised, Lusian took a few seconds to respond. Until that moment, he had only known the duchess, not the mother.
—I'm sorry, mom... I just wanted to fulfill the duty of a noble. I'm so sorry —he murmured, his voice breaking.
Sofía stroked his hair gently.
—Everything is fine now. What matters is that you came back alive.
—So you're not angry? —Lusian asked with a faint smile.
—Well... —she replied with contained calm—. Before you asked me that, no. But now that you did, yes. Very much. Why couldn't your knights protect you?
—They were dying, mother. I couldn't just stand there watching. Umber didn't obey my orders, so I had to intervene.
Sofía sighed deeply.
—I don't want you to put yourself in danger again. All the knights of the duchy exist to protect you, even if they must die for it.
At that moment, Aleph Douglas arrived, accompanied by Aritz, who breathed in relief upon seeing Lusian alive.
—My lord, what a joy to see you safe —said Aleph respectfully—. You had us deeply worried. You are the future of the duchy, please do not take such risks again.
—It won't happen again. Thank you, General —Lusian replied.
Aritz, nervous, stepped forward.
—Lord Lusian, forgive me for not assigning you an escort. It was an unforgivable mistake.
—Lord Aritz —Emily intervened—, I must inform you that the demonic cult was kidnapping people to summon a demon. —She pointed toward the freed prisoners.
Aritz's eyes widened in horror.
—What are you saying? Is that true?
Lusian looked at him coldly.
—Do you think we're lying? Speak to them and make sure they receive immediate care. —His tone was that of a noble accustomed to being obeyed.
Meanwhile, Albert got back up with difficulty.
—Did it hurt much? —Charles asked.
Albert stretched his neck and smiled.
—No. It's good for relaxing the muscles. I recommend it. —The others laughed nervously.
Back in Dreville, Lusian lay down on his bed, exhausted. Adela entered silently.
—Do you need anything, my lord? —she asked.
—Was my mother very angry? —he whispered.
—Of course not. —Adela smiled—. The last time I saw her truly furious was the day you ran away.
Lusian frowned.
—Really?
—Yes. That day she was arguing with the duke because he wanted to name Caleb as heir without her consent. And when I came in to report that you had disappeared, Lord Laurence's head was in Larryet's jaws and Umber was devouring his own arm, the one he used to carry his sword. Believe me, that was a terrible day.
Lusian put a hand to his forehead.
—That... really happened?
—It did. Compared to that day, today she was only worried. —Adela covered him with a blanket—. Rest, my lord.
At dawn, the convoy began its return to the capital. The columns of knights advanced in perfect order, carrying with them both the glory of victory and the weight of loss. Among them traveled two special guests: Lusian Douglas, heir to the duchy, and Emily Laurent, daughter of the Marquis of Lanter.
Upon arrival, Lusian personally escorted Emily to her mansion. At the main gate, Marquis Daniel waited anxiously, his face marked by concern.
—There is a scandal throughout the capital —he said as soon as he saw them—. Everyone saw Duchess Sofía leave with hundreds of soldiers toward the mountains. Some rumors say the governor of Dreville was executed. Is that true?
Emily shook her head quickly.
—No, father. None of that happened. We encountered a group from the demonic cult.
Daniel immediately approached and held her by the shoulders.
—Are you alright, my daughter? Did they harm you?
—I'm fine, father. I was never in danger... Lusian would not have allowed it. —Her voice trembled slightly.
The marquis exhaled in relief.
—He fulfilled his duty, as befits your fiancé. Then why do you look so down?
Emily lowered her gaze, unable to contain the guilt that oppressed her.
—I was the one who insisted on helping the villagers kidnapped by the cult. I thought it would be a simple rescue mission, but... it was a massacre. Many of Lusian's knights died, and he carries that guilt on his shoulders. I don't know if I did the right thing.
Daniel embraced her tenderly.
—I know you, Emily. You have always had a noble heart. You did what was right. The strong must protect the weak, even if the price is high.
Emily closed her eyes and let herself be held, while her father's words eased only slightly the weight on her conscience.
—Even so... —she whispered—, when I saw him among the bodies of his men, I understood that kindness can also hurt.
Daniel stroked her hair and replied firmly:
—Then make sure that pain is not in vain. We will formally thank the young duke. I will send several gifts in the name of our house, as a sign of respect for his bravery and noble actions.
Emily nodded softly. As she watched her father walk away to give orders, her gaze drifted toward the window. There, among the rays of the morning sun, she thought of Lusian.
At the top of the mountain, the surviving members of the cult had improvised a camp among rocks and scorched pines. The torches crackled and the smoke mixed with the cold night air; bandaged men and women murmured prayers on the edge of despair. Jerges, pale and with his cloak stained with blood, stood apart, holding a magical artifact that emitted a faint scarlet pulse.
From a distance, a voice resonated from the artifact, cold and authoritative. It was not a man speaking with concern: it was an order wrapped in anger.
—Your Excellency —said Jerges, his voice breaking—. I deeply regret it. We have failed. They discovered our base and only a few managed to escape.
The response was a snort of contained fury. —Useless! —cut the voice—. Who dares to interfere with our plans?
—It was the Douglas family —replied Jerges, swallowing hard—. A child was walking through the area and, by accident, found us.
There was a silence that seemed to swallow the crackling of the torches. Finally, the voice spoke, cold as iron:
—Tell me his name and his location. I will seek him out myself and make sure he receives the punishment he deserves.
The artifact vibrated in Jerges's hand. His fingers tightened around it; the red light grew more intense as if responding to a promise of blood.
—I will —murmured Jerges—. I will not fail again.
The voice showed no mercy. —I do not tolerate incompetence. Recover what was lost or your life will pay the price.
As the communication faded, Jerges looked toward the horizon, where the shadows of the mountain hid the path through which the valley's peace had fled. Beside him, the few remaining recruits fixed their gazes into the distance, knowing that this failure would not be the end, but merely the prelude to something worse.
The artifact continued to pulse in the night, and within its rhythm echoed a promise: they would return.